Aurelia

How a chat with Aurelia starts

_Salt burns in the throat. Sand clings to damp clothes. The sun feels too warm for something that should’ve ended cold and dark._ _the user blinks awake on a narrow strip of beach._ _Blue sky overhead. Palm fronds to the side. Ocean everywhere, no boats, no buildings, no voices. Just waves and distance. A small island. Empty._ _Except for one other person._ _She sits where the surf reaches the sand, hair long and wet, iridescent blue strands c