The wind kissed their faces. That is, if by "kiss" you mean the kind of kiss of trashy romance novels when the lovers finally admit their passion. The kind of kiss that changes movies ratings from PG to R. The kind of kiss that leaves its participants gasping for breath but not yet willing to release each other for fear that the moment will be lost forever. If that's the kind of kiss you mean, then, sure. The wind kissed their faces off.
They had started the day at sunrise, a stunning red-orange glow at the horizon that beckoned them outside to the bluff where the Monterey cypress trees grew. Amy packed her camera, Liam his sketchbook. A day trip from the Central Valley to Point Lobos always required a jacket: it might be 100 degrees in Fresno, but cold and foggy at the coast. A few snacks and bottles of water, and the two were well on their way before the sun was fully in the sky. They planned to take their time, maybe stop in Gilroy for fresh garlic and lunch so they could focus on capturing the sunset later. They had hiked the 6 ½ mile loop around Point Lobos before, so they had a clear idea of where they wanted to be when the sun began to set. It had all the makings of a perfect day.
And for the most part, it was perfect. Lunch (roasted garlic gnocchi for Liam, Lebanese garlic shrimp for Amy) left them sated, but not overfull and since they both had garlic, their breath was equally pungent. The drive to the park was uneventful, and they began their hike in good spirits. Even the fog stayed offshore. Liam sat with his sketchbook while Amy loaded her camera with a fresh roll of Realia HD400, set up her tripod, and opened her notebook to track her exposures, meters, shutter speeds, and F-stops. When she had the film developed, she would know which combination offered the most intense color with the most profound depth. Digital cameras were great for lots of things, but Amy loved shooting film. They decided on Sea Lion point, not so much for the Zalophus as for the horseshoe shaped cove that should be a perfect frame for the sunset. Of course, any sea lions making a cameo would be welcomed for appearing. Then they waited.
As the sun began its descent, the wind began to pick up. Within a few minutes it turned from a gusty breeze to a gale and from a gale to a full-blown tempest without the rain. Pages blew from Liam's sketchbook and Amy's tripod collapsed, nearly tossing her precious camera into the sea below. Salty sea water blew into their faces, and the wind-whipped sand hit them forcefully enough to break the skin. With the wind came the fog, a chilling blow to their ravaged skin. Amy tried rubbing her eyes to improve her sight, but all she did was rub sea salt from her cheeks into them. Liam, at least, still had his glasses, but the wailing wind had thrown so much sand, salt, dirt, aand stones into them that they did little more than protect his eyes. He couldn't see anything. He realized, too, that he couldn't hear anything above the roar of the wind. Even the crashing waves below couldn't compete with the noise of the wind that seemed to whistle through his whole head.
Liam reached out to where he thought Amy might be. Feeling nothing, he called out, "AMYYYYY," but the wind tore the words from his lips. He was disoriented. He thought the wind had come off the ocean, but it seemed to be swirling around him and driving through him. He tried to take a step, but couldn't tell whether he was heading up toward the trail or down to the roiling ocean. He pulled his jacket over his head and crouched into a fetal position. It was all he could think to do. The wind couldn't last long and at least his head was protected from the spinning sand mixed with salt that pummeled him from all directions. He hoped Amy had taken a similar position. It was all he could do.
It felt like hours. Liam knew he was bruised by the incessant wind that had started lobbing sticks and bits of cypress into his huddled body. He could feel the skin on the backs of his hands shredding into strips of flesh. He tried only to focus on staying in a tight ball, minimizing his body to protect what he could. His sketchbook was long gone, as was his pack and even one of his boots. He only hoped the car keys were still safely zipped into the inner pocket of his jacket.
And then, without diminishing in the least, the wind stopped. Liam uncurled himself gently, aware that the back of his jacket was flayed open and his skin was crusted with salt and sand. Everything hurt. Rising carefully to his hands and knees, Liam spit out sand and coughed up sea water that the wind had forced down his throat in spite of his attempt to protect himself. He tried to call out, but his voice was gone, taken by force in the wind. Straightening up, he looked for Amy. His glasses had finally shattered, and his vision was terrible without them, but he knew Amy shouldn't be far. He looked in all directions, but saw no one. Slowly, Liam got to his feet and tried to walk, but the stiffness of his muscles competed for motion with the layers of blood, salt, and sand in his back. And still, no sign of Amy.
