Chapter Text
Astral Cove looked just the same as when he left it, and Dan Heng wasn’t sure if that was a good thing. The placid beach town sprawled out before him, sandwiched between rolling hills, sandstone cliffs and the perpetual lap of the ocean tide. Even with tourist season in full swing, the place hung as though frozen in time.
The place he was renting was on the east side of town, only a few blocks from the beach and a mile or so from the main boardwalk. Further from the boardwalk would have been preferable— less bustle— but the price was right, even if he’d have to have a couple of roommates.
Dan Heng hiked his backpack up further over his shoulder and made his way down the balcony hallway of the apartment complex. 305, 305, 305… ah. He knocked tentatively on the door. Thirty seconds passed and no one answered; frowning, he checked his phone. He’d texted Luka, one of the new roommates, his ETA, and the guy had given it a thumbs up. Did that count as confirmation? Had he forgotten? Would it be rude to call him? Or, was that actually the polite thing to do?
Luckily Dan Heng didn’t have to choose. Someone shouted in greeting from. Below and he looked over the balcony to see a young man with bright red hair on the floor below. He was grinning and waving wildly.
Dan Heng forced a small smile and raised a hand back. “Hey. Luka?”
“Yeah— that’s me! Sorry, dude— just getting back from the gym! Gimme a sec—” and with that, the red-haired guy disappeared down the hallway. There was the sound of pounding in the stairwell, and moments later he pushed through the stairwell door, panting.
Dan Heng blinked. “Oh— sorry, you didn’t need to rush.”
“Hey, no worries man! I’m the one who’s late.” The guy, Luka, did indeed look like he’d just walked out of the gym; he was wearing a damp tank top, running shorts and lifting shoes and his forehead glistened with sweat. Luka’s left arm, he realized, was prosthetic. He hadn’t noticed it in the pictures when he’d Facebook stalked him.
“One sec.” Luka fished a key out of his pocket and squeezed past Dan Heng to unlock the apartment. Dan Heng stifled a gag— he definitely smelled like he’d been at the gym.
“Well, home sweet home…”
Dan Heng followed Luka in, taking in the place. It looked pretty similar to the pictures, albeit far messier; random clothes and empty takeout containers were strewn across the living room and the carpet and couch were matted with little tufts of animal hair.
“Sorry it’s kinda messy right now,” Luka said, playing with his hair absently. He tossed his gym bag down and gestured Dan Heng down the hallway, shoes still on. Dan Heng, who had been about to take off his sneakers, decided against it. He didn’t like the look of this carpet.
The living room connected to a small kitchen, then to a short hallway with doors to the three bedrooms as well as a single bathroom. Luka pushed open the door to the second room on the left, the one across from the bathroom. “This is you. Settle in, okay? We should go get beers or something when Arlan’s home, yeah?”
Dan Heng carefully set his backpack down, still looking into the empty room. “Yeah, sure. That sounds good.”
Luka grinned. “Sweet! He’s usually back from the Marine Center at like 7. I’ll knock on your door, okay?”
“Sure. I mean, I might go into town.”
“That’s fine, I’ll text you then.” Luka smiled again and Dan Heng found himself returning the smile. Something about this guy’s sincerity was infectious. Luka handed him a set of apartment keys, then gently closed the door. “Nice to meet you, roomie!”
Alone again, Dan Heng slumped down against the wall next to his backpack. After a moment of inspecting the carpet, he kicked off his shoes as well. The room was barren save for an old dresser in the corner, a thin twin mattress held up on cinderblocks, and a large stain on the carpet.
“Home sweet home,” he said to himself, sighing. “Good to see you too, Astral Cove.”
—
With several hours left before nightfall, Dan Heng decided to go into town to grab some necessities. He’d sold most of his stuff when he left his apartment in Providence; the idea of hauling a crappy Ikea mattress and desk across the country had sounded about as appealing as getting a tooth pulled. It probably would have been just as expensive as buying everything again, anyway.
He’d try to get everything used if he could— there’d been a couple of Craigslist furniture postings that looked promising— but for things like bath towels and blankets, it probably wasn’t worth the risk. There was a horror story back from university about a kid who got a hand-me-down comforter and ended up with one of those parasites that lay eggs under your skin. It was probably fake, sure, but just… yeah. Dan Heng was perfectly happy without a parasite, thank you very much.
Astral Cove’s shopping strip looked just the same as he remembered it, from the kitschy souvenir stores and saltwater taffy shops to the overpriced vintage and consignment depots. At the end of the strip was a large chain supermarket that served most of the area— it was one of those hybrid stores that had handcrafted candy and baked goods in the front and cheap cleaning supplies in the back. And, most importantly, bath towels.
