He smiled as he hugged his little girl, wrapping his large arms around her as her little arms were just able to go at his sides. She smiled widely up at him as she giggled.

"Daddy, I think I got one, I think I got one!" Alex's little voice chirped up at him, he glanced from her to the pole in her hands, the line extending out to the water; pulled taught.

"It looks like you do, want my help?" He asked, it was a rhetorical question as she was far too little to take a fish on, especially when it was a mystery at its size.

"Of course daddy!" Alex exclaimed matter-of-factly, sticking her tongue out and biting it before holding firmly onto the pole, he placed his one hand over hers while using the other to start reeling in.

"This one's a big-un" Her father stated, pulling the pole back gently, alert to not whack her on the head with it, while still reeling in. Alex stayed focused on the water, curious as to the size of what she just caught. She was happy, though unaware, that in time they'd have a challenge. That it would matter as to who got the bigger fish; of course in just fun and game. Though in only her five years of age, the fact that her father hadn't caught a single bite in the last two hours while she was on her third bite and second catch, she was winning.

"Alright, here he comes" He said as he reeled in the last of the fight, up jumped a large mouth bass, approximately eight inches in length and eight pounds. He fell back, stumped. Alex squealed excitedly as she stared at the fish.

"Wow" He said happily, hugging her as he held onto the pole.

"He's a beauty!" He said with a smile, she looked up at him with a giant smile.

"Thank you, daddy!" Alex said in her small voice, her smile beaming across her face.

"Wanna keep him?" He asked, Alex seemed to contemplate this for a moment before confirming.

"Yes!" Alex said surely, staring at the wriggling fish, she was unaware that he meant to stuff it, not domesticate it.

Her eyes opened as she stretched, yawning before hugging her pillow to her face and staring out the window. It was yet another night that she had the dream of the past, of how much she missed it. She rolled over onto her back. It was only seven-thirty in the morning and she couldn't find the will to go back to sleep. Sitting up, she put her legs over the side of the bed, stretching her toes out in the soft of the rug before stretching once again. Alex was used to waking up early, if she wasn't it was due to having stayed up all night long.

"Morning, Elvis" Alex said with a smile as she stroked her orange tabby cats head, he purred immediately and fell over onto his side, his tail flicking. She smiled bigger before standing up and searching her drawers for her running shorts.

"Now, where did I put those?" Alex asked herself aloud, remembering they're in the bathroom. Leaving the drawer open, she headed for the bathroom and found them hanging on a hook on the wall. She pulled them on before exchanging her shirt for a sports bra. She walked outside and stretched before starting her annual run.

She passed many elderly people who were early birds, waving at each one and when she didn't, she smiled a friendly greeting. Each morning, she ran a mile, bought a water and a different fruit depending on her mood, and exchanged a greeting with the cashier; whoever happened to be working at the time.

"Ahh, hello Alex. How are you this fine morning?" Darlene asked, she was a woman in her mid-years with a crooked smile due to an accident in her childhood, she was short and stocky but beautiful none-the-less.

"Hi Darlene, I'm doing great but feel a little stiff, think I didn't stretch enough before coming out this morning. How are you?" Alex asked, placing a banana and large bottle of water onto the counter in front of her.

"I'm doing just fine, beautiful morning" Darlene said as she checked her items, taking the exact money.

"Thank you, it really is. You have a great day now, I'll see you later" Alex said with a smile, Darlene gave an appropriate answer and smiled in return before watching Alex leave. Once outside, she downed a quarter of the bottle before sitting on the bench, stretching out her legs in front of her. She took in her surroundings as she peeled her banana and started eating away. It'd help with the stiffness.

A man in his twenties passed by, humming to himself, seemingly oblivious to the rest of the world as he did a fast walk in tight, yoga shorts, he had short combed-back hair and a tight shirt. An absorbent outfit. Alex chuckled to herself once she knew he was out of range, though he had headphones in, she didn't want to risk the chance of him thinking she was laughing at him. It was always funny to her when she saw a man in yoga shorts.

