Out of Time 01 - Out of Time

brightly and soft puffs of clouds drifted lazily across a cerulean sky. Simon sat alone in a small rowboat. Only thirty feet away, Elizabeth drifted in her own. She smiled gently and waved to him. He loved the ease of the day, the mild rolling motion of his boat as it bobbed slowly in the water. Elizabeth leaned back and raised her face to the warm sun. She looked like an art deco goddess, her lithe figure in a pose of supplication to the sky above. He wanted to be with her, by her side, and started to row his boat closer. His boat cut easily through the water. The small wake it created pushed gentle swells toward the distant shore.
    A billowing cloud slipped in front of the sun and cast a dark shadow over the water. Simon felt the beginnings of a cold wind sweep across the bow of his boat. It sent chills across his skin. His desire to be with her blossomed into a need. He dug his oars into the water and watched as they sliced into the murky depths.
    The wind grew colder, stronger. He looked for Elizabeth, but she was further away, not nearer. Her boat had turned away from his, as if pulled on an invisible string toward the horizon. He should have been getting closer, but with each moment that passed, she was further and further away.
    The icy wind bit into his cheeks. He gripped the oars more tightly and deepened his stroke, plunging them into the water. The harder he struggled, the rougher the water became. Another cloud, larger than the last, darkened the sky. Whitecaps broke over the growing swells like angry mouths searching for something to sink into.
    Simon fought against the roiling sea and called out to Elizabeth. But the wind was fierce and threw the sound back at him. Her tiny boat rocked back and forth, drifting further and further away. She gripped the gunwales as a large wave nearly capsized her. Simon called out again as he struggled to reach her. She must have heard him this time, because she turned and cried out, but any sound was lost in the wind.
    Rowing desperately, Simon’s muscles burned. The cold wind sliced into his face, and his fingers ached with the effort. But none of it mattered; he had to reach her. She called out again and held up her hand, urging him to stop. But it was too late. He looked down into the water and saw the small wave he’d created growing larger and larger until it became a huge wave, heading straight for her boat.
    The cresting water was too powerful and crashed into her, flipping the boat over. Simon called out again and strained to see her. His boat was finally making progress. He rowed with all his heart and when he saw a glimpse of color his heart soared. But as he drew closer, the color grew brighter. A scarlet red, blossoming like a stain.
    Blood.
    Her body bobbed to the surface. A wave rolled her onto her back. Her bloody, lifeless face stared back at him.
    “No!” he cried and lunged forward. The covers fell off his body, as he sat up with a start.
    “Wha? What? Simon?” Elizabeth said breathlessly.
    He panted furiously and twisted around to see Elizabeth awake and alive by his side. He gripped her tightly by the shoulders.
    “What’s wrong?” she asked, trying to blink herself awake.
    He searched her face, desperate to reassure himself she was all right. The horrible gash and lifeless eyes he envisioned in his dream overlaid her worried face. For a moment, the two images existed together in grotesque harmony. He clamped his eyes shut and when he opened them again, the nightmare was gone.
    “Nothing,” he said. “Just a nightmare.” He released his iron grip on her and tried to calm his thundering heart.
    “Mmmm,” she said, rubbing her eyes. “What happened?”
    Simon looked down at his shaking hands and wound them into the sheet. “I don’t remember,” he lied. In fact, he remembered every horrifying detail. That unnerved him more than anything else. All his other nightmares had been vague at best, disturbing images that faded quickly. This dream was still vivid in his mind. Too vivid. “I’m sorry I woke you. Go back to sleep.”
    “You’re okay?”
    “Fine. Go back to sleep.”
    Elizabeth yawned and lay back down. “Just think good thoughts. You’re in a field of wildflowers,” she mumbled into her pillow. “Lots of...”
    He glanced over at her, still amazed at her ability to fall asleep so effortlessly. He watched her burrow under the covers and curl up on her side of the bed.
    Letting out a long breath, he lay back. The damn