The bell rang as Dan Heng pushed through the glass doors, grabbing a shopping basket and making his way towards the back. There was a young, dark-haired woman working at the front register who looked vaguely familiar. She watched him enter blankly before a look of recognition crossed her face. “Yo, did you go to Astral High?”
“Yeah,” Dan Heng said reluctantly. He forced a smile. So much for going incognito. The girl looked vaguely familiar; maybe they’d had a class together or something. She looked around his age or a few years older; tall, with ratty hair and an intense expression in her violet eyes. If not for the bright green apron and grocery store polo, she wouldn’t have looked out of place on the cover of an 80s rock album.
“Cool, cool.” She blew a bubble of gum and popped it loudly. “Never technically graduated myself, but you know how it is. Hey, if you’re in town, come check out my band. We’re playing a show this weekend, there’ll be buttloads of Astral alums.”
She handed him a flyer and he folded it up into his pocket. “We’ll see you there?” She asked, giving him a pointed look.
Dan Heng quickly shuffled off. He’d known plenty of kids from high school were still around in Astral Cove-- plenty of small family businesses and tourist industry jobs— but for some reason it hadn’t hit him until now that he’d almost certainly be running into people he knew. Once again, he was struck with that strange feeling that Astral Cove hadn’t changed— that it was frozen just as he’d left it, people and all.
He put a pair of bath towels (extra savings with member card!) into his basket and continued down the aisle. Astral Cove may not have changed… but had he?
By the time he got back to the apartment, the sun was hanging low in the sky. The temperature had dropped too, and a brisk wind now grazed the tops of the trees lining the beachside streets. He’d taken the long way back and followed the walking and bike path that paralleled the main beach drag, winding up and around the sand dunes and following the curve of the surf. The water shown gold in the diffuse sun, beautiful and imposing, just as he remembered it. Like a giant sleeping beast, waves calm and gentle and inviting, all the way until they pulled you under and took the breath from your lungs.
The ocean had always scared Dan Heng. It was too big, too unknowable for his practical brain to accept. He wanted things to be quantifiable and describable, and the ocean was anything but. It defied description just as it defied emotion. How could something be so beautiful and entrancing and yet so terrible? How could it be the stuff of nightmares— his nightmares— and yet draw him towards it in mind, body and soul?
The dreams— nightmares— had been stronger recently. They were always the same— each time, he found himself speeding through the water as if strapped to a torpedo, seaweed and fish flashing past him, his body insubstantial as if a part of the waves. There was something chasing him, a form as insubstantial as himself but larger, longer, faster. Sharper. In the nightmare he starts to lose control and falls over himself in the water. He tumbles, like a bag caught in a hurricane, until suddenly he gets his bearings and realizes he is face to face with the massive gaping jaws of... well, something. That was the point where he woke up, usually in a cold sweat.
Dan Heng couldn’t dismiss the possibility that the dreams were why he was back in Astral Cove, or at least part of the reason— along with the need for a location to hunker down and work on his second short story collection. It was like the ocean had infected his brain, a little worm that whispered into his soul, an itch he couldn’t scratch no matter how hard he tried. In every way that it was indescribable, he wanted to describe it. He wanted to figure out the end of the nightmare. Because once he could put his demons into words, surely they wouldn’t haunt him anymore. The theme of his collection, he’d told his publishers, was water. And if nothing else, Astral Cove had water.
The living room was empty when he got back to the apartment but the lights were on. A half-eaten reheated pizza sat lopsided on the stovetop, grease sinking into its cardboard container. Dan Heng found a relatively clear spot on the left side of the fridge and arranged his meager supply of groceries. It was clear that neither Luka nor the other roommate, Arlan, cooked much; the fridge was mostly taken up by various takeout containers, energy drinks and sugar-free Gatorade.
Once he got back to his room, he shut the door quietly and set about unpacking the few items he’d brought along with the supplies from the trip to the supermarket. Once his clothes were folded in the dresser and new sheets put on the bed, he picked up his towel and toiletries to find a place for them in the bathroom. In the hallway, he saw that one of the other bedroom doors was shut and the light was on inside. He could hear Luka shouting at someone, then the unmistakable sound of someone jamming a video game controller. Sighing, Dan Heng made a mental note to pick up earplugs the next time he was in town.
For a brief moment Dan Heng considered trying to write, then quickly dismissed the thought. There would be plenty of time to write going forward, and he’d had a long day. Plus, Arlan would be home soon according to Luka. He was looking forward to getting food—or was it beers?— with his new roommates, if for no other reason than to take his mind off of the strange and vaguely unpleasant sense of deja-vu that had been following him since he arrived.
