I look out of my window of my hotel room that looks down on the beach as the early morning waves come crashing onto the beach head. I come here every year on this exact week in August and stay in this exact same hotel room. It may not the most expensive room in the hotel nor is it the most lavish or beautiful, but it was the room I stayed in with my sister when my family came here to stay that fateful summer and where I first set eyes upon her underneath the pier all those years ago as a familiar song plays on the radio behind me...

I had come here on holiday with my family when I was twelve, it wasn't normally the kind of place that my family would usually come for our family holiday; the bright lights of Monte Carlo in the south of France or the exotic sands of Egypt were my family's destinations of choice but after my father had been taken very ill, travelling abroad was strictly out of the question so we came here to a small seaside town near the coast where my father could take in the fresh crisp sea air and recover from his illness. For most of the holiday I kept to myself, taking longs walks across the beach, swimming in the cold sea and exploring my surroundings to become more familiar with them.

For most of the holiday my father would be permanently entrenched under a parasol in his wheel chair with a blanket over his legs and a glass of iced tea in his hand with my mother by his side reading one of her fashion magazines and drinking cocktail's while my sister Agatha would be parading down on the beach in her smallest swim suit as the local boys would stare and gawp at her like she was the first girl in a swim suit they had ever seen in their lives, so I was pretty much left to my own devices and would rarely see my family most days unless I needed money to buy sweets or it was time for supper. During the second week of our holiday I was marooned inside the hotel as fierce rains and gale force winds battered the coast line and the beaches that turned the seas into a foaming vortex of water, destroying everything in its path. I kept myself busy playing games of scat, cribbage and three card poker with an elderly gentleman called Cyril and the hotel concierge and bus boy while my sister whined and complained about how she was bored and couldn't go outside. My father was bed-ridden for most of that week while my mother kept a vigil watch over him.

By the weeks' end, the rain and winds had past and the sun was able to make an appearance once more. With the wind and rain leaving, they had left an aftermath of broken trees and all manner of thing washed up on the beach in their wake so I prepared myself a lunch (well, the hotel cook did) and I packed my knapsack and set off onto the beach to explore the wreckage and hopefully find some hidden treasures. The beach was littered with pieces of driftwood and pieces of old ships that had been unearthed from the sea bed and brought to shore by the winds and the rain. On my first scavenge across the beach, I found a few old coins, an old and rusted sea captain's telescope and a chain that used to be attached to a gentlemen‘s pocket watch. There were lots of dead fish and other sea life along the beach but a flurry of sea gulls soon swooped down and made them their supper. As I made my way further down the beach towards the small pier that had taken quite a bit of damage during the torrid winds and the rain, I saw something sparkling down by the waters edge near the entrance under the pier. As I drew closer I saw that it was a locket sticking out of the sand as the seas began to come in over it. I quickly reached down and grabbed and put it in my pocket as a small wave came in and flew up my legs, soaking them and the bottom of my shorts. The water was still very cold but with the sun now back to scorching hot, a sharp cold front splashing my legs felt quite nice. I took off my shoes and tied them to my knapsack as I went under the pier where it was nice and cool to examined the locket as the sea gently came over my feet and kept them cold. It was a small locket on a chain that looked to be made of Gold also, it had some etchings on the front and back of the locket but most of the colour had been eroded by the salt water. There was a tiny clip on the side to open it but where it had been in the water for some time, the lock was rusted over slightly and I was unable to pry it open.

