She waited and waited.Every second meant wasted without his presence.Gretta wished she could just fast-forward time;up to the point whereby she would be with him once more.He was her haven,and she longed to know what she was to him.But for now,she sat upon the cliff where Chuck's hut stood,and gazed towards the sea with a single trim of gold running through its centre,wishing to see the black silhouette of a fisherman and his boat emerging from the edge of the sea;not realising that the boat still lay bound to the rocks,not noticing the stench of fish left in the net.She was too love-sick to notice.She needed him.He filled her days with significance and meaning,and now he was no where to be found.
Gretta continued staring at the horizon,trying but failing to sustain her patient composure.Finally,the sky filled with darkness as the last ray of sunlight disappeared behind the territory of sea.Disappointed,she turned to leave,yet stared back at the sea in a desperate attempt to find a familiar figure,returning to shore from sea.As she walked past the hut,a sudden thought occurred.Perhaps she could just wait for him within the hut itself.Her heart beat faster as she slowly pried open the door.She was intrigued by his high expertise in craftsmanship.She paced her movements through the dark hut and found the fireplace near the bed.Feeling cold,she tried to light herself a fire,but then failed miserably.She decided to just cuddle into the cosy corner of the bed,next to the wall,and await her beloved Chuck there.Her eyelids grew heavy,she muttered a last exclamation,"Chuck...come back!"And fell asleep on the spot.
The salty sand in his eyes burned like fire.He screamed as he jumped up to his feet.Shaking his head,he shook the sand only deeper still.And desperately threw himself into the sea.He forced his eyes open.The rush of pain filled his entire mind immediately,and giant bubbles rose from his shaking mouth to the surface...He ran back onto shore and slammed his body on the sand.Lying flat on his back now,he opened his eyes.He felt the veins within his eyes throbbing,but at least the sand was gone.Taking a few moments to take-in his surroundings,he recalled the figure at sea,his desperate attempts to reach the figure,and the pain of death overwhelming him.He ran towards the hut,only to find his net load of horrid fish,and his boat.He spent some time to rekindle with them before heading back up the cliff.
As he entered the silent hut,he was startled to find the noise of soft breathing coming from his bed,from the spot that was never occupied.His heart beat with love and affection in recognition of the sleeping figure.He gently closed the door,and made his way to Gretta and kissed her softly on the cheek.He then took a step back and sat on the floor;to watch her sleep."Sweet dreams..."he muttered under his breaths.And he savoured the serene setting of his love,fulfilling the space on the edge of the bed,and the space in his heart.
The next morning,the morning songs of seagulls spread through the air.Gretta sat up from the bed,disappointed for not seeing Chuck there.She turned to get up and found,by the bed-side,a crispy sea-bass,still warm,cooked over a naked flame.She then also noticed the fire place,brilliantly lit,a fire gleamed.Gretta raced out the door to admire the image of her lover,in his fishing boat,rowing out to sea.And so she sat down upon the edge of the cliff,crunching on the well savoury meal,watching and awaiting the fisherman's return.
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