Once the banana finished and more than half the bottle gone, she stood up again, stretching more than before. She finished the water and threw both the peel and the bottle away in the side garbage before starting off in another jog while pacing herself. She returned home shortly.

Sweaty, breathless, and filled with adrenaline, she walked up the stairs silently and went to her room for a shower. Her parents were still sleeping in their bedroom. As she showered, she didn't think of anything, just let the water wash away her worries as she relaxed her tensed shoulders. After washing the last of the soap off her body and the conditioner out of her hair, she turned the water off and stepped out, she toweled off and wrapped it around her body before clearing off a spot of the mirror. She glanced at herself, seemingly in a trance.

She had deep blue eyes that were always alert with shoulder-length black hair, a soft smile, and was unmistakably beautiful with a scar along her cheek bone and left arm. She ran her fingers along the scar on her cheek before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

"No, today is starting out great, lets not let bad memories ruin that!" Alex said in a happy tone to her reflection before walking out of the bathroom, dressing herself in jean shorts and a plain green t-shirt. She didn't have to work until ten but she felt like going in and checking on the animals; so she grabbed her keys.

She quietly descended the stairs and made her way into the kitchen, checking the cabinets before searching the refrigerator but finding nothing.

"Looks like I'll have to make something quickly" Alex thought to herself before closing the door and taking bread out of the pantry, she slid two pieces into the toaster, plugged it in, then pushed the small lever down. Opening the cupboard to her left, the one with the lazy Suzanne, she pulled out the peanut butter and placed a butter knife next to it. While waiting for the bread to pop up, she dumped the filter in the coffee pot and put in a new one, putting the appropriate amount of grounds into it, she filled it with water then turned it on, watching it brew before turning towards the now popped up bread.

She pulled it out and applied a thick amount of peanut butter to one of the pieces and making a sandwich out of it. She placed her used knife into the dish washer, the peanut butter back into the cupboard before taking the pen out of the cup next to the fridge, writing on the piece of paper attached to it. Writing the following:

Out at the aquarium, checking on the animals quickly, if I'm not home before you get up I might be doing some errands, call me if you need anything. Love, Alex.

They all wrote notes and because they all had to go into the fridge to get things for a cup of coffee, or some breakfast, or simply grab something for someone else they would all see a note. If dad was gone before they all got up, he wrote a short note of his love for everyone on it, if Alex was up first she'd write what she was doing as to not worry whoever woke up and found her missing. And mom, she would write what she was up to in case anyone came home and didn't find her.

Alex took her sandwich and left, taking bites as she walked down the street. The aquarium rested at the end of the beach, set across the bridge and bordering the water. It was a large building that housed many animals that were being nursed back to health. Alex loved her job more than mostly anything, she loved helping animals and putting them back into their homes once they were better. She hated when one didn't make it but it didn't cause her to go into any depression.

She took the back entrance, swiping her key over the censor pad that was resting on the door before going in. She lingered near the door longer than usual, making sure to finish her sandwich before proceeding down the hall towards the tanks.

"Hello, you big brute" Alex said with a smile as she got to the tank that housed a fat sting ray. It swam around slowly, making its way towards the bottom as it rested there. It had been brought in after it had been harmed by unexplainable events, it was left with a messed up fin and a broken tail. Alex had been the one to nurse it back to health once it was brought into the special tanks at the back. It couldn't be shown off because of it needing help. They had tried to put it into the show tanks but at the first sign of a human, it would dart into the back corner and hover there.

"How are you doing? That fin looks much better" Alex said to the sting ray, fully aware that it couldn't talk back but luckily, it was warming up to her. Alex watched it as it laid at the bottom, not moving.

"You're probably hungry" Alex walked over and picked up a small, portable, fish tank. This small fish tank had trout the size of your hand. Once she returned to the sting ray, she was speechless. Along with the one in there, there now swam three babies and another one being birthed.

