Waves crash along the shoreline as I play follow the leader with my foot prints. A wind sends my hair soaring into the air, long golden locks engulfing the space in the sky. There isn’t anything quite like a salty sea breeze as the sun sets. Shouting seagulls swoop down to the land for dinner. I collapse to the ground and bury my feet into the tiny crystals beneath me. It’s funny how you can just stare out into an empty ocean and remain frozen. You ask, ‘What are you thinking about?’ There really isn’t an answer. Anything and everything; it all just comes naturally. Your mind meshes with the scenery; you become that clan of fish driving in the deep unknown; your conscious collapses into the vibrant coral reefs, trapped between the seaweed flowing by.
You regain some sort of recognition of time and space and capture the moment of true beauty as the sun swallows the majority of the sky, and the pastel sunset makes the space above you appear to be on fire. How magical.
You look around and examine the life around you; the fisherman baiting his hook, the family scurrying along the shore, the young couple taking pictures; almost perfect. But something is missing… you.

Your blurred silhouette encompasses the space meant for someone else. The water erases the slate of sand holding the shape of your foot. No sign that you were ever there; washed away to the deep unknown.

You stand up only to realize you’re starting to disappear. Slowly but surely, one by one, each limb fades away. Your zoomed in view of the sea begins to pull back. Confusion collides with what you thought was reality as your view darkens. Black is the shade of the picture and you begin to hear strange noises creeping closer and closer. A faint ticking grows stronger and louder as time wastes away. You can feel your body tossing side to side as it grows closer.

The noise is at its peak when you begin to see light. Your eyes manage to lift their lids as new scenery appears. Your back in your own body and rub your eyes for a clearer view. It startles you to recognize something so familiar. As sound catches up to sight, the ticking emerges once more. Your reach over and tap the metal box as your feet reach the ground.

You peer into the mirror and realize it was all just a dream.