Ruth was at the sink, hands in hot soapy water washing the remains of last night’s dinner off the plates when she first saw them.
The figure, huddled up in a bright red parka, head down against the howling wind, made their way down the sandy path besides her house.
The road, if you could call it that, was private, shared between the neighbors though Ruth was the only one that really used it, going down to the beach most mornings to walk along in the secluded silence, just her and the crashing waves.
Odd, Ruth thought, as she watched them down the path until they disappeared out of sight.
Obviously they were visiting the beach, but in this awful weather, it didn’t make much sense. The wind was screaming, and the sky was a bruised purple, just waiting to explode with rain.
The neighbors house was vacant most of the year, the couple who owned it worked away, only coming out on special occasions and holidays.
She’d exchanged emails with them only a few weeks ago, and there had been no mention of anyone coming to stay.
By the time the kettle had boiled, the rain had started, splashing in large, frenzied droplets against the window panes.
Ruth sat at her kitchen bench, sipping her green tea out of her favorite ceramic mug. It wouldn’t be long, she told herself as her eyes were glued to the window facing the path. It wouldn’t be long and red parka would be back, most likely running past, to get out of the storm, back into the dry safety of their car, or wherever they’d come from.
The tea grew bitter, and then cold. Red parka did not come back past.
It was growing dark, and the sense in Ruth’s unease was growing rapidly as well.
She tried to rationalize it. Red parka had just found another way to get back. But there was no other way, of this Ruth was sure.
Red parka had somehow made a shelter, and they were safe from the Storm that raged on.
Ruth grabbed the phone, knowing she needed to call the police. She needed someone to come and find red parka, to help them. The dial tone greeted her and she stared dumbfounded for a moment, before there was an almighty bang, and the power went out.
The house was shaking now, rain turned to hail, and it was smashing dangerously, making it incredibly loud. It didn’t hinder the roar of the storm though, thunder boomed in the sky, the lightening strikes that sounded like canes being cracked, were just as terrifying.
Ruth suddenly remembered her mobile, shocked but without time to question how she could of forgotten it in the first place, praying that it would have battery left.
She felt her way around in the dark until her hands were on the smooth leather of her handbag.
The phone screen shone brightly up, like a Becon of light and hope in a desolate world. 38% battery.
Ruth’s hands were shaking, trembling with fear and excitement as she dialed in 000.
“How can I help you?”
For a moment, Ruth was silent. Did they always start the call like this? Had she called the right number?
“Hello, are you there, Ruth?”
Ruth felt her blood turn to ice. She knew she had not given them her name. She hasn’t even said one word yet. “How do you know my name?” her voice was a mere whisper, fearful and edgy.
“The telecommunications company has each person’s phone number and details listed. Now is there an issue, Ruth? Are you needing assistance?”
“Oh, I see.” Ruth felt her face flush from embarrassment. “Um, okay. Well yes, there’s a bit of a problem. Earlier today, I saw someone walk down to the beach but they’ve not returned and the weather has taken a turn for the worst.”
“Okay, Ruth. Now, I want you to stay calm. I’m looking at the weather maps now, okay? And let’s see, well that’s good, it looks as if that rain and bad weather should be finishing up real soon. How you doing Ruth?”
“I’m fine. I’m inside, safe. I’m just worried about this person. It can get rough out there, and being inexperienced..”
The 911 officer hmm’d in agreeance, with a hint of comfort as well. “Well, I’ve requested back up. A car is going to be sent out when possible.” there was a pause. “it’ll most likely be a while. The Storm was bad in town, lots of trees down out your way.”
“Oh.” Ruth didn’t know what to say. She pictured red parka stuck under a tree that had fallen, swept out to sea by a wild wave.
The voice on the other end interrupted her day time nightmare, the voice perky yet soothing.
“The weather has cleared up now, hasn’t it? The sun’s shining, and the sky’s blue. Perhaps you could go down to the beach, and look for this person? You know the beach better than anyone, and it’s going to take a while for any officers to make it out.”
Once again Ruth was flabbergasted.
“ Go check.. Myself?” shouldn’t this be left up to trained professionals? What if, according to her day dreaming, she was right and a tree had fallen? What help could she be?
As if reading her mind, or perhaps Ruth had spoken her musings out loud, the voice on the phone said softy, “You could be there to hold someones hands in their dying moment. Wouldn’t that be everything?”
The line went dead before Ruth could answer, and she knew the phone had gone flat. There was still charge left, she was sure of it. When she got up from the darkness of her bedroom, she was not surprised to see the clear blue sky, and the shining sun, out the window. Some things, were just unexplainable.