As the sun became hotter and hotter, the beach began to fill up with families and couples and groups of older kids. I was never one to mix well with other people so I stayed under the pier and watched as some of the older kids and parents cleared away some of the wreckage to make way for blankets, parasol‘s and wind breakers. I felt safe under the pier in the cool darkness so I made my way up to a patch of sand that was still dry and sat down and opened my knapsack to get my lunch which was two hard boiled eggs and some cucumber sandwich's wrapped in Brown paper. I took out and unwrapped the cucumber sandwich's and was just about to bite into one when I heard a noise from behind one of the pillars of the pier close by. Wrapping up the sandwich's back up in the Brown paper, I put them back in my knapsack and took out my Swiss army knife and opened it up as I got to my feet.
"Show yourself, show yourself I say!" I said in my most brash and intimidating voice as I put my free hand over my hand with the Swiss army knife in as to stop it from trembling. A few moments later- someone came out from behind the pillar as I lowered both my hands to my sides- nearly stabbing myself in the thigh with my Swiss army knife. It was a young girl not much older than me. She had Blonde hair that was stringy and matted and her skin was very pale and dull. She was dressed in a White summer halter top that look dank and dirty and had on a pair of Blue three-quarter length summer trousers that had dirt marks on the knees and a pair of faded White tennis shoes.
"What are you doing under here sneaking around in the dark, trying to scare people?" I said sounding angry but I was more scared than anything else as I put away my Swiss army knife as the girl stepped closer.
"I am sorry if I scared you," the girl said as she stepped under a crack in the boardwalk as a shard of light came through from above, catching her face as I could see her eyes which were the most beautiful shade of Blue I had ever seen. "no-one normally comes under the boardwalk and I was just a little surprised."
"You didn't scare me," I replied puffing out my chest to project toughness. "I was just startled that's all, I have been under the pier a few times since I have been here and this is the first time I have seen someone."
"I come here from time to time," the girl replied. "To escape from the world and from my family. I like it here, it is quite and dark, I've always liked the dark." The girl said as she looked at me with a strange curiosity as I began to feel very uncomfortable, so I decided that I should formally introduce myself to her.
"My name is Dale." I said as I held out my hand towards her as the girl stepped forward and took my hand. Her hand felt like ice as she gripped mine and shook it.
"My name is Annie." She replied back smiling at me before letting go.
"I was just about to eat some lunch," I said as I sat back down on the sand and opened my knapsack and took back out my sandwich's wrapped in Brown paper and opened them back up.
"Are you hungry, would you like to share my sandwich?" I said as Annie cautiously came over and sat down next to me as I broke my sandwich in half and gave half to her as she snatched at it and began to devour it like a wild animal. I had never seen someone eat like that before as I began to eat my own half of the sandwich as Cassie came to the end of hers. I picked up the other sandwich in the Brown paper and put it down in front of her and gestured to her to eat it as she picked it up and tore it in two, placing once half back down on the paper as she began to eat the other half in her hand. I finished mine off and went into my knapsack and took out two bottles of water and put one down next to the half sandwich as Cassie ate the piece in her hand in two huge bites before picking up the bottle of water and taking the lid off before drinking it down half way before putting the lid back on.
"Thank you." She said smiling at me as I smiled back and drank some of my own water. We sat there together and ate in silence for what seemed like a very long time as the day wore on as the sun began to go behind some clouds as the families and the groups of older kids soon began to pack up their things and leave the beach.

Soon it was just Annie and I alone under the pier as the sky began turn Black with the coming night and the winds began to get cold. I gathered some pieces of dry driftwood and seaweed and took out a book of matches from my knapsack and made a fire for us to keep warm, making sure there was a gully-trench around the fire so it wouldn't spread too far. As the flames began to grow and I could feel the warmth of the fire, I took out the locket once more from my pocket and began to study it as Annie moved up next to me as she put her head on my shoulder.
"Thank you for being so nice to me." Annie said as she leaned in and kissed me on the cheek as I felt my cheeks burn with awkwardness.
"It's alright." I replied touching my cheek as Annie pulled her knees up under her chin and wrapped her arms over her legs.
"How much longer are you here for?" Annie said as turned her head and looked round at me.
"Until the end of the week," I replied. "My father is ill but he has been getting better and I think my family want to go back home to the city." I replied as Annie turned her head back with a look of disappointment on her face.
"Oh, I see." She replied as she took her arms off her legs and put them down by her sides as she stretched her legs out, the toes of her shoes almost touching the fire.
"Will you come back and see me tomorrow?" Annie said as I could hear someone calling out down the other end of the beach.
"Of course I will." I replied as I could suddenly see out the corner of my eye the beam of a flash light coming towards me as I turned my head away from Annie as the beam suddenly got closer and I saw the shadow of someone suddenly standing over me.
"Where have you been? Mother has been going potty!" My sister Agatha said sharply as I looked back around but Annie was gone.
"I was just sitting here enjoying my fire." I replied smiling at Agatha as she bent down and grabbed me by the arm.
"Well it's time to come in before you catch a cold!" Agatha snapped letting go of me as she turned away and began to storm back up the beach as I put away my things as I put the locket back in my pocket. I brushed the fire over with sand until it had gone out and then I quickly ran up the beach to catch up with my sister.

