Chapter 10 - The Unbroken Future
That evening, Ethan and I walked down to the edge of the pier at Alki Beach as the sun began to dip below the Olympic Mountains, painting the sky in breathtaking shades of violet, gold, and crimson.
The cool salt breeze blew off the water, rustling through my hair.
I walked down to the water’s edge, where the gentle waves lapped against the smooth pebbles of the shore.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small, worn wooden whistle Grant had made me wear around my neck during our childhood 'survival drills'—a symbol of obedience I had kept in my bag for years out of habit.
I looked at the piece of wood in my palm.
I didn't feel hatred. I didn't feel fear. I just felt an overwhelming, beautiful clarity.
I raised my arm and threw the whistle far out into the deep blue water of the sound.
It splashed softly and sank beneath the surface, disappearing into the dark currents below.
Ethan stepped beside me, wrapping a heavy arm around my shoulder, pulling me close.
“How do you feel, Sav?” Ethan asked softly, looking out at the golden horizon.
I took a slow, deep breath of the fresh ocean air—filling my lungs completely, without pain, without fear, without permission.
May you like
“I feel like breathing,” I smiled, looking up at my brother.
And as the golden stars began to glitter over the quiet waters of the Pacific Northwest, I knew with absolute certainty that my life was finally, gloriously my own.
