The Ecstasy Of Life

The sand was warm, as was the moist air engulfing me. I glanced above the palm trees to the blanket of stars above me, and smiled back to Orion. Behind the jagged sea wall was the city community, alive with lights and the hum of busy schedules. I felt invisible atop the shells and sand until the first blast of light exploded with the stars. Colors then collided, creating pom-poms of radiance. Joyous shouts and drunken proclamations of independence rang through the air. Curious onlookers streamed to the sands like ants from the hill of Beachfront hotels. I became lost in the show of shimmering fire across the sky. The performance was abruptly intermissioned when He ran over to my sandy hill, crashing into the dune along side me. I silently welcomed this distraction. For a moment, we just stared blankly at the fireworks through the sky peeking between the branches of the palms. His silhouette, momentarily illuminated, made home to an entranced smile… “Charming,” I whispered beneath my breath, “...just…beautiful." His gaze left the sky, and his piercing eyes met mine. Just then, as if a surge of restless energy had been jumped into my body, I lept to my feet and ran. My bare feet dug into the gritty beach sand as I charged towards the crashing waves. My ankles quickly became weak, yet the adrenaline pumping through my veins numbed all my discomfort. I turned around, though never slowing, and saw Him chasing closely behind me. From the view of my hotel room, the water hadn’t seemed so distant. Yet as the roar of the crashing waves grew louder, I could almost taste the salty water.