Along the Cliffs

Miranda Walters sits in her wicker chair. The chair her mom most likely rocked her in as a newborn, twenty years ago. She’s watching the sun rise as she has for the past thirteen years. She used to sit on her dad's lap every morning as he read the paper. Now, at twenty years old, it's clear she misses her time with him. A soft breeze pushes a singular premature grey hair across her temple pulling focus away from the faint scar above her eyebrow. Her light blue eyes mirrored the ocean: a picture of calm. She hummed a lullaby as she presumably thought back on her life. She always loved the hint of salt in the air.

Miranda grew up in Harper's Cove, a small town in southern Maine. People always thought the small seaside village was cursed, but mainly the town was looking for someone to blame. The town had always been plagued with disappearances and drownings, but when the body of Serina Laurent washed up three years ago, the small bit of hope that had once resided in Harper's Cove was crushed.

Serina Laurent's death hit too close to home. When tourists disappeared, people assumed it was because they were naïve or sometimes just plain unlucky, but Rina, as her friends called her, was a local. She grew up in the cove. She knew how to read the waves and search for riptides. Rina never swam alone, and she never swam at night. She was the embodiment of caution, which is why her death was so puzzling. The fact that she was only 17, only made matters worse.

When someone young dies, people can’t help but think about the nevers. Rina would never marry or have children. She would never leave the cove. She would never do anything anymore. Miranda pretended it was the taste of her coffee and not the thought of those nevers, that left a bitter taste in her mouth. She entered an all too familiar trance that was usually reserved for when she thought about the events that lead to Rina's death.

It was the summer of 2013, and Miranda and Rina were excitedly making plans for senior year. The girls had grown up together. They were, as Rina put it, “destined for spectacularly wonderful adventures,” and Miranda could not agree more. In fact, Miranda was planning an adventure for the two of them, as a way to celebrate the end of summer. The girls were watching the waves crash onto the cliffs that separated the cove where they frequently swam, from the marina. As she stared at Rina, who was standing in front of her in a way that blocked out the sun and silhouetted her beautifully, Miranda could not help but admire her friend. Her deep brown curls cascaded past her shoulders. Her normally caramel skin was darker, a testament to her countless days spent in or around the water. She was wearing the small clip-on pearl earrings Miranda had given her for Christmas.

“Miranda, are you listening? Dakota has a football workshop this weekend, so it would be the perfect time to go on our adventure.” Rina practically squealed when she got to the word adventure. “Where are we going anyway?” She asked as she plopped on the ground beside Miranda, instantly blinding her.

Dakota was Rina’s boyfriend for the last year, but he had been friends with the girls since he moved to Harper's Cove in the fourth grade. His parents are Native American and have always wanted to live close to the ocean. Miranda loved Dakota, but sometimes she felt like a third wheel when he was around. She hated that she felt this way, but it wasn’t avoidable.

"So the other day I was thinking about how we always talk about having some wild adventure when we leave for college. Why are we waiting for college when there are plenty of places here to explore?” Miranda pointed at a patch of trees and shrubs pressed up against the base of the cliff about twenty feet out. "Why don't we start there? I've never seen anyone go out there and it's like a small forest!"

When the girls actually paid attention to the shrubbery, it occurred to them how out of place the grouping of trees looked pressed against the cliffs. Now filled with excitement Miranda pressed on, "We could be the first people to explore that area. Who knows there might even be some buried treasure?” At that comment the girls both laughed. “Or more realistically a nice picnic spot that's a bit more private for you and Dakota.” Miranda raised her eyebrows in an obviously suggestive way.

“Knock it off Miranda, anyways who needs a secluded picnic spot when I have the spare key to your car.” Rina smirked, which resulted in the girls giggling. “We should do it. What do you think about going out Saturday morning, so no one follows?" Rina asked, "This way there would not be any questions from the prying eyes of the public." Miranda nodded her agreement, and the girls packed their belongings into Miranda's car. They left the cove with the promise of Saturday.

The girls arrived at the beach in the early morning just before the sun started to peak past the horizon. It was dark, and there was a slight chill in the air. The girls had their flashlights at the ready. Miranda was wearing a pair of old jeans and a light sweater. Rina was wearing all black as if she were trying to emulate a burglar. She was even wearing a black beanie and combat boots. It was a curious sight; Rina normally wore flowery boho style clothing so most people would be shocked to know she owned combat boots.

The girls had a small trek ahead of them. The bank that led to the greenery under investigation was very unstable ground. The girls jumped from rock to rock making calculated leaps. At one point Miranda made an error and put her weight on an unstable rock and slipped. “Shit!” She exclaimed, and both the girls laughed as she tumbled forward and caught herself.

