Prologue

The ocean and the beach were always the things I loved best. Sometimes, whenever I had the time, I’d do nothing except sit on the sand and listen to the waves crash against the edge, back and forth, back and forth. I’d watch the sun setting on the edge of the world, splashing its color onto the water, almost as though it wanted to leave a reminder for me and for us that the world keeps on spinning, going round and round. The sun was a painter and the ocean was its canvas, if only for an hour or so.

I wished sometimes to pause time at that moment, and watch the sun leaving this side of the world for a bit longer, and listen to the waves for a bit longer. I sometimes wished to be the ocean itself, to be just a ripple on water. Try and catch me, but you’ll never manage it. Just as soon as I crash against the edge, I’m off once again, off to travel across the ocean again.

Chase me as much as you want, reach out your hand as far as you can, catch me if you can, but you’ll never manage it. I’m just a ripple, so don’t catch a ripple, because I’ll be gone before you know it.