Sea Angel

There was once a young woman in love. Calista was only sixteen when she first fell in love. They met at a carnival by the sea. Earlier in the day, the young woman got into a fight with her mother. Calista wanted to be alone. Because her bad mood, she wasn’t having too much fun. The young woman looked down at her feet.

Why did I even come here?

“Excuse me,” someone spoke up. Calista clenched her fists.

“What?!” she snapped as she turned around. The young woman’s face turned red when she saw him. His deep blue eyes made her heart flip in her chest. This young man rubbed the back of his head.

“I’m a little lost,” he said. “Could you help me find my friends?” Calista gulped as her face turned red.

“S-S-Sure,” she said.

“Thanks,” the young man said. They began their walk down the boardwalk. Her eyes stayed on his strong jawbone.

“What is your name?” she asked.

“Jamie,” the young man said. “And you are?”

“Calista,” she said.

“Calista,” Jamie repeated.

“So what do your friends look like?”

“Huh? Oh, they are dressed like sailors.”

The young woman gave him a strange look. “Sailors?”

Jamie rubbed the back of his head and laughed. “We are boys of the sea.”

“Ah!” Calista said, flipping back her dark green hair. She suddenly had the urge to run her fingers through Jamie’s long curly brown hair. The young woman got lost in the sound of his smooth voice as they talked. For the first time today, Calista began to smile.

“Where did you last see your friends?” she asked. Jamie took a minute to think.

“I think we were at the ring toss,” he said.

“I know where that is,” Calista said. The young woman led the way for the whole path. Two sailor boys stood near the ring toss booth like Jamie said. Calista watched him walk over to his friends.

“Wait!” she said. He stopped in his tracks and turned around. Calista shuffled her feet and pressed her lips together.

“Uh… can I see you again?” she asked. Jamie broke into a warm smile.

“We’ll be here for the next few days,” he said. The boy kissed her on the cheek out of the blue. Calista was left standing there, blushing. Did that just happen? She put her hand to her chest. Wow…

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Over the remainder of the summer, Calista and Jamie got closer. Jamie came from England and grew up in the life of sailor.

“So you’ve known the sea all your life?” Calista asked as they sat on the beach one evening.

“That’s right,” Jamie said. He threw a stone into the ocean. “I have been to many islands.”

“Amazing,” she said. Jamie pulled her into his arms.

“I am leaving for England tomorrow morning,” he said. Calista looked up at him with big eyes.

“What do you mean?” she asked. Jamie kissed her on top of her head.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “That’s just the way it is with the life of a sailor.”

“Will I ever see you again?”

“You might. I can’t promise you anything.” He lifted her chin and gave her one more kiss on the lips. “I love you, Calista.”

“I love you, Jamie,” she said back.

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By morning, Jamie left with his father and friends to go back to England by ship. Calista bid from farewell from the dock. They shared one more last kiss.

“I will write to you as soon as I return to England,” Jamie whispered.

“I love you soon much,” Calista said.

“I love you too,” her boyfriend said. He released her from his grasp and walked away to join the crew on the ship.

However, she would never get that letter.

Three days later, Calista’s mother turned on the radio in the kitchen. Her daughter was eating breakfast as the news floated into the room.

“A shipwreck has been reported in the middle of the ocean,” the new broadcaster announced. “The recovery team were able to fish out pieces of the Jupiter early this morning. No survivors have been confirmed.” Calista lowered her fork with a trembling hand. She rose from the table and ran out the door.

“Calista?” her mother asked. The door slammed shut behind her daughter.

The young woman ran all the way to the cliff over the sea. She held out her arms to the roaring waves.

“Why did you take him from me?!” she cried. “I loved Jamie so much! Take me to him! I can’t see my life without my Jamie!” Calista closed her eyes and dived into the cliff. The angels must have heard her because the girl opened her eyes and found herself floating in the darkness. A pair of gold eyes started at her.

“Do you want to be with your love again?” a chorus of voices floated through the air. Calista didn’t have to think about her answer.

“Yes,” she said.

“Very well,” the voices answered. They huddled into small green lights and flew into Calista’s body. The girl opened her eyes as her body dissolved into foam into the waters. Her soul and the foam flew up into the sky and flew over the oceans. Calista dove back in and found Jamie’s body at the bottom of the sea. Her soul and foam flew into his nostrils. His body disappeared into the beating heart before Calista flew up into the ocean.

When she returned to the ocean, Calista was reborn into an angel of the sea.