"You there!" came a voice. "Were you out here during that storm? I've never seen anything like it. All wind and no water, unless you count the ocean." Liam saw a blurry circle of yellow light then, evidently attached to the voice calling to him. He raised his hand, and lost his balance, falling painfully to the ground again.
"Stay put, young man. You are in no shape to be moving right now. There's trees down, so no help will come tonight, but my camper is hidden in that little gully over there. The wind did its best to throw it around, but it's solid. I don't have much to offer, but at least you'll be out of the elements and I can clean you up a bit." The man chattered while lifting Liam in his arms like a child who had fallen from a tree. Liam shook his head and tried to speak, but the man shushed him. "Not now, son. Let's get some water into you first." Liam was too weak to argue. But Amy!
He raised his head and called out, "AMYYYYYY." The rasp of his voice was foreign to him, but he made a sound, at least.
"Amy? You weren't alone?" The man quickened his pace. "Let me get you settled and I will look for her. If she was smart she'd have buckled down as low as possible and protected her head." Liam groaned, since that was precisely what he had done, and look at him now.
As promised, the man made Liam as comfortable as possible, wrapped him in clean sheets, and gave him a bottle of water. It was still dark outside, but the man picked up his flashlight and made his way to the door. "You be still until I get back. I'll do a loop that should take 20 minutes and then I'll check on you. It's a couple of hours to sunrise, so hopefully your friend will be easy to see as the sky lightens up."
Twenty minutes passed. And then another twenty. An hour. Liam slipped in and out of consciousness. He could feel his body begin to fight his injuries with fevered heat. Moans escaped his parched lips and he tipped the bottle of water toward his face. He managed to swallow enough to clear his throat. "Hello?" he called. "Anyone? I need help." He heard the whine of ATVs and forced himself to stand up and make his way to the camper door. The pain took his breath away, but he kept moving. He opened the door to full daylight. How long had he been in the camper anyway? And where was the man who helped him. And where was "AMYYYYYY!!" he called again. Liam could see fresh tracks of the ATVs, but he couldn't hear the engines. Maybe the riders were near. "Help me!" he yelled, as loudly as his weak body and rasped voice could manage. "Over here!"
Within a few minutes the engines of the ATVs throttled up and grew louder. Liam stepped toward the tracks and had just fallen to his knees when a Christmas red ATV pulled over the ridge. The driver spotted Liam and drove directly to where he lay, bleeding again. "Hey buddy, glad we found you! We've been looking for you for two days, ever since your girl wandered into our camp. She's in the hospital, which is where I'm taking you next."
"Amy?" Liam muttered.
"Yeah," said the driver. "Amy. I'm Greg and you are one lucky guy. She was beat up from the windstorm, but you look ten times worse. I can't believe you're alive."
A week later, Amy was released from the hospital. Her face, back, and hands were scarred from the flying debris, but otherwise she was okay. A local had even found her camera lodged in a cypress tree. It was beyond repair, but would be a memorial to the day lost in the storm. Liam was glad to see her sitting in the chair, reading something quietly. His injuries were severe, but the doctors were stunned that there was no sign of infection. "It was the man." Liam told them.
"What man?"
"The man in the camper. He found me that night and carried me to his camper. He gave me water and wrapped me up and then went looking for Amy. Who is he? I'd like to thank him. He saved my life."
The doctors looked at each other and then back at Liam. "Son, there is no camper out there. Never was. It's illegal to camp at Point Lobos and there's no place for any vehicle beyond ATVs--and even they aren't supposed to run there."
Liam was confused. He knew he had been lost for two full days after the great wind and he knew he had been sheltered in a camper. A man had carried him there. He looked at Amy. "There had to be a man in a camper. I didn't make it up. I couldn't dream that."
Amy put her finger in her book to hold her place. "I don't understand either, Liam, but the doctors are right. There is no camper--they looked while you were unconscious. There is no sign that there was ever a camper--or a man. It will have to be an inexplicable mystery for us."
At the Great Throne, the angel bowed before the King. "All glory, laud and honor to You Redeemer King. Liam is safe and Amy is reading your Holy Word. They have the opportunity now to find redemption out of disaster. Your love and mercy rescued them, as it does for all who believe."
What a great story! Great take on the prompts Stephanie!