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One day a very excited four-year-old Annie Cresta was at the beach with her fourteen-year-old sister, Iris. With her legs and arms wrapped tight around Iris, Iris carries her tightly across the warm sand of the beach.
Annie squirms in Iris’ arms wanting to be let down and roam free. The young girl tries pushing herself against her sister to be able to get away. “Annie, just settle down. I’m trying to find us a place to relax.” But Annie doesn’t quit fussing.
A groan escapes Iris’ mouth. “Annie, please.” It may sound like a beg, and it is. Annie tries pushing away again and lets out a defiant “No.”. After Iris has found a less crowded area, she lets Annie down.
With care, Iris takes off Annie’s shirt and shorts that cover her swimsuit. Iris kneels down to match Annie’s height and Annie plops down in the sand. Iris sighs as Annie is all ready. She smooths out Annie’s frizzy hair that’s sticking out from her braids from the ocean breeze.
“Now, Annie, what do you want to do while we’re here?” Annie sits and thinks for a few minutes. “Play in sand.” The little girl answers with an eager smile. Annie wasn’t the most highly verbal child. She was a bit odd compared to others in general. She is very clingy, never had an ongoing stubborn steak (only stubborn moments), and she didn’t even speak a word until she turned three.
Iris sighs and sets up her backpack of stuff she packed behind her so she can relax against. “Go ahead, Annie. Play all you want.” Being a teenager, Iris wasn’t the most interested in watching her baby sister who is ten years younger than her on a Sunday afternoon wasn’t the most ideal use of her time, but their parents were busy in town.
Iris opens her book she has to read for a school project and lets Annie do her own thing. Their father is usually the one to play with Annie when they go to the beach. He has also been teaching her how to swim, and she was getting pretty good.
Just then a seagull flies and lands on the beach judt a few feet away from where she was playing in the sand. Annie stands up intrigued. Usually, she is too busy playing with her father to care much about the seagulls, but this time she’s intrigued.
Her little legs push her up. She runs to the seagull, but it keeps getting farther and farther away. Her tiny foot stomps as the seagull flies off the beach into the sky. Annie turns back around and towards where her and her sister settled as their spot.
When she returns, her sister isn’t there. Where is Iris? Annie begins looking around frantically. Heavy tears start falling from her eyes.
Just then a little boy who looks to be around her age, maybe a year older approaches her with as gentle a young boy could be and a pair of swim trunks. Sits next to her. “Are you okay?” Annie shakes her head ‘no’. “Sister lost….” She mumbles.
The little boy hugs her- it being a way he knows comforts other people. “Don’t cry.” He mutters, his short, bronze hair against her neck. She pulls away looking into his sea-green eyes that match her own- a common trait among those in District 4. He studies her quietly and straightens Annie’s light-pink bucket hat. “Do you want to swim with me and my sister?” He turns to look behind him and points to a young girl that looks the same age as the boy. “That’s her. Her name is Loral. She’s looking for crabs.” The young boy offers with the lisp of a child with a few missing teeth.
Before Annie had the chance to respond, Iris comes back and picks her up. Apparently, she had been flirting with a lifeguard. Again.
Iris embraces her in her arms even though the boy has already settled her down. “I’m sorry, Annie.” Guilt evident in her voice. “Come on, it’s about time we go anyways.” A frustrated look crosses the young girls face. “Playing with friend.” She argues a slight whine to her voice. Her sister sighs. “What did mom and dad say about talking to strangers? Come on, let’s go.” Iris picks up her stuff, taking Annie’s small hand and pulling her along. Annie looks behind her back to the young boy. He waves a disappointed look present. “Bye, Annie.” The young boy mumbles, having overheard Iris who said the young girl’s name. Annie mouths the word “Bye,” in response, still being pulled along by Iris.