Instead, he took a shower. Standing under the hot water, he massaged his scalp and tried to let his muscles relax. When he was done drying off, he wrapped his new towel (extra savings with member card!) around his waist and opened the bathroom door to come face-to-face with a relieved Luka.
“Oh thank god— I really gotta go!” He dashed into the bathroom and slammed the door, leaving behind a dazed Dan Heng.
Dan Heng knocked on the door hesitantly. “Sorry— just ask next time, I can get out quicker.”
The toilet flushed and Luka let out a massive sigh from behind the door. “No problem, roomie. I just got spoiled cause Arlan and Erik were at work all the time.” The sink turned off and the Luka opened the door. “Hey dude, you gonna get dressed?”
Dan Heng glanced down at his towel. “Uh, yeah. Are we meeting Arlan?”
“Yeah, at the Trailblazer. You saw the text, didn’t you? Shit, I hope I didn’t get the wrong number— that’d be really awkward.”
“No, I probably did, just haven’t checked my phone.” Dan Heng nodded back at his room. “Gimme five minutes?”
“Yeah, totally. Take your time, bro.”
After toweling off his hair and getting dressed, Dan Heng clicked on his phone. Sure enough, he’d gotten a handful of messages from Luka and an unknown number with a profile picture of a little white dog— presumably Arlan. It definitely explained all of the white animal hair laying around.
The Trailblaze Cafe was a beach-side place a couple of blocks away. Dan Heng actually recognized the spot, though when he’d lived there it’d been a surf shop. At some point over the last few years it must have gotten new ownership, and whoever owned the place now was taking full advantage of the prime location. The place was spacious and hip, with vintage couches and kitschy 50’s style beach posters on the wall along with local band posters and advertisements. There was a large deck with tables and chairs set out, as well as a small elevated stage where a group was playing live music.
Luka led them up the steps and squirmed past a guy with a pitcher of beer. The inside was dimly lit and had been converted to more of a bar environment now that it was getting later. A tan guy with white hair waved at them from a booth in the corner, and Luka excitedly led Dan Heng to join him.
“Arlan,” the guy said when they sat, thrusting out a hand with a flat expression
Dan Heng accepted the shake. “Nice to meet you,” he said, smiling awkwardly. Arlan’s face remained stony.
“Sorry, Arlan’s just shy,” Luka joked, winking at the two of them. “Aren’t ya, Arlan? Don’t worry, Dan Heng, he’s a real softy inside.”
“Hmph.” Arlan looked to his side and Dan Heng realized with a start that there was a little white dog sitting on the booth next to him. The dog looked back at Dan Heng and grinned a big doggy smile.
“Hi,” Dan Heng said to the dog. It gave a little yip and put its paws on the table, tail wagging. Arlan looked between the two of them and his eyes narrowed.
“Peppy likes you,” he said, somewhere between a statement and a question. He looked at the little dog one more time. When he turned back to Dan Heng his expression had softened. “Well that’s good, then. Peppy likes you.”
Luka let out a loud laugh next to him, breaking the odd tension. “Congrats roomie, guess you pass the Peppy test. I’d say this calls for celebration.”
They grabbed some menus from the front and Dan Heng quickly realized how hungry he was. It was standard beach town fare— fish and chips, burgers, sandwiches and the like, along with some colorfully named appetizers and specials (what in the hell was a Luofu Tri Tip?). After some consideration, he decided on a turkey burger. Luka also got a burger, and Arlan chose an eggplant sandwich, and they got a pitcher of beer and parm fries for the table. It was counter service, and Dan Heng insisted on going up to put in the order. To be perfectly honest, he just needed a second away from the other two. People were draining.
There was only one person ahead of him at the counter and he waited, tapping a foot until it was his turn. A young woman about his age was at the register, tall with long gray hair and droopy eyes.
“So what’d’you want?” she asked when he came up, giving him a once-over.
“Umm, I’m ordering for my table so it’s a couple of things. We’re gonna start with the parm fries...” He continued, rattling off the order as well as the request from Arlan for an extra bowl (for Peppy, of course).
“Okay. Is that all?”
“Yeah. Do you know about how long it’ll be?” The smell of food had seriously set off Dan Heng’s appetite, and his stomach was starting to cramp.
“Do you know how long it’ll be?”
He blinked. “Excuse me?”
She smiled placidly.
“Umm—”
“Here’s your number.” She pushed a table number across the counter and he took it, still confused.
Back at the table, Luka and Arlan were giggling about something. When he slipped back into the booth, they gave him a look and started cracking up again.
