SEVENTY-ONE
Beach – Stars – Sand – Shots – Surf – Chris – Nathan – Numb
I was floating. No pain – nothing holding me down, any more. Something cold touched my face and I opened my eyes slowly. I recoiled from the dark shape hovering over me.
"It's okay. I'm just washing your face," said a voice I barely recognised.
I shivered in what felt like a cold wind. It couldn't be. I looked around fearfully. I looked up, and saw the contrast of pinprick stars on the darker black of the open sky. "Where are we?"
"We're at a beach, out of there, away from them." His voice sounded different, that was why I didn't recognise it immediately. More abrupt, more certain. More authoritative. "There's something I have to do here."
"You got me out. Thank you, Chris!" I felt a surge of joy well up, bringin