Slowly but surely the girls made it to the outskirts of the trees wedged between the cliffs. “Okay, I think we should walk along the cliff so we don’t get lost.” Rina said, as she glanced over her shoulder to Miranda.

“I don’t think we're going to get lost; how deep could this really go? We could probably walk to the other end in ten minutes!” Miranda exclaimed, but after receiving an eye roll from Rina she caved. “Okay, yes we can walk along the cliff, if your highness desires.” Miranda gave a swift bow to Rina. After an exchange of snide remarks, the girls set off.

Their flashlights provided a wide range and having the cliffs to their right provided a slight sense of security. Rina made sure no matter what, one of her hands was touching the cool rock beside her. She looked ready to run at the first sign of danger. Miranda on the other hand was excited. Her eyes were filled with hope and joy. “Rina, what if we find, like, a cool waterfall or something? Ooh, what if behind that waterfall there’s, like, Aztec gold, and we become rich?" Miranda was full of adrenalin, but unlike Rina her adrenalin came from a place of wonderment, not fear.

Five feet behind them there was a rustle and then a sharp snap. The sound echoed around bouncing off all the rock walls.

“Miranda, w-what was that?” Rina asked, looking over her shoulder in Miranda’s direction. The girls were moving very sluggishly and it was only frustrating Miranda, who was thrilled to explore every crevice in this oasis of trees. Miranda wanted to keep moving.

“What was what?” Miranda asked. She had clearly heard the snap. In fact, her head swiveled back toward the sound to investigate it out of instinct, but Miranda didn’t care. “Come on Rina the suns already coming up. We won’t even need the flashlight in like 20 minutes. Don’t chicken out now.” The last sentence came out a bit harsh and Miranda knew it. She softened her face and tried to lighten the mood. “Just think about the gold Rina. We could buy a yacht.” She said in a sing-song voice.

Rina relaxed a bit. “Okay, I’m sorry. It’s just that all of this screams horror movie, ya know? I really didn’t think these woods would be so thick or run so deep. I mean we can barely see where we entered, and I don't see another stone wall coming anytime soon. What if this cuts all the way through to the marina side?” Rina asked rhetorically.

Miranda was now looking along the wall to see the spot they entered from. She could see it, but it didn’t occur to her how far they had moved. “I just think I would have been less jumpy if Dakota were here.” With a sigh Rina continued on her way.

Rina pressed forward, with Miranda on her heels. She almost fell when she felt the rock wall give into a large hole with the faintest glow coming from within. She gave a sharp inhale as her attention turned to the cave. "This is so cool!" Miranda exclaimed.

Both of their flashlights were now pointed into the cave. It was deep and their light didn't reach all the way in, but what the girls saw left them in awe. About ten feet in front of them was a thick half hollowed out boulder. It was filled with water that looked like it was almost glowing. Above it hung two large stalactites. One dribbled a steady stream of the same water, while the other dripped more, like a leaky faucet.

"We have got to check this out, Rina." Miranda said as she took her first step into the cave.

As the girls entered the cave they shivered, whether it was from the coolness or the creepiness, it was unclear. Intrigued by the pooling water the girls circled the boulder.

"The algae in the water must be bioluminescent. That's why it glows like that." Rina suggested. After staring into the pool with her flashlight for a minute Rina got an idea. Her curiosity overpowered her fear when she said, "Turn off your flashlight Miranda. I want to see the glow again. We can't really see it with all of the light." Rina had already turned off hers and was in the process of reaching for Miranda’s when she said this. Miranda hesitated for a second, then they were suffocated by the darkness.

It took their eyes a minute to adjust but when they did the stalactites were covered with glowing blue pockets of light. The pool of water, which was seemingly clear had transformed into a puddle of blue light. The girls gasped in awe of this beautiful scene. Miranda looked at Rina as if to say can you believe this, but Rina's gaze was focused on something in the pool.

"What is that?" She mumbled. Her eyes were so focused on the flutter of movement that seemed to be coming from the water. "Wait, is... is that a hand?” She murmured to herself questioningly.

Miranda, who was staring at the ceiling, replied. "Rina what are you going on about? I can't hear you." Miranda noticed a shift in the cave’s atmosphere. Something was wrong. She glanced over to where she had last seen Rina, but she was gone. "Rina, you shouldn't walk deeper into a dark cave by yourself. Hello, have you heard of common sense?"

