Music in the Night (Logan 4)

I slipped my foot into the slipper and continued down the path, past the benches and the gardens.

"Tell whom? Laura, you're not making any sense. Laura!" he shouted.

Someone inside the building heard him. A light went on and then another. I heard doors opening and voices calling out into the night. It drove me on faster. I was running down the hill now, slipping and sliding, losing the slippers again, but not slowing down. Something inside me told me not to slow down for an instant or it would be too late.

And besides, he was calling louder and more desperately each time.

"I'm coming, Robert. I'm coming, my darling Robert," I cried into the darkness.

Ahead of me, the ocean thundered as the waves slammed against the rocks and the sea spray flew into the night. My eyes had grown accustomed to the darkness, but shapes were still only silhouettes. Some of the rocks had been stroked so long by the water, they gleamed like jewels in the night.

I fell and scraped my arm on a rock. It stung, but I didn't pay any attention to the pain. Instead, I got back to my feet as quickly as I could and listened. His voice was gone. The ocean was drowning him out.

"Robert!" I screamed.

"Laura! Where are you?" The voice seemed to come from behind me, but then I heard it again, this time from directly in front of me. "Laura. I'm here. Laura!"

"Yes, yes, Robert. I'm here."

I moved more carefully over the smaller rocks, until I reached the water and the tide slapped at my legs. Concentrating hard, I could see the boat rising and falling. The small mast was broken and lay over the side, the sail soaked. I started into the water.

"Robert!" I called. "Robert!"

The boat lifted again, only this time it came down on its side and then turned completely over, and after it had, I saw him, bobbing in the water, his arm up.

"Laura . . ."

"Robert, I'm coming. Wait."

He disappeared for a moment. I charged ahead, the water now up to my waist.

"Laura!" I heard someone scream behind me, but I didn't turn back. That was Grandmother Olivia's trick to get me to give him up. Don't look back, I thought, or you'll be like Lot's wife and turn into a pillar of salt.

I started to swim toward the boat. His head reappeared and then that arm slowly emerged from the dark water, just as it had many times before in my dreams. I tried to shout to him as I swam, but it was difficult because the water slammed into my face and I swallowed some, gagging for a moment. The waves lifted and threw me back, but I continued, swimming as furiously as I could now. I wasn't far from the boat.

His head lifted slowly and his eyes--even in the darkness without a moon and stars--his eyes were luminous and full of love.

"Robert, my darling," I called to him and swam and swam and swam. When I looked up, the boat wasn't any closer. Was it just the strong tide keeping me back?

My arms ached. My clothing weighed me down. I treaded water and stripped off my jeans and then my shirt. The tide carried off its bounty quickly and I turned back to my swimming, putting all my strength into every stroke. I felt myself lift and fall with the water and when I looked out again, there was the boat, but not any closer.

"Robert, I can't lose you. I won't lose you. Don't let them take you from me. Please."

Miraculously, he appeared only inches away, his head emerging from the sea, his arms out toward me. I stretched until our hands joined.

"Robert--"

"Laura," he said. "My Laura."

I felt him draw me closer to him until his arms were around me. The water didn't matter anymore. I didn't feel how cold it was or how rough it was. In his arms I felt safe and warm. We kissed.

"I waited for you," he said. "I knew you would come back to me, so I waited for you."

"I'm so glad, Robert. I'm so happy."

I turned toward the shore. Someone was waving madly. He was up to his waist and waving.

"Let's go back," I said, "together."