She tried to shriek for help, to cry out against the blinding agony, but her mouth wouldn’t open. The scream stalled in her throat and she gagged. Oh my God. She couldn’t move her lips. She couldn’t say one word.

The ocean was a molten gold. A drum roll sent the crowd into a frenzied cheering which reached a fevered pitch when the ocean swallowed the sun in a kinetic bolt of color representing the entire spectrum of light. Matt studied Shelly as she watched awed. The child-like delight on her face was captivating.