Dan Heng frowned. “Is there something on my face?”
Luka snorted again. “I see you met Stelle.”
“Who, the girl at the counter?” He glanced back at where the young woman was taking another order. “She was, umm…”
“Strange.” Arlan filled in. “Peppy likes her, though.”
“We all have theories about her, see,” Luka explained. “She just showed up in town one day and, like, no one knows a thing about her. Where did she come from? Where does she live? What is up with her and trashcans? No one has any idea.”
Dan Heng kept his mouth shut. He remembered what it was like living in a small town like Astral Cove. Everyone knew everyone, and when there was someone out of the norm— well, everyone knew that too. It was hard to keep secrets in a place like this.
The conversation quickly moved on, and Dan Heng soon found himself having a genuinely good time. It only got better when the food came, and the roommates quickly fell into a contented silence as they devoured their meals. For a moment, he felt almost… normal. Relaxed was the word, maybe. With his stomach full and laughter around him along with the gentle haze of alcohol, he felt like any other guy in any other town, just existing.
His reverie, however, was soon broken. “DAN HENG!?” a familiar voice all-but screamed and, in a blur of pink hair, there was March. She slammed her palms on the table, eyes so wide they seemed ready to pop out.
Dan Heng’s jaw had dropped open and he forced it to close. “M-march!”
“WHAT THE FUCK?” She slammed her hands on the table again, causing the pitcher to slosh beer onto the table. Peppy jumped to all fours and let out a shrill bark, causing Arlan to shush him.
“Yo, March!” Luka laughed. “Shit, you know this guy?”
“Do I… do I KNOW THIS GUY?” March shook her head like a wet dog, pink strands falling over her forehead. “What the fuck, Luka? Why didn’t you tell me he was in town? I mean— wait, what am I saying, what the fuck Dan Heng!?” She punched him in the shoulder, not lightly. “How long have you been back for?”
“In my defense, I literally met him today,” Luka muttered.
Dan Heng just watched the interaction, gaping and frozen between wanting to tackle March in a hug and race out of the door as quickly as possible. He’d known he’d run into March eventually— he’d known, of course he’d known when he accepted the job at the Herta Institute.
He should have been prepared for the interaction, but he just… wasn’t. He’d gotten too good at not thinking about March since he’d left Astral Cove. Thinking about her was complicated, and it hurt in ways that he could barely understand, but not thinking about her was easy. It was so, so easy.
Except that now March was here in the flesh, her eyes blazing with excitement and confusion and hurt, boring into him like an arrow And here he was, frozen with his mouth hanging open like a frog.
He shut his mouth. “March, I…” His voice cracked and he stopped.
She continued to stare, her big eyes growing damp. “Oh, fuck you Dan Heng!” she cried, then promptly pulled him into a bear hug. He froze again, rigid, until his body gave way and he sunk into her hug, letting her bury her head in his shoulder.
“You asshole,” she laughed when they pulled away. Her eyes were red with tears, and Dan Heng knew his probably were too. “I should’ve known you’d do this. Come back home quietly, like if you don’t say anything no one will notice and no one will care. It’s so like you.”
“Maybe,” he said, grabbing a fry and dipping it in ketchup. “Sorry.”
“Oh, you’re good. Big dummy.” She punched him again, lighter this time, then pushed into the seat next to him.
Luka squeled from where he’d been shoved against the wall. “Umm, I feel like I’m missing something here? So you guys know each other?”
Dan Heng nodded. “We went to school together.”
“Oh please. Went to school together? Luka, we are what you’d call childhood best friends.” March ruffled his hair to make her point, ignoring his protests. “There’s no denying it, Dan Heng. Don’t even try.”
“I’m not trying,” Dan Heng said, raising his hands. “You’re right. I’m just… I’m sorry, March. I’m an asshole. I should’ve told you I was moving back.”
“Wait, moving back!?” March gave him a once-over. “You’re kidding me, right? I assumed you were here to visit...”
He shrugged.
Now it was her jaw’s turn to drop. “Oh my GOD! You’re, like… you’re back-back! You’re BACK!? Wait… That’s incredible! Oh my god— wait, that’s like, so amazing! So you must be… wait, oh my god, that’s it. You’re setting your next story collection out here!”
“I— well, I actually got a job at the library over at the Herta Center, but— yeah, actually. You know about my, uh, my collections?”
“Well obviously, dummy! I’m your best friend! I read your first one right when it came out— was on the pre-order list, actually. My favorite story is the one with the lovers finding each other across space and time— And So—”
‘“—The Wind Blows,” Dan Heng finished. His face was growing warm. “Wow. I, umm. Thanks.”
