Salt. You sprinkle salt on icy sidewalks. You mix salt with water and gargle with the solution. You even use salt to mask the taste of anything and everything. As the curious thoughts of salt danced through Taeyeon’s mind, she finally realized.

The air smelled like salt.

Her clothes were soaked. Her head pulsed irregularly. Her knee stung as the raw flesh was exposed to the humid air. As she struggled to open her heavy eyelids, images flashed before her. Broken pieces of wreckage. Bodies laying everywhere haphazardly. Tiffany.

Through half opened eyes, she saw her there. Surrounded by an oasis of water, dead center in her sight was Tiffany. The eye-smile was gone, replaced by a half conscious emotion. Her eyes were dead. Taeyeon could see now that hope had left those eyes. Without even realizing it, she ran.

The pain shot up her frail legs as the sand beneath her sunk in between her toes. She never lost sight of her as she ran towards the heat of the still burning debris. Blood trickled down from her knees and mixed with the ocean water. She was now submerged fully in the water. Everything became quiet.

It was amazing how peaceful everything seemed underwater. Sounds muffled together, and her sight blurred. It was like the serenity of it all was beckoning her to stay. It was tempting her. Why look further when your nirvana is right here? It was calling out to her.

Resurfacing almost instantly, she felt relived to have resisted the temptation. She alternated each arm in precise, practiced as she drew closer to her objective. No matter how petite, she was glad her body had held up to such a demanding task. Time was ticking. The fatigued look on Tiffany’s face was already replaced. Her eyes were closing. Swimming towards her, Taeyeon wondered if she even saw her at all. Her eyes gave nothing away.

Fany-ah, don’t give up. Can’t you see me? Don’t lose hope. Not yet. Not when there’s still so many things left unsaid.

With that determination, Kim Taeyeon fought. She fought against the growing numbness in her shin. She fought against the unyielding tides. And as if it was the only thing she knew how to do, she fought for her love.

She reached the scrap piece of metal just as Tiffany lost her grip on it. With her last ounce of strength, she grabbed a hold of Tiffany’s arm and prayed for one last miracle. Before she out again, she grinned as she felt Tiffany’s arm across her stomach and sand beneath her feet.