Miranda waited for a response. As the seconds ticked by, she began to feel the fear bubble up in her gut. She grabbed her flashlight and turned it on. She began scanning the cave. "Rina! this is not funny, where are you." She screamed and her echo travelled through the cave.

Miranda listened for a reply. A faint whistle echoed through the cave. The tune was familiar, but she couldn't place it. She circled the cave looking for Rina. In the glow of her flashlight she caught a glimpse of movement from the corner of her eye. She turned quickly and saw a man with his back pressed against the wall. He was holding Rina to him. His arm pressed into Rina's neck as he held her. Her eyes were wide with panic as she struggled trying to shimmy out of his grasp. His hand harshly grasped her mouth. The only sounds she made were faint whimpers. Miranda locked eyes with the man and realized he was familiar to her, but she couldn't place him. He was her father’s age. His eyes were wild, and he looked like a caged animal.

"What-What are you doing? Let her go!" Miranda yelled.

After a moment of hesitation, she ran towards the man. Raising her flashlight above her head she swung it at the man. She made contact with the side of his face. He groaned at the pain, and his grip on Rina loosened. She squirmed trying to create some space. All the while Miranda relentlessly attacked the man with her flashlight. It was hard to see without a focused light, but the girls couldn't worry about that. Rina finally created enough of a gap between her and her assailant, to throw her elbow back into his gut. All he had left was her wrist. She yanked on it as Miranda changed her tactics and leapt on the man’s back. Distracted by Miranda the man began to fall and as he did, he let go of Rina's arm. Rina flew forward. She banged her head against the stone pool and crumpled to the ground.

On the ground, Miranda and the man began to roll. The man punched her in the gut and she inhaled sharply. His hands encircled her neck. They were cold, like death. Her panic was evident in her eyes. She looked over to Rina who was crumpled on the ground unmoving. Tears started to escape from the horror that was their lives.

She was reaching for anything. Beside the man’s knee, which was pinning her to the ground, she found her flashlight. She banged it against his head, but he was relentless. She kept banging his head and when he lifted his hand to cover his head, Miranda pulled herself out from under him. She began to run for the cave’s opening, but the man grabbed her arm and she fell face first into a rock. Blood pooled at her temple. She watched as the man walked toward Rina. The man began to whistle again as he grabbed Rina by her ankles and pulled her deeper into the cave.

Weeks after the incident Miranda woke up to the morning news playing in the living room: Rina’s body was found washed up in the marina.

Miranda's head snapped toward the door. "What? Sorry, I was spacing out?" Miranda asked her mother, who was standing in the door frame. She was telling Miranda brunch was ready. Apparently, her mom had invited a coworker and his wife over for a celebratory brunch. Miranda went inside. Her head was cloudy from reliving the worst day of her life.

Outside on the front porch she could hear her father chatting with someone, presumably her mom’s friend from work. Miranda peaked through her window. She saw a woman was digging around in her car until she gave up on her search and joined the two men whose backs were to the window. Her mom was saying something, but she was too focused on what was happening outside.

"Miranda, come set the table." Her mother sighed for the third time. Miranda set the table. She could hear the guests getting settled in their seats. Her mother was telling the story of how she got to Harper's cove.

The woman came in and asked Miranda if she could use a hand. Miranda grabbed a stack of plates and finally looked up at the woman, "No, I think I've got it." Just then, Miranda noticed the woman. She looked familiar. Maybe they had met at one of her mother’s Christmas parties. Something about the woman made Miranda uneasy.

The woman began to turn away and head back to the table when Miranda noticed the woman's ears. She was wearing a small pair of clip-on pearl earrings. Miranda dropped her dishes and the woman jumped, shocked by the loud crash. Everyone rushed into the kitchen and all eyes were on Miranda. One set of eyes was all too familiar to her. She had seen them in that cave all those years ago. Then, they had been filled with a bloodlust that made her cold, but now they looked sinister.

The man pushed his way in to pick up the shards of glass.

"You can never be too careful with broken glass.” He said and busied himself retrieving the shards when, ever so subtly, he let out a low hum. A hum that sent a chill through her. It was the same tune he had whistled in the cave. When he let out a final note his eyes locked on a frozen Miranda. Suddenly, before Miranda could act, a sharp pain drew her attention down to her waist. A large chunk of a porcelain plate was jutting out.

"Miranda!" Her parents screamed in unison. Understanding spread across her father’s face, but she could only stare down at the glass. She was cold. It felt as if she had left the refrigerator door open. She blinked up and saw her dad drop to his knees. His shirt was bloodied, but Miranda knew the blood was her own. The screams began to blur. Shadows danced across her vision. Her final thoughts were of Rina.