March shrugged. “Nothing to thank me for.”
“Still. Thanks.”
“So this is a happy reunion and all, but, uh, would you guys mind scooting over?” Luka peeked from the side. “It’s a little cramped back here.”
March rolled her eyes and climbed out of the booth, pulling Dan Heng by the sleeve. “Sorry,” Dan Heng mumbled. Luka just gave him a grin and, much to Dan Heng’s horror, a huge wink.
“Well boys— hope you don’t mind if I borrow your— your… wait, how do you all know each other again?”
“We’re roommates,” said Arlan stonily.
“Well, I hope you don’t mind I borrow your roommate for a little bit. You’re in luck— I was gonna try to rope one of you into this, but now you’re released. C’mon, Dan Heng,” March said, tugging him after her.
“Wait— March, roped into what?” Dan Heng protested meekly, looking back over his shoulder to see Luka making kissy faces at him.
“What do you think? An adventure.” She pulled him towards register and then, to his surprise, past the counter and through a door into a back room.
The room was brightly lit compared to the dim cafe and Dan Heng blinked as his eyes adjusted. It appeared to be some sort of store room and office, with a small desk and a ledger as well as racks of supplies.
“Well look who the cat dragged in.” The grey-haired girl from the register was slouched back in a folding chair. She lifted a hand. “Yo.”
March looked between them and squealed excitedly. “Oh my god, you guys know each other?” She clasped her hands together.
“Parm fries for the table, two pitcher IPAs, quarter pound turkey burger on sesame hold the onions, side salad, double cheeseburger on sesame with extra hot sauce, add bacon, side salad, eggplant panini with extra miso spread, side of home hash. And a bowl for the dog.” She eyed him. “That was it, right?”
He nodded blankly.
“Oh. You took his order.” March looked disappointed for all of two seconds before lighting again. “Well that’s okay! I’m sure you’ll be best friends too once the night’s over.”
“Sorry— March, can I…” Dan Heng pulled her to the side. “What is this? What’s happening tonight?”
“I already told you, an adventure. Which you, by the way, have officially been roped into.”
“An adventure,” the gray-haired girl agreed. What was her name— Stelle? As if reading his mind, she tapped him on the shoulder and stuck out a hand. “I’m Stelle. You’re March’s friend.”
March nodded enthusiastically. “And I’m Stelle’s friend!”
“Pity friend,” Stelle corrected.
“What— no I’m not—”
“Himeko felt bad for me and forced March to be my friend,” Stelle explained, ignoring the other girl’s protests. “It’s like a really shitty meet cute.”
“Well— okay, maybe that’s how it started, but then I found out that you’re awesome and I’d definitely want to be your friend anyway.”
Stelle shrugged. “Sure.”
Dan Heng looked between the two of them, trying to follow. Himeko was March’s older sister, but why would she care about Stelle making friends?
“Oh, you don’t know about the Trailblazer!” March exclaimed, sensing his confusion. “It’s Himeko’s place. She bought the building when Coastal Surf shut down a few years ago and made it hers and… yeah.” She spread her arms. “Pretty amazing, huh? And you know how Himeko… soon as Stelle started working here, she just had to put on her big sister hat again and make sure everyone was happy.”
“Is she here right now?” Dan Heng asked, half expecting the red-headed woman to appear from the door at any second. He hadn’t seen her in years, but Himeko had raised him just as much as she’d raised March.
“She’s off on Fridays.”
Stelle frowned. “I don’t think that applies when you own the place.”
“It so does! Just because you’re your own boss doesn’t mean you’re slacking off all the time. Trust me, I know.”
“But… you could slack off. Like, if you wanted to.”
“Sure, if you want your engagement to fall by like 50%.” March sighed. “Seriously, I took a few weeks off last winter and I go back and, bam! Like ten thousand unsubscribes. People need that constant stream of content, you know? Content, content, content. Like little piranhas.” She made little biting mouths with her hands for emphasis.
Dan Heng watched the two bicker and tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach. The fact that March had apparently recruited him for on of her adventures had not slipped his mind. If growing up with her was any indication, March’s adventures were generally Very Bad Ideas that ranged from stupid to irresponsible to downright dangerous. She’d always justified them by arguing that it was better to do dumb stuff with other people, else she’d end up doing it impulsively on her own and get into actual trouble. Which meant that, historically, Dan Heng was the one making sure no one died.
Even if he’d maybe sort of been avoiding her, Dan Heng had no intention of letting March get hurt. And Stelle, well… he’d do what he could for her, too.