Until that summer afternoon in August, the beach was my favorite place. Everything was going well the day it happened. It was the second to last day before we all went home, so we decided to go to the beach one last time. However, I didn’t want to. I didn’t know why, I just had that feeling in the pit of my stomach that something wasn’t right. Maybe it was the gray clouds that were north of the house. Or it could be a water snake down by the dock. Or maybe, it was my recurring nightmare. The one where my best friend, Cassie and I swim in the ocean, and suddenly, I’m drowning. And just when my lungs are about to give up, I wake up with beads of sweat all over my body. I knew I had to tell someone how I was feeling. I knocked on Cassie's bedroom door and a few moments later; she opened it. Her blonde hair was in a messy bun and she was wearing an OBX shirt over her bathing suit. 

“Hey, Ally, why aren’t you dressed? We’re planning to leave in 10 minutes!”  

I sat on the edge of her bed and sighed, “Cassie…I have this feeling we shouldn’t go to the beach today.”  

Cassie gave me a puzzled look, “What are you talking about? It’s our last day here, we have to go.” 

“Let’s go tomorrow morning before we leave and go home.”  

Cassie smiled, “I wish we could, but Mr. Denner said that we plan to leave at six in the morning.” Mr. Denner was Xander’s Dad. He and his wife were going out for the day, and spending some time together, which meant “us kids” would get some time to ourselves.

“We could watch the sunrise?”

“It’s going to be hard enough for me to get up at 5:00 am, and I do not want to get up any earlier.”   

“Cassie, listen to me!” I cried. “We shouldn’t go to the beach today! I don’t know why, but something is telling me that something is wrong! Let’s just stay home!”  

I have silenced Cassie. She doesn't speak for a solid three minutes. All I can hear is her shaky breath. Eventually, she looks at me calmly, like the ocean before a rainstorm.   

“Look, Ally, I’m sorry, but I want to have fun on our last day here. Xander, Hunter, and I are going to the beach, you can come if you want or you can stay here.”  

I stare at the pink flip-flops next to the door and swallow the lump in my throat, “I’m going to stay here.”   

Cassie nodded, accepting my decision. She grabbed her tote bag and left the room.

Around ten minutes later, I’m sitting on the couch wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and an oversized gray shirt, watching a baking show I found on TV.   

“Are you sure you don’t want to come?” Xander asked.    

I nodded and continued to watch someone bake a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.   

“Is there any reason you don’t want to come? Did we do something wrong?” Hunter questioned.  

I hesitated before speaking. “No…my head hurts a little, so I think I’m going to stay here and rest. Maybe I’ll come down to the beach in a bit?”   

“Don’t worry guys,” Cassie said, “She’s made her decisions. Now let’s hurry, I want to catch some good waves for boogie boarding.” 

Hunter and Xander gave me one last look before following Cassie downstairs.   

I watch the baking show for a little while, before falling asleep on the couch. When I was asleep, I dreamed. I dreamed I was on the beach, watching the waves crash against the shore. It was nighttime, and the stars covered the sky.  It looked like someone had taken a handful of golden sand and thrown it up into the sky.  The town near the beach was at ease, sleeping through the night. I knelt and picked up a sand dollar that was as white as a pearl. It was in one piece, which I thought was amazing. All the ones I found before were chipped or broken in half. I smiled at the sight of it and slipped it into my sweatshirt’s pocket, praying that it wouldn’t break before I got back to the house. Suddenly I hear someone behind me yell my name.   I wasn’t alone. I turned around and saw Cassie, Hunter, and Xander walking toward me. Cassie is carrying a few seashells and so is Xander, but Hunter has his hands cupped like he’s supporting something.   

“Look at who we found,”  Xander said, pointing to Hunter’s hand.  

Hunter stretched out his hand and presented a tiny little crab, “Ally, meet Sam the Crab.” I giggled at the name and waved at the crab,  “Hello, Sam.” 

Sam scurries across the palm of Hunter’s hand and falls onto the sand. He doesn’t stop and crawls into the ocean.   

“Hey! Wait, come back!” Hunter cried.  

“Don’t leave!” Said, Cassie.

I giggle and watch Sam reach the shore before burrowing under the wet sand.  

I’m smiling when I wake up. Sunlight pours into the room, and I can hear seagulls' caws echoing outside. I check my phone to see what time it is, the brightly lit screen reads 1:37 pm. It’s been a little over an hour since my friends left. I leaned against the couch and sighed. Maybe I was being a little over dramatic earlier. Maybe nothing was going to happen. I rechecked my phone; they were going to be at the beach for at least another two hours. I decided I should go to the beach, even if it was just for a little while. What could go wrong? It was cloudy but had no chance of rain. I quickly changed into my olive green bathing suit, tied my messy auburn hair into a ponytail, and ran down to the beach.  

I found Hunter, Xander, and Cassie near the dunes, drying off from being in the ocean. Xander catches sight of me and waves me over to their little section of beach towels and umbrellas.  

“Ally! I’m assuming your headache went away?” Hunter questioned.   

I smiled and nodded my head, “Yeah…I’m feeling much better.” I turned to Cassie, “Listen, I’m sorry. I may have been slightly over dramatic back at the house. I don’t know why I thought something bad was going to happen, and even if something is….I realized I should take my chances instead of hiding in the dark.”  

Cassie smiled, “I forgive you.”   

I stare past the ocean and onto the horizon, “Any good waves today?”  

