Chapter 3

The Accident

I sat on an old battered wooden bench by the sea. It was a cold autumn day and I wore a jacket, one of my favourites; a short red fitted jacket with little pockets on the sides that were more for decoration than anything else. My black scarf was wrapped around my neck for warmth.

I could see a few leaves falling around me in different colours as I smelled the fresh sea air, a smell I’d always loved. A slight breeze made my cheeks feel chilled. I was alone on the sandy beach as far as I could see. As I looked out I saw dolphins swimming and jumping in the far distance. They looked so peaceful and happy and it made me smile. I hadn’t seen a dolphin in the wild before, only at water parks. Behind them I could see a big ferry with people waving. They were of all ages but they all looked happy and healthy. I became very thirsty, so I got up off the bench, brushing off some sand that had stuck to my jeans and started looking around for some water to drink.

I ran along the beach, which felt hard, like my legs