That night I barely slept a wink, all I could think about was the Annie and the locket I had found near the sea. As I lay there in my bed half naked and feeling hot and muggy from the stale warm night air, I held the locket tightly in my hand as I eventually drifted off to sleep and tried to dream. I awoke the next morning feeling hot and sticky as I lifted my head off of my pillow to see it drenched in sweat. Sleep had not come easily to me, but I had managed to catch a few hours of quality sack time. My mother and father were already up and dressed and no doubt down in the dining room at breakfast while I could hear my sister Agatha in the bathroom getting ready. The bathroom door suddenly flew open as my sister stepped out wearing a light floral summer dress and White sandals with her hair up in a ponytail tucked round the back of her head.
"You look absolutely awful!" Agatha said snorting at me as she came walking over and sat down on her bed which was next to mine. "And you were talking in your sleep last night too. It was rather disturbing actually, I had to nudge you a few times to try and stop you."
"What was I saying?" I replied as I picked up my t-shirt that was on the chair next to my bed and slipped it on over my moist torso.
"I couldn't quite tell, but it sounded like gibberish." Agatha replied as she picked up her watch which was on the bedside table and as she put it on as she picked up her purse. "Now hurry up and get washed and ready before you miss breakfast!" Agatha snapped as she got up from the bed and marched over to the bedroom and opened it before stepping through and slamming it shut behind her.

As Agatha left me there in the bedroom to go down to breakfast, I sat there in my bed and thought for a moment. What had I been saying in my sleep? And had it something to do with the locket and Annie? My thoughts were taken from me momentarily when I looked over to the bedside clock to read that it was almost half past eight and that there was only half an hour left of breakfast being served down in the dining room so I got out of bed and ran to the bathroom and peeled off my sweat-stained clothes before turning on the shower and jumping in. The water was ice cold but I had no time to worry about such trivial things as the cold water splashed my naked body as I shivered all over as I began to wash myself down. By the time I was ready to get out, the water had now become hot as I turned off the shower and pulled back the curtain and climbed out, dripping all over the bathroom mat. I grabbed myself a towel and dried myself down and wrapped it around my waist and went back into the bedroom. I went to my suit case and took out some socks, underpants and light short-sleeved shirt and some canvas shorts and went over to the bed and drop the towel. I slid the underpants and shorts on with ease and threw the shirt in one go. I grabbed my knapsack and ran over towards the bedroom door which was where I left my shoes and slipped them on as I opened the bedroom door and ran out, shutting it behind me.

