The rising sun cast a yellow glow over the beach. Marina walked down the sand carrying a tote bag and towel, squinting—even through her sunglasses—at the light reflecting off the sea. She stopped halfway to the water, dropped the bag, and laid the towel out on a relatively flat patch of sand. She removed her clothes, revealing a bikini beneath, and placed them into the bag, along with her glasses.
Marina walked down to the water and waded in to knee-depth. Taking a deep breath, she dived in under an incoming wave, resurfacing on the other side with a gasp. The water was cold, as it always was during her regular morning swim, but acclimatisation rarely took long. When the time came that it did, Marina would know the season was over, and would eagerly await the spring to resume.
Recomposing herself, Marina began swimming breaststroke parallel to the shore. She was far enough out that any waves were yet to break and she enjoyed the rhythmic rise and fall that they brought instead.
After a moment, Marina took a breath and dived under, swimming midway between the surface and floor. She heard a noise that resembled a deep, guttural voice. Despite having her eyes open, she could see nothing but a turquoise blur.
Returning to the surface, Marina looked around curiously but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Unnerved, she swam back to shore.
Leaving the water, Marina turned back to scan the water. She checked up and down the beach also. Nothing.
Marina walked back to her things, straining the water from her hair along the way. Upon reaching them, she picked up her towel and dried herself off.
Reaching into her bag, Marina took out her phone. The time on its screen read, ‘6:12am’. She pressed the menu button, revealing the message, ‘1 missed call: Charlie’. Selecting the message, Marina put the phone to her ear as it auto-dialled the number, and started drying her hair while she waited
“Hey, did you try and call me?” Marina said.
Charlie stood behind the counter at his work with his phone to his ear. The store was barren of customers.
“Yeah, I just opened and I’m bored,” Charlie said.
He knew that she went for a sunrise swim every day warm enough to allow it, so knew a 6am phone call would not be of any inconvenience.
Marina continued to dry her hair with one hand while holding the phone with the other.
“Are you at work?” Marina said.
It was a rhetorical question, used purely as a lead in to her next. Despite this, she waited for his confirmation.
A cheeky smile crossed her face. “Can you do me a favor?”
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