I step from the comforting heat of the car – sweltering through my clothes. Out of the car into the testy arms of my cousin, Lynn.
“How are you? I’m so glad you’re finally here! I’ve been going out of my mind with boredom.”
I smile quickly and turn to get my baggage. My friend, Lizl, swiftly glances at me and I answer her rolled eyes with my arched eyebrow.
Alone, just Lizl, Lynn and myself, we decide that a cigarette on the beach would be welcoming. After three hours in the car with my mother, a cigarette would smooth the hacked and frayed motor neurons in my very nervous system and overheated brain.
Loose pieces of tar rustle on the road underneath my flip-flops. Up ahead I see several people gathered on benches at the café. How cozy and exciting they seem. The enticing urge to go up to them and get to know them is almost overwhelming…
Instead, I follow Lizl and Lynn through the little gate that separates the black tar from the brilliant white sand of the beach. Salty air wafts into my nostrils. Intoxicating and refreshing. The thought of joining strangers ripples from my mind as the gushing of the ocean beckons for my presence. The further I venture onto the beach, the softer the crunching of the sand underneath my now bare feet. Excitement bubbles in my stomach like butterflies.
Up on the dune my feet sink into the sand and I can feel my leg muscles straining as they urge me onto the peak of the mountainous heap of sand.
Mission: To light our cigarettes amidst the spiteful ocean breeze.
Every time you think: “Okay, now I can light my cigarette,” the wind flares up and teases the lighter flame that has been put on the highest possible setting.
Five minutes later: I might be as lucky as to be able to inhale the distinct tobacco taste of Camel Lights.
Smoothly, the smoke envelops your tongue and sails down your throat and into your aching and craving lungs. The only message your brain manages to send to the rest of your body is to relax.
Behind me I hear the laughter of guys. I turn to look at them, but only manage to catch the curly blond hair of the one. His obscured face burns onto the silver screen of my mind. Something about his smile is alluring. I dismiss his image and take another drag of my cigarette before it burns down to the filter.

The chilling evening air inches deeper into my skin and little goose bumps break out on my skin like a rash. Instinctively, I rub up and down my arms to warm myself, but before I manage to comment on the weather a group of guys surrounds us. From my accurate judgment, they had been warming themselves with alcohol for a few hours. Their half-empty plastic cups hang comfortably in the lazy grasp of their hands.
“Can I have a sip?” I ask the one I immediately recognise. The obscured image in my mind is flourished with colour as his face is fully visible.
“Sure. What’s your name?” he asks as he hands over the cup.
“Cara, and yours?”
“Bradley,” he answers and smiles his alluring smile. I return the smile before tasting the semi-sweet boxed wine. It tickles the inside of my cheeks and my taste buds contract with pleasure like a cat arching its back after a nap.

His arms around my chilled body. My toes wiggle within the silky soft sand. His mouth warms the skin of my neck. A molten fire washes through my body, and my cheeks flare up from underneath the base make-up. A smile crinkles within my mouth corners. His fingers play over my skin and the hair on my arms stand to attention. Delight fills my soul. Appreciation seeps from my pores.

She leaves the warm circle of his embrace with difficulty. A twinge of regret tugs at her constraint as he begs her to stay. In the back of her mind she can hear a voice yelling: “Stop! Go back! Stop! For goodness’ sake, go back!”
His image swiftly paints itself onto the canvas of her mind with brilliant arrays of oil paints, carefully capturing his alluring image. Nothing will ever remove his face from her mind. A forever memory waiting for the fulfillment of reality. Will fate torment her forever, or will it favour her happiness? A question that remains unanswered for Time to reveal the truth.