we show off our different scarlet letters
The water rushes in her ears, the thundering of her own pulse loud enough to drown out just about everything except the glow of the beach ahead and the burn in her thighs as she kicks through the waves. She hears Kaisel calling something behind her, voice ragged and a little far off, but she figures it’s just him trying to bait her into slowing down—bluff and bluster to distract her from winning. But then there's another voice.
High and bright, a different kind of holler, and Flora frowns instantly. Her head jerks up as she turns, strokes slowing, just in time to catch a shape standing??? somehow on the waves. The water around it burns in electric arcs, a living sculpture of light and colour, and then suddenly the figure crumples, folding like a marionette with its strings cut.
Flora freezes, panic slamming into her chest, the tide catching her side as she treads back. It’s the hair she recognises first—copper-bright and unmistakable— even half-submerged.
"IS SHE OKAY?" Flora shouts toward the dark, voice sharp with alarm, scanning frantically to see if the Honeybee so much as twitches. The racing pulse of arousal is gone in an instant, her limbs already shifting to swim toward the fallen figure, confusion and concern flashing across her face as bright as the sea itself.
High and bright, a different kind of holler, and Flora frowns instantly. Her head jerks up as she turns, strokes slowing, just in time to catch a shape standing??? somehow on the waves. The water around it burns in electric arcs, a living sculpture of light and colour, and then suddenly the figure crumples, folding like a marionette with its strings cut.
Flora freezes, panic slamming into her chest, the tide catching her side as she treads back. It’s the hair she recognises first—copper-bright and unmistakable— even half-submerged.
"IS SHE OKAY?" Flora shouts toward the dark, voice sharp with alarm, scanning frantically to see if the Honeybee so much as twitches. The racing pulse of arousal is gone in an instant, her limbs already shifting to swim toward the fallen figure, confusion and concern flashing across her face as bright as the sea itself.
