This was a dream I had the other night...

Writing in the Sand

The air was warm, and the breeze was soft. It gently lifted wisps of hair from her face. Cool waves lapped gently at her ankles, and the sound and smell of ocean engulfed her. She opened her eyes. Ocean and sky panned out in front of her, melting together to form a vast canvas painted in every shade of blue, orange, red, and pink. Silently she stared, marveling at it's majesty and grandeur. It was all so familiar.
She turned at the sound of excited voices behind her. Two figures were running along the beach; a boy and a girl. The boy was knee deep in the water beckoning to the girl to come join him. She was backing away and giggling. "No no no!" They were a cute couple, very obviously in love. He joined her now, gently putting his arm around her shoulders. They stood looking into the sunset, lost in it's beauty, and in each other. It was a beautiful picture, so perfect and untouched; a moment frozen in time.
She stood and stared, feeling nothing but the water numbing her feet. It was getting dark. The couple walked along the beach hand in hand, oblivious to her presence. They headed back towards home and a comfortable evening in doors. Her feet sank into the cold sand as she walked, a single set of footprints. She retraced their footprints in the sand, studying them intently. They weaved back and forth, and in between one another. Sometimes they separated or disappeared into the serf, but they always rejoined and continued on along the beach.
Tears were falling from her eyes now, hot and heavy. Stubbornly she wiped them away and trudged on. Suddenly, the footprints stopped. A sandy fortress lay before her, intricate, but crumbling. Not far away, two names were carved in the sand, encircled by a heart. She covered her face with her hands, but she couldn't stop it. On her knees she sobbed uncontrollably. That was her name, HER name written there in the sand. She shivered, suddenly feeling hopelessly alone and broken. A big wave rolled past her, erasing the names. They had known the writing wouldn't survive the night. It was only writing in the sand. The moon shone brightly in the clear night sky, illuminating the young girl's face. Her usually bright eyes were dim and filled with pain. She lay staring at the smooth sand where her name was once delicately written. She was on her own now. She curled into a ball and closed her eyes. She was alone.