The summer wind blows on, cooling her face, the breeze carrying with it the scent of the sea. The salty scent is almost overpowering, making her feel like she's in heaven, if not for the fact that she has no earthly idea where she even is. She blinks, looking around to try and find something familiar, and yet nothing looks familiar. It's just the ocean. There aren't any buildings or signs anywhere. Not even trees. It seems to go on forever, uninterrupted by anything but the endless expanse of water. No other life besides that of a few seagulls soaring above their heads.

It's so peaceful and calm here. Almost ethereal and otherworldly.

She can't remember how she got here. How she ever got lost in this beautiful place, but she doesn't particularly care. As long as there are no sharks swimming nearby, she isn't going to complain. She sits up in the sand, stretching her sore limbs, trying to get comfortable before she begins to explore.

A flash of blue catches her attention and she immediately perks up, eyes scanning the ocean, trying to find what exactly caught her eye. She frowns when she finally sees it. A person standing in the water, a small island off in the distance, only ten or so metres away from where she is seated. He's shirtless, wearing a pair of shorts and an odd hat that's shaped like a turtle shell. His skin is dark brown, his hair a shade or two darker than hers.

He notices her staring, turns to look directly at her, and waves enthusiastically. She smiles back, and waves as well.

She continues to watch him for several minutes until he disappears beneath the surface again. It takes another hour before he resurfaces once more, his body covered in seawater, his head sticking out through the surface, looking both relaxed and exhausted.

"Hi," she calls out to him shyly. Her voice sounds foreign, almost alien. Even her own voice sounds different. The guy swims over to where she is sitting, stopping just short of reaching the spot. They sit in silence for a moment as they take each other in properly.

His eyes are strikingly pale; light blue, like the ocean surrounding them. When he shifts forward he looks down slightly, like he's ashamed of himself, as though he feels bad for not being completely visible. She raises her hand to wave at him once more. When he looks up, his eyes are wide open.

They stare at each other like that for a while, neither wanting to break the silence between them. Finally, he speaks.

"What're you doing out here all alone?"

She shrugs, and he nods his head in understanding. He moves closer still.

"Where did you come from?" She asks, and he shakes his head.

"I don't know." He answers, shrugging as well. "Maybe we should be asking ourselves those questions."

She nods in agreement. He grins, and then points to the ocean.

"So I think it's safe to say we might have been transported into some sort of fantasy world by magic." He says, and she laughs a little bit. His smile grows wider.

"We should probably get out of here." He says. Then his head jerks to one side. A seagull cries overhead. "Unless..."

She follows his gaze, towards the direction of land, just barely visible in the distance. A boat. The man looks relieved.

"You want to go back home?" She asks him, and he nods.

He pulls himself further out of the water and onto the shore, leaving droplets behind on the sand. He stands up fully, towering over her. He's quite tall.

"My name is Rink." He offers a hand, which she accepts gratefully.

"Selda." she tells him, giving him a genuine smile. He returns it.

"So," he starts, gesturing towards the sea behind them, "what do you say we make our way to shore, talk with the people there, see if anyone knows why we're here?"

She thinks about that for a moment, thinking about everything they've experienced thus far. Her parents, the people at school, the bookshop, all these strange experiences. Then she realizes something.

"Wait!" She exclaims excitedly. "This is my first time here! Do you know anything about what happens to strangers who go to strange places without telling anyone? Can you help me figure things out?"

He chuckles. "Sure thing, Selda."

She beams at him, and he grins back.

"Let's go."

They walk along the beach together, talking about everything and nothing. They talk about their families, their friends, and their dreams. They talk about the future. About what they'll be doing once the year ends.

About where they'll spend the rest of their lives. Where they'll live after graduation. What they'll do after university. If they have children. Their dreams and aspirations and hopes. And when they finish, Rink helps Selda climb up the rocky outcrop of a rock formation, and they stand on its edge, looking across the sea towards the small island in the distance.

"It really was beautiful today." She whispers, and she can feel the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. Rink wraps his arm loosely around her shoulders.

"Yeah. Yeah, it really was." He agrees quietly, and they share a brief kiss, before turning and walking back towards civilization. Back to the real world.

To their lives.

The End