Courage Beyond Countless Miles

He had a firm grasp on her as he carried her over his shoulder. She was small, and he was strong from years of farming. His thick arms were her safety in the storm. The rain was coming down hard, and she could barely see the outline of his head and back. He kept the satchel on his opposite shoulder so it wouldn’t be soaked.

He must have been carrying her for hours now. On his other side, she could hear the roar of the wind, but he was silent. He was walking quickly, but more steady than she would have expected. They both were soaked to the bone, shivering. She knew they were on the right path, however, because the ground was getting more solid beneath their feet. The trees were still all around them, but they were no longer fighting through the branches.

“Mark!” she yelled, trying to be heard over the storm. “Mark!”

“I see it! You see it?” He turned his head and shouted back to her.

“Yes!” She couldn’t believe it. They had finally made it. They were at the coast. “Oh my God, Mark, we made it!”

“We made it!” he cried out, grinning. He jumped into a jog, puddles splashing around him as he ran. His pace was uneven, but she didn’t care. She knew he was almost there.

They were standing on the edge of a cliff, looking down on the beach. Waves were crashing onto the rocky shore. It was a tumultuous scene, with rain mixing with ocean spray and whipping back up into the air. It was beautiful. She hadn’t seen such beauty since before the war.

Mark laughed out loud. “We made it! We made it!” He put her down, took her hand and kissed it. She felt her cheeks flush as he pulled her close. He leaned in to kiss her, and she kissed him back.

“We did it,” she said. “We made it.”

He looked to the horizon. “Look, the sun is starting to come out.”

She looked up. At first, she couldn’t see anything except the waves. Then, she saw a flash of yellow. It was so brief, she wasn’t sure if she had imagined it. Then, another flash. Then another. The sun was shining through the clouds.

It was a miracle. She felt tears streaming down her face. “We made it,” she sobbed, “we made it.”

Mark held her tight. His shirt was soaked from the rain, but she didn’t care. As she wept, he stroked her hair. He said nothing, but she felt comforted by his presence. He was her safety.

When she finally stopped crying, he set her back down. “We should find shelter,” he told her. “Follow me.”

They walked down the hill. The beach was mostly rocks. The sand was too wet, so they wouldn’t be able to make a fire. She didn’t care, though. They had made it. They were safe.

They found a cave a bit further along the coast. “There are probably animals who live here in the summer,” Mark said. “It’s big enough for us, though.”

She nodded. She wasn’t worried. They would be fine. They had made it. The sun was shining.

They took off their shoes and sat on a rock. They could feel the cool wetness of the stone as they warmed their hands over the remnants of the fire. As the sun rose, they watched the rain gradually lessen. They watched the ocean as the waves became calmer. When the sun was high in the sky, the storm had passed. They were dry and safe.

They opened the satchel and pulled out the food. They ate. They were safe.

They fell asleep in each other’s arms. They were safe.

When they woke up, they climbed the hill to see the ocean. They laid down on the warm sand and stared up into the clear blue skies. They were safe.