Psychotic

In the middle of the night, there is usually a police officer walking the boardwalk. The small town has a curfew, and no one is allowed to break curfew. Police officers roamed the town, but one wandered off to the boardwalk. Sometimes, kids would be caught playing around on the edge when they’re not supposed to be.

This police officer carried his flashlight as he patrolled the area quietly. The waves were the only thing he could hear as he walked on the creaky wood. The light made it between the cracks, showing the glittery water underneath. As he got closer to the edge of the boardwalk, he could see the lamp that shined brightly over the water.

He stopped mid step when he saw someone laying on the wooden walkway, in a puddle of water.

At first he thought someone was just trying to be sneaky to avoid punishment, but he heard coughing and choking as the body spasmed in the distance.

When his thoughts clicked, he ran over to the person who was shaking on the ground, still coughing as he tried to catch his breath. It was just a boy, no older than his late teens, with a face as pale as pearls. In the light, he was going blue around his mouth as he struggled to breathe in desperately.

“...W-water...” he croaked as he looked up at the officer.

He was so desperate, and was writhing with pain. To him, it was like his lungs were burning with every breath. His eyes stared at the officer desperately, hoping and praying that he would help.

The officer was confused. Why would he ask for water? He was hesitant to say anything, but the boy grabbed on to his arm, pulling himself up as he looked into his eyes. He wanted water so badly. Was it a cough? But isn’t he choking?

“P-please...water...” the boy begged again as he glanced at the dark ocean. Every second was a second without water for him. The officer didn’t know what to do, but the boy grabbed tighter as he tried to move his way over the board walk.

What is he thinking?

The officer was compelled to help him, but the last thing he was going to do was give him water. He didn’t believe something like that was going to solve his problems. The boy was desperate, so desperate that he used the officer for leverage to make it to the edge of the boardwalk himself; he got up to his feet, but it seemed like he couldn’t walk, like he barely knew how to.

Before the officer could pull him back, the boy lost his balance and fell over into the water without even screaming. As he plunged in, the look of relief crossed his face, just before he was submerged in the dark waves.

The only thing that rose were bubbles.

The boy didn’t come up.

“Dammit.” the officer hissed as he dropped his flashlight to the wooden ground, and began taking off the weapons from his belt. Even with the time he prepared to jump in himself, the boy didn’t show himself.

Is he drowning?

The officer dived into the water; the light barely helped him see. The images of under the surface was too vague and dark. But he didn’t see any familiar shadows; in fact he saw nothing. The boy was gone.

Just another kid trying to get out of punishment.

The officer lingered in the water for a little bit, floating in the water as he still looked around. If the boy doesn’t show himself, he’s just going to think that he swam away to avoid getting in trouble. Its not the first time. As the officer lost the last bit of his breath, he swam towards the surface so he could breathe.

There was nothing above water either.

That boy is insane.

The officer climbed up to the board walk, breathing heavily as he pushed his hair back from his face. No one was going to believe that there was another kid being spontaneous again. As the officer thought this, he rolled his eyes as he picked up the flash light.

The boy still didn’t show up.

Nothing was worse than being wet on a chilly night like this. The officer sighed and kept moving along like before, continuing his patrol around the beach quietly, thinking to himself how strange it was to see someone about to suffocate from lack of water. If he finds that boy again, chances are that he was just trying to get away from being in trouble, and that won’t happen in a town like this.

Like always, the days are windy and chilling. Its the beginning of fall, but mostly, its hurricane season. Everyone is prepared for massive floods and winds to happen especially in a place so close to the beach. The town has experienced it a lot. Police officials stood around the board walk, near the people as they walked from small boutiques to small stores.

Carter is the officer’s name. He’s a quiet one, not speaking his mind much to people or anyone. There’s nothing special for him, no one he loves, nothing he loves. He’s always by himself. The lone officer is what they call him, because mostly he works alone. Its not odd to find him thinking about others, how they should be more possessive of others, how they shouldn’t let love one’s out of their sight.

Its so easy to lose someone you care for.

All day, kids would run and play unsupervised. Even though the clouds are rolling in, they are still happy enough to want to stay outside. No one felt interrupted by the slight change in weather. Even the thunder in the distance didn’t cause a big difference. It wasn’t raining, and the wind was hardly there. Who’s going to care about anything close to nonexistent?

In the mix of people, Carter saw the boy from last night, and since he was on duty, he was of course going to take charge of what he should have done last night. The boy didn’t know what was coming, he was too distracted by the pearl bracelets to know a cop was moving through the crowd just to get to him.

He looks so innocent. What could compel an officer to arrest a boy like that?

Carter took him by the arm, surprising him and making him look up to see his hardened face.

“You’re-”

The boy pulled away quickly and looked up at sky, shaking slightly.

Rain.

A drop fell onto his collar bone, and it made him shake with fear. Carter wasn’t going to fall for a trick like that, but he didn’t know why the boy was in shock.

The boy turned and ran away.

“Hey!” Carter ran after him.

The boy was too fast for his good. Carter couldn’t keep up because of all the people around them. He cursed under his breath as he lost the boy through everyone else. He’s quick. That’s for sure.

The black haired boy was long gone.

Carter stood there in the middle of the passing crowd, running his hand through his hair.

He lost him.

Where could the boy go?

The rain began to pour and that’s when people began to flea to find shelter from it. The police officers were the last one gone because they had to make sure everyone had safely evacuated from the storm.

It was a storm. Lightening filled the sky. Palm trees swayed with the wind. Thunder caused the wood to shake. And the sea, the sea was becoming a monster. The waves raised to heights barely ever seen, and crashed on to the beach and boardwalk.

Carter was insane to be outside in this weather.

The only reason he was there was because he found the boy. There was no reason he should be completely taken by the boy, but he thought about him only. He wants to know what is wrong with him, why he ran away, is he that scared? The boy stood at the edge of the boardwalk, facing the raging waves without hesitation. The violent wind had no effect on him, he stood as still as a rock grounded to the earth. And this boy watched the waves, his blue eyes sparkling.

He loved the water, he longed to be in it.

Home. That’s the word he used to describe the sea.

If anything, Carter was going to try and save this boy from a psychotic decision, but Carter doesn’t know this boy’s real intentions.

He wants to go home.

The boy wouldn’t be able to hear Carter’s shouts with the wind whirling the way it was. This storm is nothing compared to the hurricanes, but its enough to make people take shelter, except for this boy who was mesmerized by the water.

What is he doing?

The boy fell over into the waves, no, he dived in willingly. Carter shielded himself, holding his arm up over his face, but the rain drenched him. The boy couldn’t be seen anymore. The waves took him over.

Who would jump in ravenous waters?

Carter couldn’t stay out long, he had to find shelter from the winds. The boy was all he could think about. Did he just kill himself? He thought of yesterday and how that boy was able to turn up alive now.

He wasn’t just interesting, he was crazy.

Carter thought that this boy was completely insane.