As if in a trance, Ruth was up and dressed within moments. She pulled her hiking boots on, tightening the laces as tight as she could. A scarf and her jacket, and she was out the door.
The wind was still blowing, the taste of salt strong in the air, drying out her skin, her hair. She could taste it on her lips.
The beach was deserted, as she knew it would be.
She scanned from the top of the hill, only momentarily gazing around before she spotted it.
A makeshift sort of shelter. Bits of wood, sticks and rocks, piled up and stacked together to form a hut type barrier from the outside weather.
From her perspective, Ruth could see the flutter of a red object inside the shelter. Her chest felt a pang, but she shook head to ignore it, hastily making her way down to the beach, towards the hut.
She was breathless by the time she arrived, she had run the last few meters but it was still too late.
She called out as she ripped the rotting wood doorway down, telling red parka that it was okay, she was here and everything was going to be okay.
Red parka was splayed in the corner of the room, black hair cascading over her face, coat still on.
Ruth ran towards her, seeing the slight rise and fall of her chest, not noticing until she got closer, that the t-shirt was not red, only the parka. The t-shirt was white. Or it was meant to be.
“It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m here.” Ruth keeps her voice calm and soothing, positive just like the person on the 911 call had been.
She lifted up red parkas formally white shirt, revealing numerous little cuts along the pale skin of her stomach and chest.
“Please. Don’t leave me.” red parka moaned, moving with a grimace as she placed her hand in Ruth’s. “Please. Stay here with me for a bit.”
“I’m here, I’m here, I’m here.” Ruth patted her forehead, holding back her own tears. It was her worst night mare, dying alone. She was glad she could help, the 911 operator had been right.
It was moments, only mere moments later, that red parkas chest fell for the last time. Ruth stared at it for a minute, wondering if it would rise again. It didn’t.
As if on que, Ruth’s mobile phone rang. Ruth knew it had gone flat earlier. She also knew she had never once gotten reception down this far on the beach.
“She’s dead.” Ruth’s voice broke, “I was too late.”
“You were right on time, Ruth. Do you remember, now?”
“What are you talking about?” Ruth was growing frustrated. None of this made sense. None of it.
“A while ago, there was a woman who came down here, to this very beach. She was caught up in a freak storm, one of the worst the town has ever seen, which meant every cop in town was busy with other jobs. There just wasn’t enough people to go around.”
“I don’t see how this -“
“Ruth, just listen. Please. This woman found a make shift shelter that some teenage kids up to no good had set up the night before. They’d spent the night drinking, doing drugs, getting up to mischief and then woken up too late to get out before the storm hit. They were taking shelter In their hut too, but this lady, well she had no idea. No one knows what truly happened next, apart from the fact the woman was killed. Of course in court, the boys tried to say their own version of events for what occurred that afternoon, but nothing ever really added up in their favor, of course. Do you remember, Ruth?”
Ruth never heard of such a case and she had lived there for more than 10 years. It was nonsense. Ruth opened her mouth to argue the point, when she was interrupted, once again.
“ Ruth, what are you wearing?”
“ This is absolutely ridiculous.” Ruth was appalled at the questions, but she could not seem to recall getting dressed that morning. Surely she would of put on jeans, a t-shirt and a sweater..she glanced down, to see she was dressed in what she thought. But the t-shirt was white, and her jacket.. Her jacket was red.
“What’s happening? I don’t understand this.” Ruth’s whisper was urgent and scared, “I don’t remember anything, i can’t remember.”
“You were wearing the red parka, Ruth. I’m so sorry. You were killed.”
“What is this, some kind of hell? If I’m dead, why am I relieving this? Seeing myself, I don’t understand.” Ruth was sobbing now, her confusion palpable.
“Sometimes we can’t move on, until we’ve accepted what’s happened. You wanted to stay here, to go back, but you couldn’t. Your body has finished living, even though you didn’t want it to. We do this, not for pain, but for a reminder, a way out of limbo, and into the future for you.”
Ruth had grown silent, a small frown on her face had replaced the tears.
She could smell the sea breeze, taste the salt on her lips. She felt the weight of the world bearing down on her body, and then she felt nothing at all.
“I was scared to die alone.” Ruth is breathless at this realization. “And.. And you let me come back? To not be alone?”
Even though Ruth cannot see them, she can feel The 911 operater, or whoever they really are, smile. She feels their warmth.
“Yes, Ruth. No one is ever truly alone when they die, if they don’t want to be. We can always go back, and hold our own hand if we need.”
“Im.. Thank you. I can remember it all, I can remember everything.” Ruth gazes at her body infront of her, grazing her fingers along the smooth skin of herself. Goodbye, Ruth, she thinks.
To the 911 operator, she says “I think I’m ready to go to that next place.”