"Wow" Alex said as she squatted down. The babies swam around happily, seemingly unaware of the tank they were in.

"Aren't you guys completely adorable!" Alex stated, smiling at the tank, she stood back up as she opened the small tank, pulling out one trout at a time as she slid the fish into the tank with the sting ray. The mother having spotted the trout, came up and gulped up the fish. After feeding the entire case, around seventeen fish, she returned to swimming around.

Alex placed the tank back onto the shelf and walked down the hall towards the show tanks, taking a right halfway down the hall and continuing straight, she walked into the business office that was now open. It was nine ten, and two women and one man sat in the office.

"Hey guys, you know that sting ray we've been nursing?" Alex asked as she rested against the door jamb.

"Yeah, what about him?" Jane asked, she looked up from her paper work.

"She just gave birth" Alex said, putting an emphasis on the she.

"Well, look at that!" Mark said happily, everyone smiled.

"Hopefully she'll be good enough to put back into the wild with her babies.

"She looks healthy enough, her fin is just about better" Alex said, everyone nodded before she turned and headed back to the tanks. She fed the dolphins, fed the baby whale that swam around in the largest tank they had; he was going home tomorrow if no complications were to happen. She fed the seals and the sucker fish they were planning on releasing in the next week. Every animal had dates scheduled in leaving within the next week except for the shark. It was only around a 'teenage fish' but still was slightly dangerous. Nobody knew if he were going to attack anyone and if everyone went by their instincts, he wouldn't but everyone knew you couldn't trust yourself around a shark.

"Hey there little guy" Alex said as she placed her hand against the tank, the shark was swimming around, hovering then would swim, hover then swim. He came towards Alex and that's when she saw his hideous disfigurement along his left side. He had been attacked by a human who had a harpoon, struck him then hit him with his boat. It was a miracle the shark had survived.

Alex climbed the ladder and sat at the top, sitting on her knees as the bucket of fish rested next to her. She reached in and pulled one out, dangling it in the water to grab Sebastion's, as they call him, attention.

"I know you're harmless, for the most part, come here" Alex said, she couldn't believe she was really calling a shark harmless. Even if he hadn't wanted to be, it was in his nature, so he had no choice in the matter. It was either be vicious or be killed.

Sebastion, having smelled the fish, came swimming up, opening his mouth wide underneath the fish. As he did this, she dropped the fish down into his mouth, smiling as he swallowed it. This went on for another ten fish, Alex loved feeding the shark. He was, for the most part, a gentle giant who didn't want to hurt anyone but was hurt himself so it was the only thing he knew.

After the shark she checked in on the sting ray once more before going to the show tanks, watching as little kids pressed their faces up against the glass. There were three tanks that were for 'show'. In them, there were the turtles, three of them. In another one were the dolphins with two of them. And in the last tank housed the whale, the one that would soon have to get out of there.

Alex headed out, walking towards home, she smelled like fish and needed yet another shower.

"Hey, Alex!" Came a familiar voice from behind her, she turned around and saw the tall, athletic figure of her best friend.

"Oh, hey Nate" Alex said with a smile, he came up to her and wrinkled his nose.

"Ya know, your job really makes you stinky" Nate said, it was a joke but she couldn't help but nudge him.

"I save lives, I don't care how stinky it makes me" Alex said as she continue walking.

"Haha, I know, I know. Am sorry if I offended you" Nate said, looking down at her, she gave him a look that made him know to shut up.

"Anyways, how are you?" Alex asked, Nate fell into step with her after a moment.

"Oh you know, pretty good, can't complain really." Nate said, Alex nodded.

"Good, hey I gotta go shower. Again." She said, saying again with dread.

"Have fun with that" Nate said before turning and walking down towards the sand.

Alex walked into her house, she could hear the baby crying from upstairs, she knew her mother was awake. As for her dad, she didn't know. He was always a quiet man who kept to himself for the most part, rarely talking out of turn. Her mother had a kind heart, she couldn't ever hurt anything even if she had wanted to.

