U.S.S.A Alice

Chapter 15 Mr. Sandman

I lay motionless on the ground, the feeling of cool grass prickling my skin. The sun's warmth washed over my face as I breathed fresh air, then I opened my eyes to a bright blue sky. I remembered this place, It was near Chania, a town In Crete where my father lived before he met my mother, we would vacation here and visit family every year. I loved going to the beaches and swimming in the turquoise waters with my family, there was no place in the world more beautiful. I looked around for my parents but they were nowhere to be seen, I got up and looked down from the hill I was on. I could see my family, my Mom, Dad, and siblings. My aunt and uncle probably weren't far behind somewhere.

"Alice!" A pair of voices from below shouted, It was my parents who were walking down the beach. I hadn't been this excited to see them since I was a child. I came running down through the grass and down the rocky hill, I playfully jumped down the rocks on my way to meet them. "Careful Alice, you don't want to hurt yourself on the sharp rocks."  My father said sternly yet with care. When I reached the bottom I ran up to them as fast as I could, he lifted me up and swung me in the air, I giggled loudly as he spun me around. I loved it when he did that.

"You shouldn't be up there by yourself you know, where are your aunt and uncle?"  He asked with a still thick accent, he would try to speak English more clearly with me and my brother and sister.  -"I don't know."  I shrugged, looking up at him.- "Well they should be looking after you and your siblings like we asked them to, typical of them."  My mom said, not amused. - "I'm sure they're around here somewhere. Why don't you go play with Georgios and Katie, and be careful please."  He said giving me an encouraging push towards them. They continued down the beach in search of my aunt and uncle. I think I was beginning to remember this day, it was a good day...but.  

I played with my brother and sister near the water, we made sand castles with our shovels and the sand castle Robo and played games in the water, I couldn't remember the last time I felt so free and unburdened by adult life, whatever this was, I didn't want it to end. Georgi through the ball far into the water where it was deep, I was a strong swimmer for my age so I was confident I could get it. The current kept moving the ball further and further out, my little arms were starting to get tired and it was becoming a struggle to stay afloat. I finally reached the little white ball, when I got my hands on it, I noticed something red on it and then something red in the water. I looked to see where it was coming from when I saw someone in the water facing up, it was someone's body, the trail of red was coming from it. When the body got closer I got a look at their face, it was uncle Dion. His chest had been torn open like something had sliced his torso up like he was butchered meat, his eyes and mouth were still open as if he were still alive. 

I kicked my legs forward while holding onto the ball, I coughed out bloody salt water that I had gotten in my mouth. When I got closer I got an even more detailed picture of the grisly sight, flesh and bone torn and broken, exposing the red muscle underneath. "Uncle Dion? Are..are you hurt?"  I barely managed to squeak out. There was no response, just a lifeless body floating in the red water. Before I could turn around to get my parents, he turned his head to look at me, his eyes opened, revealing milky white irises.- "Gaze into the abyss."  The shock of it caused me to let go of the ball and then I sunk into the darkening water, helpless to swim back up.

Everything was black. "Hey! Alice, wake up!"  A voice penetrated the dark fog in my mind. My head shot up from the cold metal surface, I looked up to the source of the voice, it was one of my classmates with who I guess I was sort of friends. -"Hey, did I fall asleep?"  He had a look of concern. - "Yeah, everyone saw you just smack the desk with your face, are you okay?"  I looked around to see my classmates looking at me, my face felt like it was going to combust.  I'm surprised I didn't feel any pain in my head, just fog. I looked around and saw on the walls of the room pictures of quotes from famous writers and philosophers. - "Do you need to see the nurse Alice?"  Mr. Campbell asked. I stood up shakily and walked out of the classroom. "Isaac, could you make sure she gets there safely?"  Mr. Campbell urged him with a creepily wide smile.