The beach extended as far as the eye could see. The water was black, pressing against the sand every few seconds with the tide. And it was nothing compared to the darkness.
In Japan, a young woman sits up in bed suddenly, awakening her husband. Her body is drenched in sweat, and her eyes are filled with tears. When her husband places a hand on her shoulder, trying to offer comfort, she screams.
Halfway across the world, another young woman stands behind a stove, a small bottle of oregano in her hand, going on about spices and wines and such, when she freezes, her eyes widening. The bottle falls from her suddenly weak hands, to brake on the floor below. Then, in front of a live audience, she faints.
A creature rose out of the ocean, several meters ahead. Its form could not be seen, since it rose against the dark, but one thing was clear: it was big.
It started toward the beach, causing the waves to grow in size. The sound of its passage through the water was indescribable.
Over the sound of its passage, another sound could be heard: breathing. Deep, hard breaths, almost like grunts.
A couple stands in front of a dual gravesite. One, a man in his early twenties, has an arm around the other, a woman around the same age. The glasses she wears do nothing to hide the tears that track down her face. The man simply looks at the monument, at the words written there. His eyes are drawn to the inscription below the names: GONE TOO SOON.
His hand reaches into his coat pocket. Careful not to disturb the woman, he pulls out a small device, almost like a cell phone. At first glance, it could pass for a phone, until one looked at the surface. It had a small view screen, two buttons, and a t-shaped control, like a video game controller. It was lined with black rubber, almost like a bike tire, the man thought, with a white surface inside. He grips it tightly for a moment, his face tightening, then drops it back into his pocket.
In a house on a hill, a woman sits, awaiting her mate. She smiles as she hears the sound of wings: his approach. She heads for the door, putting her brown hair up in a loose bun, opening it just as he lands.
On his back are two golden wings, stretched out to slow his decent. After he lands, they fold up against his back and disappear. He removes his helmet, which is vaguely reminiscent of a Roman soldiers helmet. His hair, sandy-blonde and longs, is tied back with a leather strap. It hangs down past his shoulders. At his side is a sword, sheathed, the pommel gleaming. It hangs low on his hip, in a wooden scabbard, on a belt that is well taken care of.
He is clad in white: white slacks, white jacket, white boots. It looks like a typical Japanese school uniform, except for the color. He reaches down to undo the belt, starts on the buckle, and notices his wife, standing in the doorway. He smiles, and it is brilliant, full of love; as is her answering smile. He tosses her his helmet, which she catches easily. He removes the sword and belt, and as he does, his clothes shimmer and change. They become a pair of dark slacks and a simple white dress shirt, with the top two buttons undone. The boots give way to sandals.
He steps to the doorway, grabs his mate by the shoulders, leans down, and kisses her. After a few moments, they part, and, with their arms around each other's waist, head inside.
The young man from the gravesite now sits in a home office, starting at a computer. He is older; the lines of his face attest to this. The device from before is now on the desk next to a cold cup of coffee. His eyes flicker towards it for a moment, then to a photograph on the wall next to the computer. In the photo, a group of young men and women stand together closely, their arms around each other. None of them are older than 15.
His eyes stray toward two people in particular. One, a boy with sandy-blonde hair, wearing a white cap, blue jeans, and a green shirt, stands next to a girl with short brown hair. She's wearing shorts, sandals, and a sleeveless blouse. There is a small, compact camera around her neck. They are laughing, all of them, like they had nothing to worry about, like the light was always shining, like there was nothing they couldn't face... together.
Still looking at the picture, he comes to a decision. He grabs the small device, manipulates the controls, and then points it at the computer. The screens of both flash, and then the young man is gone, back to a world he hasn't been to since a horrible incident years before.