"Mom?" Alex called up the stairs as she climbed them, her moms head popped out of a room to the right.

"Oh, hey darlin'. How was work? Oh pew" She said as she plugged her nose.

"Was good, I need to shower if you couldn't tell, I'll return to this conversation in a few minutes" Alex said before going towards her room and repeating earlier routine.

"That's much better, fish really didn't ever go well with me" Her mother said as Alex walked in behind her in the babies room.

"I've always loved it but then again, I always went fishing" Alex said, leaning against the wall as the baby nursed with a blanket hiding him.

"It's kinda funny how you tend to animals yet love killing the fish" Her mom said as she rocked slowly in the chair, Alex chuckled.

"Well, I kill them to eat them, to live. I don't just kill them and throw them away, you know?" Alex asked, picking at a frayed thread on her shirt.

"Yes, I understand. So, any plans for the day?" She asked as she watched her, Alex shook her head.

"Well, just small things here and there, I'll leave you some privacy with the baby though. I need to go do something now that I think about it" Alex said, leaving no time for any reply. Tomorrow was her fathers birthday, and every year after the accident happened, she went and visited him. It was the least she could do.

Alex walked along the beach, wanting to be alone for some time before having any company. The small lapping of the water seemed to kiss her feet as it came up then went back down. The ocean was her favorite thing, the salty water made her happy while the soft, warm sand beneath her feet gave her entertainment every now and then; whenever she felt like it.

It was still early and Alex had no idea what she would do to pass the time or get her mind off of everything, as if reading her mind, along ran Nate.

"Hey you, was wondering when you'd come back out" He came running up, holding a Frisbee under his left arm.

"Hey.. what's that for?" She asked, he glanced down at it wondering what she was talking about, then returned his gaze to her.

"Ooh, this thing... a few of us were playing on the other side of the beach, came over to see if you wanted to play" Nate said, holding out the Frisbee to her, she contemplated it for a moment.

"Sure, why not? I have nothing else to do" Alex said, following him as they started towards the other end.

"Awesome!" Nate exclaimed as they walked, after a while it was silent and it made Nate uncomfortable but he didn't want to say anything. If Alex had seen his discomfort, she made no attempt to change it. She was lost in her own world. Nate glanced at her, staring at her face for a moment before walking ahead of her, she was too zoned out to notice that they had already made it to the area.

"Alex... Alleeeexxx" Nate spoke louder, trying to get her attention, she lazily looked over at him before noticing where they were.

"Oh! Wow! I'm sorry, I must've zoned out." Alex said nervously, rubbing the back of her neck with a small laugh.

"I noticed, alright Alex, you take the left" Jake, a summer time visitor, said. Since he was ten years old his family had owned a beach house along the farthest end of the beach, one of the biggest and oldest. A nice brown one with a dock on both the bottom and top floor; overlooking well along the water. Jake, obviously, had come from a very wealthy family who lived in Virgina when not down in North Carolina. He was shorter than the others by a few inches, with short black hair. He had dark skin, thanks to the summer sun, and didn't ever pass up a chance to take his shirt off. He had a cocky attitude, rarely listened, but loved to have fun and help people. As strange as that may be. When needed, he did lend an ear, but rarely.

"Alright, this is gonna be intense, a lot like football. You have to get to it before anyone else does. If you get into the sand, that's ten points, get the Frisbee in the air and land on your feet, that's fifty points. Remember, the points don't count. Le'go!" Jake yelled as Molly and Mike had a staring contest off to the right. Mike broke it when Jake started talking and Molly cheered loudly.

"Come on, shut up, lets go!" Jake yelled as he walked backwards, the others started running in the opposite direction. Jake chuckled before pulling his arm behind his right side, and launching it. He stood still as a rod, watching the Frisbee take flight towards his friends.

"Holy... go, it's all yours Mike!" Nate yelled, Mike ran more, his feet getting stuck in the sand as he tried to jump for it and stumbled onto his face, eating sand. He leaned on his arms and spat it out as the Frisbee landed inches away from his face.

