The Seaside

Pamela sat in the dining room tensely, listening to Jacob's unmistakeable sluggish footsteps as he walked down the stairs.

"Relax," Mr Winters said, peering at her over his newspaper. "He doesn't bite."

She smiled at him; embarrassed and sat back in the sofa, worrying about the unwelcome that was sure to come.

"Are you going out today Jake?" Mrs Winters asked anxiously from the kitchen.

"Yes," the man in question replied curtly, his voice much quieter than last night.

Pamela held her breath, waiting for him to come in. But after a few moments, the front door clicked shut and Mrs Winters walked into the room, before exchanging a significant glance with her husband.

"Isn't he going to have breakfast?" Pamela asked, breaking the silence that followed.

"He usually grabs something on his way to the library," Mrs Winters replied evasively, rolling her eyes.

Pamela didn't comment, knowing one thing for certain. Wherever Jacob Winters was disappearing to first thing in the morning, it wasn't the library.

"What are you going to do today then?" Mr Winters asked Pamela.

She shrugged, unsure.

"Why don't you go for a walk down to the shops and have a look around?" Mrs Winters suggested. "We'll be disappearing ourselves in a while to do some food shopping, and you're welcome to come with us."

Pamela grimaced at the phrase 'food shopping' and stood up quickly. "I'll think I'll just go get my jacket and go for the walk."

Mr Winters grinned at her when she came down the stairs again and handed her a ten-pound note.

"What's this for?" she asked, holding it as far away from herself as possible.

"It's your allowance for this week."

"But it's Saturday. Thank you, but I don't really need it," she said, thrusting it back into his hand, already feeling overwhelmed by his generosity and well aware that she was living off their charity.

"Take it anyway," he insisted, looking surprised that she had refused at all.

"We'll feel better if you have some cash on you," Mrs Winters said then, noticing her hesitation, and Pamela slipped the crisp note in her pocket with a quiet, but sincere thank you. Mrs Winters also handed her a house key and gave her directions to the shops, before sending her on her way.

Walking to the main road a few moments later, Pamela couldn't help but notice how neat and tidy the semi-detached houses were, compared to her own home back in London. It was a fairly sunny day so people were out and about washing their cars or gardening. She even noticed a few kids playing in their front lawn.

The shops turned out to be a disappointment, with nothing that really interested Pamela, so she walked past them until she got to the end of another block of houses. A breeze suddenly brought a strange salty smell with it, and she resumed walking, following the signs directing her to the local seaside.

By the time she got there, Pamela was tired. But the sight of the rolling waves caused her eyes to widen. Shimmering blue rolled never-endingly in front of her and Pamela gasped, suddenly conscious of the cool breeze drifting towards her. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Having lived in London for her whole existence, only occasionally leaving the place and never having seen the sea in real life before made her appreciate it even more.

As she walked cautiously closer, her trainers slipping in the soft, warm sand, she noticed the other people on the seaside. There were families building sandcastles and people actually sunbathing, despite the slightly cool atmosphere. A boy probably a few years older than her was sitting alone, his chin resting on his knees as he gazed out unseeingly. Another group of boys stared at her unabashed as she removed her trainers and rolled her jeans up, before walking to the waters edge and enjoying the sensation of the cold waves tickling her feet. Yelping as her toes sunk in the sand, she moved back quickly but flushed when the group of spectators started laughing at her.

Resisting the urge to stick her tongue out at them, she cautiously walked once again into the water, but was prepared for the strange sinking this time around. Too cowardly to walk further in though, she retreated a few steps and sat down on the warm sand, removing her hoodie and tying it around her waist before tipping her face to the sun.

The sunshine felt glorious on her skin, seeming to make every pore on her face tingle. However, the breeze snatched away most of the warmth and before long, Pamela opened her eyes again and just gazed at the beautiful sea in front of her for hours, finding immense peace in the hypnotic yet predictable rolling of the waves.

After a long time, her legs began to hurt from cramp so she stood up and started walking aimlessly along the sand, heading nowhere in particular. She passed the lone boy she had noticed earlier and looked away quickly when he met her gaze, embarrassed to have been caught staring. His face was not striking in any way. In fact, it was one of those faces that people tended to glaze over. But as Pamela continued to stroll aimlessly, she wondered why he was sitting there all alone. Perhaps he was waiting for someone.

Eventually though, the seagulls distracted her thoughts and she smiled to herself, looking up at them as they circled overhead. A few minutes later, she came across the lifeguard sitting on the sand, reading a book.

As she neared him, he looked up and smiled at her.

"Lovely weather, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is nice." Pamela returned his smile with a small one of her own and continued on her way.

As she passed another group of people and the ground began to slope gently, she realised that the sand continued far off into the distance. Disappointed that there was no way she could reach the end of it today, she turned back, nodding again at the lifeguard as she passed him and buying herself a bottle of water from a nearby stand with the money Mr Winters had given her earlier.

By the time she made it back to her original starting point, the wind was slightly cooler, and it was starting to get dark.

Pulling her trainers back on after emptying them of the sand, she retied her jet black hair into it's usual ponytail again and headed back towards the Winters' household, pausing only a while to marvel at how scary the sea became as it grew darker.

Closing the door swiftly behind her as she walked into the house an hour later, Pamela tiptoed into the living room, only to realise that no one was back yet.

Pleased with her day, she walked up the stairs into the bathroom to have a quick shower to get rid of the sand sticking to her feet and arms, before changing into her soft pyjamas and brushing her teeth. She didn't pause too long to gaze at her reflection, only enough to register the healthy flush in her cheeks and to make sure her teeth were clean.

As she walked out of the bathroom though, she barrelled straight into a tall, warm body that was certainly not Mr or Mrs Winters. He held his hands out to steady her; a towel draped over one lean forearm. As Pamela straightened, she didn't miss his sharp intake of breath and the sudden cool air on her skin as he immediately stepped away from her.

Jacob was undoubtedly good-looking in a rugged sort of way. His face was smooth and marble-like, his features deliberately neutral. His dark blue eyes however, were wary as they looked back at her, taking in her wet hair and dishevelled appearance.

"Sorry," she muttered awkwardly, breaking the silence.

He seemed to snap out of it then. Barely glancing at her, he slipped into the bathroom and closed the door in her face, the dead bolt slowly but deliberately slipping into place.

"There was no reason to worry about him now, was there?" Pamela muttered to herself a moment later as she walked up the stairs into the attic.

At least he hadn't thrown a tantrum when he saw her.

Perhaps she could live here unscathed after all.

For a while anyway.