“Oh, they're amazing.”

“Perhaps we could have a small boogie board competition?” Loser has to buy a blue raspberry snow cone?”

Cassie frowned, “You know that my favorite flavor is cherry.”

I smirked, “Yes but mine is blue raspberry”.

I borrowed Hunter’s boogie board and Cassie got her own. I strapped the black velcro piece to my wrist and swam out into the sea. Once we were far enough to get some good waves, I said to Cassie, "On your mark…get set…go!” I kicked my feet and pushed myself against the board. Then I let the waves carry me and do their thing. At last, I felt the rough sand touch me. I stand up and look around the beach. Cassie was nowhere to be seen.  

“Yes! I won!” I yelped in joy. I turn to face the ocean, “Guess who owes me a blue raspberry snow cone?” I looked closer at the sea, to see where Cassie was, but I couldn’t find her. Then I saw something that made shivers go down my spine. Cassie’s surfboard….and her unconscious body floating nearby. It all happens too quickly for me to react. I dive into the water and swim as fast as I can to her. When I finally reach her, I place her on her boogie board and see something horrifying. Blood. Six deep holes drilled into her rib cage, blood pouring out of all of them and running down her skin. I looked in all directions, and out of the corner of my eye, just 100 yards away, was a shark’s fin. I want to scream. I didn’t know what to do. I pushed Cassie’s lifeless body onto her surfboard. Her wrist was still attached, so that’s how she hadn’t floated away and drowned.   

“Help!” I cried. “Someone help me! Anybody!”  My voice was as dry and hot as the sand on the beach. No one could hear me. I swallowed the lump in my throat and whispered to Cassie, “I’m going to get you to shore.” I sink lower into the sea, the water now touching my neck. With all my strength, I pushed the board from the bottom and kicked my legs to keep moving. Keep moving. I thought to myself. Not for me, but for Cassie. At last, I finally reached the shore, and the rough sand scratched against my skin. I paused for a moment to catch my breath, but then I remembered the blood leaking from Cassie’s body and that made me jump onto my feet. Blood covered her stomach and chest and her skin was as pale as snow on a winter morning. I pulled her far away from the shore. Xander and Hunter ran to me with a look of fear on their faces.  

“Ally….What happened?” Hunter questioned. Xander’s eyes narrowed to Cassie but immediately looked away. By now, I couldn’t even look at the wounds she was suffering with. More people have now noticed Cassie, and are carefully approaching her. Hunter ensures they keep their distance, though, which I am glad about. I knew the last thing Cassie wanted was to be the center of attention. 

I try to fight back the tears submerged in my eyes, but they run down my cheeks, each tear its own little river. I whipped my nose with my sleeve and said, “Call 911. Tell them there has been a shark attack at the beach.”  

“Okay,” Xander replied and got out his phone to dial the number 

“But Ally, I think it’s too late. “She’s barely breathing,” said Hunter.      

I shake my head at the thought of Cassie being dead. “No,” I whisper furiously. “She has a heartbeat, she’s still alive. There's a chance we can save her.”

Suddenly, an ambulance pulled up in front of them. Five or six medics got out of the ambulance and rushed to Cassie. One of them immediately puts on an oxygen mask and another starts to check her pulse.     

Excuse me, but I’m afraid I need you and your friends to step away from her,” A medic said to us.”

I furiously shake my head, “No, that’s my best friend, I am not leaving her!” 

Xander drags me away, “C’mon Ally, Everything’s okay.”  

I kick my legs and scream like a little toddler, trying to fight back, but Xander is stronger. He pulls me far away, next to their beach towels, and throws me onto the sand. Almost immediately I got back up. My face is as red as a tomato, and tears sting the corners of my eyes like saltwater.   

“This is all my fault,” I cried.        

“No, it’s not,” Hunter responded. 

“Yes, it is!” I yelled. “If I had just convinced you three to stay home, none of this would have happened! Or if we just stayed on the beach, instead of going into the water!”  

“Ally, I don’t care what excuses you make about yourself, none of this was your fault.”

I’m about to defend myself some more, but suddenly our conversation is interrupted by a medic with brown hair and a sorrowful face.    

“Hello, are you three, by any chance, Ally, Hunter,  and Xander?” 

I whipped the tears away from my cheeks, “Yeah, may I ask why?”  

“Your friend Cassie…..She’s not responding to us.”

My blood chills. “What are you saying?”  

“I’m so sorry, if we came any sooner she could have survived.” I fall on my knees from the news. Cassie was gone. Cassie was dead. 

A single teardrop falls from my eye and rolls down my cheek. The rest soon follow. I’m choking on tears, and my nose is stuffed up with snot. My vision is a blur, like a camera lens before you zoom it into focus. The medic touches my shaking shoulder, “I’m so sorry, sweetie but we already have done CPR and everything else. Is there anything I can do for you?” I buried my face in my hands and shook my head. No one could do anything for me, because the only thing I wanted was Cassie. Even if it was just for five minutes, just to apologize even though she’ll say it’s not my fault. Even if it was just to say goodbye. 

  *                *                    *

We left in the middle of the night with Xander’s parents. Cassie's body was brought to her family a day or two later. The funeral happened and there were lots of tears and lots of mourning. I never sobbed harder in my entire life. When it was time to leave, I looked at Cassie’s casket one last time, knowing this would be the last time I would ever be near her again. “Goodbye, Cassie.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “I’m so sorry.”