"Now what happened there, mate? It was all yours. If I thought you were gonna womp it, I would've gone for it" Wesley said, his accent hugging his words. Mike climbed up and as he patted the sand off his clothes, he glared at him.

"You know, I'm starting to hate a certain Dutch boy who's here to visit" Mike pointed at him, jokingly. Wesley laughed.

"What? I didn't push you, I swear" Wesley said, putting his hands up as a defense.

"I know" Mike smiled towards him before they walked back over to position. The Frisbee was returned to Jake and launched once again. This time, it didn't go towards Mike and instead it went off towards the wave, Molly's area.

"It's all yours, girlie" Mike said, crossing his arms and watching her with a smug grin. She gave him a look that let him know she was unhappy and went to retrieve it, warily. She stopped at the smallest waves, feeling them crash against her legs. 'You can do this, you can do this' Molly said to herself, over and over. It wasn't that she was afraid of water, she wasn't. It was the sharks and the belief, since she was little, that they could lurk in even the smallest amount of water. It wasn't exactly a lie.

"Come on, Mol, go get it!" Jake yelled from his spot on the sand, Molly took a deep breath and started in for it. As she swam, it seemed that the Frisbee kept going out, farther and farther. Finally, as if taken forever, her hand landed on the Frisbee. She felt small, even though she could still touch the ground with her feet. 'I got it, I did it, see there was nothing to be afraid of' Molly told herself, just before her heart sank. A small fish brushed against her foot, or in Molly's mind... was a shark. She started to freak out. Screaming, as she fell backwards into the water.

"Molly!" Mike yelled before running off towards the water, Alex watched as the scene took a moment to play in her mind, before registering that everything was wrong. Her breath caught in her throat. Mike soon came out, carrying a passed out Molly in his arms. Laying her down on the sand, he administered C.P.R. Praying silently, to a God that he didn't believe in, that she'd be okay. She had to be okay. Didn't she? Yes. There were no if, and, or buts about it; she would be okay. Mike cringed, wanting to cry as continued to push at her chest, followed by blowing his own oxygen into her mouth. Still, she wouldn't breath.

"No, she's not breathing" Jackie, Molly's older sister, spoke shakily into the receiver of her cell phone. Tears were brimming in her eyes, as she blinked, they rolled down her cheeks.

"Please, hurry!" Jackie said as Mike continued, she hung up her phone and fell to the sand on her knees, stroking Molly's head as she pleaded for her to breath. As if hearing her, she coughed water into Mike's face as she sucked in air. Tears streamed down Jackie's cheeks quickly as she smiled.

"Thank you, Mike! Thank you!" Jackie said quickly, moving over to her sisters side. Sirens could be heard in the distance.

"It's going to be okay, no, don't get up. The ambulance is almost here" Mike said, pushing Molly back down gently.

"What happened?" Alex asked, Jake looked up at her, they stood a bit away.

"I don't know, one second I was watching her get the Frisbee and the next moment she's in the water. It happened too fast" Jake said, shrugging before turning away and walking home. Alex watched him before noticing that Nate had left without a word. Within minutes, an Ambulance sat at the edge of the beach, two men with a gurney in their hands came running down. As one man strapped Molly in, the other talked to Mike and Jackie, asking everything they knew. Alex took it all in, exhaling her breath. When had she been holding it? She turned away from it all and went walking towards Nate's house. Where had he gone? When did he go? Why didn't he say anything before leaving? It took Alex a good five minutes to walk the entire two blocks to Nate's small home. Sitting on a large patch of grass that faced the rich fishing grounds, a lovely horizon, and a large field before finally getting to the ocean. Nate's house was a quaint home that was built back in 1847. They had painted it last summer, when Alex first moved to town, it was half done. It was now a light blue with darker blue shudders and a brown with blue porch, on the porch sat two rocking chairs. Alex raised her hand and was about to knock, but noticing someone hunched over in the rocking chair, their back towards her, made her stop.

