A Thousand Salt Kisses (Book 1 of Salt Kiss series)

><> Chapter Thirty-Three <><

I had swum for about ten minutes. This stretch of sea was different. It was uncannily still and It just felt plain hostile. Nonetheless, I continued slowly, paddling gently through the stagnant inky water.

I did not dare turn around, I knew I was far out now and I didn't need to remind myself of that fact.

I trod water and looked to the side nervously. Still no sign of Llyr. Obviously I had to be on death's door for him to bother with me these days.

The Starfish Island lighthouse flashed across the sea, and I thought of Dad for a moment all on his own at home. I let out a long trembling sigh. I would have to turn back.

Suddenly a splashing broke the deathly silence. My spirits lifted. He's here.

I squinted, a dark fin broke the surface, and a large shiny body swished aggressively passed my face.

Oh my fucking God.

I let out a noise which was half a cry, and half a muffled scream. What. Was. That?!

The waters were still again. I remained in the water, now hyperventilating. As you well know by now, I was petrified of sharks popping up in Coney, but deep down I had always thought my fear irrational. This was a) Britain, and b) these were shallow waters.

I craned my neck backward. How far out am I?

To my horror, all I could see was a huge black wall of rock. My head began to spin faster and faster as I realized I had been pulled along away from the shore and in front of the cliffs. If I were to swim backwards, I wouldn't even be able to get out of the water, that's if I wasn't crushed against the rock beforehand.

There was another splash. The fin was back, but now to my left hand side. Oh God, it's checking me out. I trod water helplessly. All I can do now is pray I don't look juicy enough.

"I'm disgusting!" I whimpered. "Skinny and tasteless. Please-"

It thrashed to the right.

"Oh Dad, I'm so sorry," I bawled into the night. My poor sweet father's going to be left on Starfish on his own. And what of me? What is it going to be like to be eaten? Will I die quickly, or slowly? Could I distract myself somehow from the agony?

I began to think of coping mechanisms for the inevitable horror that lay ahead but my racing mind could not offer up a thing.

There was another splash. It was much closer; the water hit me squarely in the face. I closed my eyes, trembling with fear.

The unmistakable grip of a human fist fastened itself around my wrist, and I was suddenly tossed up out of the waters like a rag doll. I saw the moon and stars as I passed through the air in what felt like one huge prolonged swoop and then, SLAP! I was back in the water and being dragged along the surface at about five hundred miles per hour.

If this was Llyr I must have really pissed him off.

I began to register the orange street lamps getting closer. It looked like we were heading back to shore. The hand finally let go, and I skidded the final couple of meters onto the beach.

I crawled along the sand, spluttering and coughing, trying to clear the seawater from my system. My head stung, and I was quite sure the water had gone up my nose and into my brain.

I sat on my knees, trying to pull myself together, and once I had regained my breath, I realized my entire head of hair was plastered to the front of my face. I couldn't see a bloody thing!

I put my hands to my face and managed to part it.

Now I turned expecting to see him there, standing angrily in the waves. I blinked. Nothing.