[Violet]
It took me a while to find my way back.
The beach I'd swum to wasn't far from the house, thankfully—but with each step, it felt like the distance stretched farther and farther, like the earth itself was conspiring to keep me away.
I was soaked through, water dripping from my hair, my clothes, causing them to cling to my skin uncomfortably. The cold was almost bone-deep. I couldn't stop shivering, my bare feet dragging through gritty, crusted sand that pricked my under skin. Every muscle ached and my lungs still hadn't recovered from the swim.
I tried to keep moving. One step. Another.
But on the third, my knees buckled beneath me. I hit the ground hard and once I did, I couldn't find the strength to rise again. I stayed there, hunched over, panting.
My fingers were pale and