"Hello?" Alex asked, hesitantly. Nate lifted his head, without looking back, he responded.

"What?" Nate asked, harshly. Alex flinched at his tone, within the entire year that she had known him he hadn't ever once gotten angry at anything, let alone her.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked, Nate sat up straighter as he gripped the arms of the rocking chair tightly.

"Why does there have to be something wrong? I'm perfectly fine" Nate lied, it was as transparent as the air they breathed. As thin as a blade of grass, and as loose as the strings on a torn sweater.

"Nate, I've known you this entire year and not once have you ever just disappeared without a word, and not once have you ever gotten angry. It's just not you.. I thought-" Alex explained but Nate cut her off.

"You don't know me! You've been here merely a year and you act like you know everything or everyone. You don't, so don't even try! You're selfish and annoying, Alex! I wish you would just leave! Why don't you?" Nate snapped, Alex inhaled sharply, biting her lip to hold back what she was feeling. She silently shook in her place.

"I... fine, I'll go... I'm sorry" Alex said, so silently it was almost inaudible to her own ears let alone Nate's. He was so far into himself at the moment he hadn't realized how much he had just hurt her. Alex ran off the porch and towards the brush of the woods; the only sound to her was her own breathing, the pounding of her heart in her ears, she couldn't hear the crunching of the earth beneath her weight, the sounds of the birds in the treas, the crashing of the waves, nor the scoffing Nate did as he watched her run away. She continued running until her legs hurt, her chest constricting for air. She slid down against the closest tree and pulled her knees to her chest. She had only been there for a year, yes but she had been close to Nate since the first week. He was the first person to befriend her, he was the first person to get to know her, and was the first person to make her feel like she belonged anywhere ever since everything had happened. What had gotten into him? Alex knew she shouldn't take his words to heart but never before had he talked to her like this, so, had she done something horribly wrong? Or did he have something else going on? She didn't know and right now, she didn't care to know. They both needed some time alone and that's what she was going to give him. He had requested it and by damn she was going to give it to him. Especially after that encounter.

By the time Alex stopped thinking about everything that had happened within the last couple of years and composed herself, it was dark out. No doubt her parents were wondering what was going on, worried if anything, but she didn't mind too much. Slowly, she started walking home. On her way, Alex had to pass Nate's house and with everything inside of her, she kept wishing he was inside or not even home. She bit her tongue and closed her eyes as she walked the stone path that was in front his home. Almost there. Just a few more steps. So far so good. Silence. Slam. Alex had hit into something, or should say someone. It was a solid person who felt like a brick wall. She cringed visibly and backed up. There stood Nate.

"Alex..." Nate said softly, holding up his one hand, palm up. Alex looked down, unable to make eye contact with him just yet. Why? She didn't know and wasn't about to try and figure it out. She couldn't ever figure out why she was so nervous. Just a few hours ago, she was relaxed with him and everything was okay but now, it was harder than hell just to stand in front of him.

"Please, Nate, just let me go home. I'm sorry... I won't bother you ever again... I don't act like I know you. I know there's so much that I just don't know... please" Alex said, more to the ground than to him, since she refused to look up. Nate felt his stomach churn. He'd hurt her. He didn't know what to say.

"Alex..." Nate said again, he couldn't finish no matter how much he tried, his throat clenched up, a lump in his throat, he just couldn't get rid of.

"I have to go, my mom's probably worried about me" Alex said, she looked up at him, as their eyes met, Nate could see the pain he had caused her. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why his words had hurt her so much. Had he said something he couldn't remember saying? He had blacked out for a moment in time and when he started coming to, he was hunched over in a rocking chair with someone running away from him.

Alex moved around him as he got lost in train of thought and took off running from him, making sure to leave as much distance between them as she could. She knew she was overreacting but she was tired. She was just so tired. Once she was finally home, she ran through the house, not pausing to say hello to her parents and made it to her room; kicking off her shoes once she was in her bed.

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 19.01.2012

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