I just managed to get to the dining room with enough time to order myself some boiled eggs and soldiers before the kitchen shut up. My father was looking a little better as he was now able to hold his coffee in his hand without help. My mother questioned me as to why I was out so late last night but I managed to fib my way through a pretty convincing lie that managed to satisfy her enough that she dropped the subject completely. The subject soon turned away from me to a more serious matter on people's minds.
"Has there been anymore news on the search for that missing girl yet father?" Agatha said as she sipped at her cup of tea before tucking in to her bowl of wall paper paste looking cereal as my father looked up from reading the morning paper.
"There is no more news yet sweet-pea." my father replied smiling faintly as my boiled eggs and soldiers were brought over and placed in front of me.
"What missing girl?" I said as I picked up my spoon and began to crack the top of my boiled eggs before picking up the knife and cutting off the tops of the eggs.
"Have you not been reading the papers!" Agatha said sneering at me in between mouthfuls of her paste-like cereal. "A young girl went missing during the storm last week and she has yet to be found. Everyone has been looking for her, just everybody!"
"Is that true father?" I said as I picked up one of my soldiers and dipped it into the boiled eggs as the yoke oozed out of the side as I took a bit of it and began to chew.
"Yes it is," my father replied with a gruff stern voice. "So I want you to be very careful out there today son and if you see anything suspicious, I want you to come back and tell us right away, you hear me?" He said as I nodded my head.
"What does the girl look like?" I said in between mouthfuls of egg and soldier. "Maybe I have seen her?" I replied as my father and mother gave me a weary look as my father put down the newspaper in front of me and pointed to the picture on the front page as I looked down and suddenly lost the will to speak. The picture staring back at me was in Black and White but there was no mistake about the person in the photograph; it was Annie. In the photograph her Blonde hair was tied into a pony tail on the side of her head that hung down onto her shoulder. She was wearing a dark dress with a White collar and hanging underneath the collar was a locket on a chain, the locket I had found in the water by the pier. The newspaper headline written in large bold Black print stared back at me and sent a chill right through me;

YOUNG GIRL STILL MISSING SINCE TORRENTIAL STORMS.
FAMILY FEAR THE WORST.

"I have seen her." I said as my mother and sister looked round at me like I was some babbling madman who belonged in an asylum. "I was with her yesterday under the pier, she was there with me when Agatha came to get me. Agatha, you must of seen her?" I said as Agatha stared at me with her eyes wide open.
"Come now, don't tell tall tales!" My father said as he took back the paper and turned to the back pages.
"But I did see her!" I replied as I could feel my bottom lip begin to tremble. "Her name is Annie and she said she likes to sit under the pier to get away from the world and her family." I said as I felt a kick to my shin that came from my sister.
"Don't lie you little toad!" Agatha snapped at me. "I didn't see anyone with you under the pier. You were there by yourself."
"But I did see her father, I did I did!" I said raising my voice as it began to squeak and crack.
"Stop lying you little weasel!" Agatha snapped as she went to kick me again in the shins as I moved my leg and kicked her back.
"Owww! That hurt! Mother, Dale kicked me in the leg." Agatha said whimpering as I bolted up from my chair as slammed my hand into the table, shaking the breakfast things and scaring my mother.
"I did see her yesterday and I will prove it to you all!" I shouted stamping my feet as I pushed my chair back and stormed out of the dining room and back upstairs to my room where I had left the locket under my pillow. Opening the bedroom door I ran over to my bed and lifted the pillow, but the locket was not there? Frantically, I began to throw the pillows and duvet off the bed to the floor, looking for the locket but it had gone.
"This cannot be?" I said to myself, confused and upset as I fell down onto my bed face first and lay there for a few moments before pulling myself back up to my feet. As I brushed myself down I saw something out of the window next to my bed; a figure down on the beach where the sea meets the beach. It was too blurry to see properly, but then I remembered the old rusted sea captain's telescope I had found. I took it out of my knapsack and examined it. The glass at the larger end was cracked but when I went to pull on the telescope, it came open quite easily as if it were brand new? I put the telescope to my left eye and looked out of the window down to the beach; it was Annie. My heart began to beat faster in my chest, I put away the captain's telescope and grabbed my knapsack and ran for the door as my sister Agatha and my mother appeared in the doorway.
"Where do you think you're going?" Agatha snapped at me as she tried to grab me as I ducked under her swinging arms and ran past her.
"To prove that I am not telling tall tales!" I shouted over my shoulder as I ran down the corridor and down the stairs and out the front door of the hotel as I headed for the wooden steps next to the hotel that lead down onto the beach.

