Floaters
Flash Fiction: Coping is a strange little skill — isn’t it?
Hey you! This is the flash fiction piece I’ve been working on as a part of my DIY MFA. If you would like to read my previous article on how I learned about flash fiction on the internet, here’s the link.
Trigger warnings: depression, death
Selah stared at the ocean’s horizon and prayed for God to show Himself. Witnessing a divine intervention was the last activity on her Happy List. She thought it was a surefire way to dig herself out the emotional hole she was stuck in.
Other activities on Selah’s Happy List include:
- Cloudspotting
- Smelling cocoa butter
- Watching Nickelodeon cartoons from the 90s
All were tried that day. All were unsuccessful.
Her night at the beach began by trying another activity from her Happy List: emulating her mother. She skipped, danced, and jumped along the shore. She even tried out one of her mother’s signature laughs — one that started in the belly and roared out.
Selah couldn’t play pretend for long. She soon plopped down on the sand, sat cross-legged, and rocked from side to side. Moments later, she remembered the last entry on her Happy List. She sat and focused her energy on the horizon — looking for a sign.
“I thought I’d find you here.” She heard a familiar voice say behind her.
Selah kept her eyes on the horizon. If she broke her concentration, she might miss it.
“Keith, hey.” Selah mumbled.
“Your dad called me…he was worried.” He sat down next to her in the sand.
“Worried? Really? I doubt it.” She chuckled, “I’ve just been here — waiting.”
“For how long?”
“Long enough. I can handle myself, you know? It’s not a big deal.”
“I know what today is, Selah. It is a big deal.”
A momentary wave of sadness came over Selah — until she stuffed it into her stomach.
“I wish my mom taught me how to swim. It’s like she knew something about the water that I didn’t. She wouldn’t have swam if someone threw a million dollars into the ocean.” Selah smiled.
“You can still learn how to swim.”
“I’d rather avoid the embarrassment. I’m used to feeling behind, anyway.”
Keith shook his head, “You’re not behind. You’re just on a different path. Everyone is.”
“Can I switch paths with someone? Is that a thing?”
He smiled, “You might be stuck…for now at least.”
“Figures.” Selah noticed the seafoam kiss the edge of the shore, “And…how come some people are just, like, born excellent floaters? They don’t question the water. They trust it. It’s funny.”
“What’s funny about it?”
“It’s funny that the world’s big enough for people like my mom and floaters to coexist. I wonder if they both have the same knowledge about the ocean. They each just carry it differently.” She looked to Keith, “I never wanted to inherit her fear. But, it’s the only thing I have left that’s hers. I just wish I wasn’t so scared every day…all of the time…”
Keith reached over and held Selah’s hand, “Can I sit with you until you feel better?”
“I don’t know when this’ll stop.”
“Then, I guess, we’ll be here for a while.” Keith opened his arms to embrace Selah. At first, she was hesitant. But, once she saw Keith’s smile, the tension in her body softened.
She scooted close to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. Her eyes welled up with tears. For the first time that day, she didn’t stop them. Amidst it all, Keith pulled her closer.
Selah heard a large strike of thunder.
She pulled away from Keith’s t-shirt quickly, noticing a wet spot, “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
They shared a smile. Both noticed rain clouds beginning to assemble in the sky. Keith got up and brushed the sand off of his jeans, “How about some ice cream? There’s that one spot on the boardwalk that’s open until midnight. You like cookies and cream, right?” He held out an arm to help Selah up.
Selah let him pull her to her feet. She smiled, “Right.”
They both walked off the beach. The wind soon erased their imprints from the sand.
Nia Simone McLeod is a writer, content creator, and pop culture enthusiast from Richmond, Virginia. Follow her on Twitter, Tumblr, or Instagram for more dope digital content.