Pale Golden Brown Sand

• Kelsey Palghat, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2007

She could feel the gristly sand in her hair and the water lapping up against her legs. She saw the webbed jungle of branches and leaves just past the strip of beach she was now lying on. She loved the pale golden brown sand. She convinced herself to stand up and she started to stumble away from the water. She sat down, this time where the sand kissed the edges of the trees overhead, just outside the jungle. She was terrified and alone.
He watched her through the thick canopy of leaves. He had been sitting there all morning, watching, and waiting. He climbed down. He sat underneath the tree behind her, content to be sharing her shade.
He could see the water which provided him with food. He could taste the salty air that surrounded his island. He could see the beautifully pale golden brown sand rippling towards the water. He loved the privacy and how easily he became one with nature.
She turned around and screamed. He said something incoherent and tried unsuccessfully to calm her down. She had escaped so quickly that it was hard for him to explain why he was there. She looked confused.
She had only wanted to sleep; she couldn’t see why he would be sitting behind her like that unless he had wanted to attempt a surprise attack. She looked around her for something she could use as a weapon. She reached for a small pointed rock and held it in her hand. The rock was cold, and smooth.
When he saw the stone she had picked up he told her that he did not want to hurt her. She looked at him with fearful eyes and pelted the rock at him. He screamed in agony.
He was shouting some kind of war cry, getting ready to attack her, she thought. He would bring others out to help him. Adrenaline was rushing through her body; not knowing what he was doing terrified her. She lunged at him, knocking him into the sand.
He flinched as she came at him wielding another rock. She grappled with him, pulling at his hair and ripping through him. He was sure she was wicked now. Her actions were horrific. But she was weak from her near drowning experience the night before. His black hunting knife drove easily into her chest.
She staggered backwards, hugging her chest and collapsed a few meters away.
His stomach dropped and grief filled him. He had not meant for it to end this way. He crawled over to her. A tear rolled down his cheek and onto her face. He looked into her eyes and saw only pain and fear. She had died in a confused terror, she had been alone and afraid, her actions had been purely defensive. He looked out at the sea. Her blood had stained the pale golden brown sand.