As I ran across the beach, the sand began to seep into my socks and shoes as I saw Annie begin to walk back towards the pier.
"Wait up!" I yelled as my feet began to feel heavy under the strain of the sand as Annie ignored my cries and kept walking until she reached the pier and went into the darkness. A few moments later I reached the pier and stepped into the darkness as I dropped my knapsack to the ground.
"Annie, where are you?" I whispered as Annie came out from behind the same pillar she had done the first time we had met. She still had the same clothes on that she had before, but this time she had something around her neck; the locket I had found in the sea, her locket.
"Annie, what is going on and how did you get the locket from my room?" I said as Annie stayed silent. "I saw your picture on the front of the newspaper this morning, it said that you have been missing for over a week!" I snapped as Annie looked over at me as I saw her eyes begin to fill up with tears. "People are worried about you, you have to come with me and let people know you're okay."
"Why? They didn't care before I ran away so why would they care now?" Annie replied whimpering as I went to step closer as Annie moved back.
"Your family are worried about you Annie, you need to go home and tell them you're okay." I said softly as Annie began to bite her bottom lip.
"But I can't." Annie replied as she turned away from me.
"What do you mean you can't?" I replied as Annie began to step closer towards where the sea was coming up onto the sand.
"I mean I can't Dale." Annie replied as she walked into the sea as it came up to her ankles.
"You are not making any sense Annie?" I snapped as Annie went further out as the water came up to her knees. "Be careful, if you go out any further the waves will take you out to sea!"
"The sea can't harm me Dale, the sea is my friend. It protected me when no-one else would." Annie replied as she went out further as the water now came up to her waist.
"Annie, please come back to the beach I beg of you!" I cried out as Annie turned and looked over her shoulder at me and smiled.
"Come find me Dale and then we can sit by the sea and play together forever." Annie said as she went further out as the water went up to her shoulders and then over her head as Annie disappeared under the water as I screamed up the beach for help as two people walking their dog heard my cries and came over to me.
"What's the matter?" the man said as his dog began to bark in the direction of where Annie had gone under.
"My friend, she's gone under the water." I cried pointing to where Annie had gone under as the man took off his shoes and shirt and ran into the sea and dove under the waves. He was gone for a few moments when he came back up with something in his arms; Annie. She wasn't moving and I could see that her skin was very pale and she had some sort of gash on her forehead.
"It is that little girl from the paper." The woman said as the dog went down on his belly and began to whine.
"It looks like she has been dead for a while." The man said as he came out of the water as he laid Annie down on the beach.
"But that's not possible, I was just speaking to her?" I said as I dropped to my knees next to Annie.
"I'm sorry young man but she has been dead for quite some time." The man replied as more people appeared on the beach and began to surround us.
"No no, that's not possible!" I screamed as I got to my feet as I began to wade my way through the sea of people as I ran off under the boardwalk and down the other end of the beach. I ran until my legs gave way as I collapsed to the sand and began to cry. I cried for what seemed like an eternity until a shadow came over me as I looked up and saw Annie standing there. Her skin was normal and there was no gash on her forehead.

"I'm sorry I had to do that to you Dale," Annie said as she sat down next to me on the sand. "But I had to show you the truth."
"Why couldn't you just tell me." I replied snivelling with my face full of tears and snot.
"I don't make the rules," Annie said as she took my hand in hers. "But I'm glad it was you who saw me first, it's always the first person who sees you that you have to show."
"So what happens now?" I said as I wiped the tears and snot from my face with my other arm.
"Now I go back to the sea, that's how it works I guess?" Annie said as she got to her feet as I got to mine as she took off the locket and put it in my hand. "Here, I want you to keep it so you don't forget about me." Said Annie as I put it over my head and smiled back at her.
"I will never forget you." I replied as Annie let go of me and leant forward and kissed me on the cheek before turning away and walking down towards the sea as she went back under the waves.

It's now almost fifty years later to the day and despite living a very healthy and happy life with two wives who I had loved very much and three wonderful children and four adorable grandchildren, I have never forgotten about Annie and I am always reminded of her and our brief time together when I hear Bobby Darin sing ‘Beyond the sea' as my mind takes me back to those magic summer childhood days in August when I fell in love for the first time, with a girl who just happened to be a ghost.