{ Andy }

My eyelids slowly opened, letting consciousness gradually return to me. It took me a few seconds to remember that I was no longer in Madrid, but in an as-yet-unknown room in Piwerowall. I sat up on the bed, feeling slightly dazed, and gently rubbed my eyes in an attempt to dispel the feeling of bewilderment that was weighing heavily on me.

I reached out towards the bedside table and my fingers found the cold touch of my mobile phone. When I lit up the screen, the clock showed just eight in the morning. I had more than enough time to get up calmly and prepare an unhurried breakfast... or not. Instead of enjoying a relaxed breakfast at home as I would have wished, I had to mentally prepare myself to go out and head to the commercial area to buy the basics to survive the next few days.

A tingle of excitement ran through my skin when I remembered that today was the first day of my adventure in this new life I had chosen to live in Piwerowall. I got dressed quickly, eager to go out and explore the island.

The fresh morning air caressed my face as I walked towards the shop near the port, just fifteen minutes from Chalmersquoy. Although the sun was already shining brightly, the sea breeze still retained the morning freshness, making me feel alive and full of energy. On the way, I discovered a small cosy cafe that I mentally noted to visit another time. At the shop, I limited myself to buying the essentials, avoiding being weighed down with too much, as I could always return later with the excuse of taking a leisurely stroll. On my way back home, I found Anne in the front garden of Chalmersquoy, who greeted me with a warm smile that lit up her face.

'Good mornin', ma dearie,' Anne greeted me with a warm smile.

'Good morning, Anne,' I replied, returning her smile.

Unlike the day before, this time I noticed how she pronounced each word calmly, making a conscious effort so that I could understand her without difficulty due to my limited vocabulary in her language.

'Did ye sleep awright?' she asked affably.

'Yes. Very well,' I replied succinctly.

'Nora telt me she saw ye last night,' she mentioned while I left the bag on the ground, leaning it against the door as I searched for my keys in my purse.

'You know Nora?' I asked, though immediately I felt a little silly, considering that everyone in that small village must know each other.

'Aye, coorse she did! She's ma dochter,' Anne responded with a smile at my surprised expression.

'Your daughter?' I repeated, not too sure if I had pronounced that word correctly in her language.

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'Aye, ma dochter,' she confirmed in a warm, prideful motherly voice.

The sudden sound of a phone ringing inside Anne's house interrupted our conversation. She apologised before disappearing inside to answer the call. I took that moment to open the door to my house and, once inside, I put the shopping away in the fridge and made myself a sandwich for the hike I had planned to the Noup Head Lighthouse.

With everything ready, I set off towards my destination. I had written down the directions for the route on a piece of paper in case I lost signal or had any problems with my phone. The last thing I wanted was to get lost in that place on my first day.

I whispered the directions to myself as I started on my way: 'Straight until the school and then left.'

Getting to the school was easy, I just had to follow the main road and, once past the school, I took the left turn as my notes indicated. The rest of the journey didn't present much of a challenge. I walked calmly along the side of the road, grateful for the non-existent traffic at that early hour.

Finally, I arrived at a small bay called Noup Bay according to my notes. I stopped for a moment there to admire the beauty of the sea and catch my breath. I took the opportunity to take a couple of photos with my phone and send them to my mum.

After that brief rest, I resumed the path along the dirt track that led me to the imposing structure of the lighthouse, stuck to the impressive cliffs. A feeling of accomplishment overcame me as I reached my destination.

'What impressive views!' I exclaimed excitedly, while keeping a safe distance from the edge of the cliff, at least fifteen steps away.

I found a large rock and sat on it, closing my eyes to enjoy that moment. I felt the stress and fatigue dissipating with each deep breath. The sound of the waves crashing against the rocks and the cry of the seagulls merged into a symphony of peace and tranquillity. It had been a very pleasant walk and the reward of the views was, simply, perfect.

I don't know how long I had remained there in silence, immersed in the whisper of the sea, but it must have been long enough for my breathing to become slow and deep. However, when I opened my eyes, the blue sky that had welcomed me that morning had vanished and dense grey clouds began to unleash a cold rain upon me that, along with the icy wind that began to blow, made me shiver with cold.

'Oh, shit!' I complained, quickly putting everything away in my backpack before setting off, trying to escape the rain that was falling with increasing force.

Just as I was about to retrace the dirt path, a shrill whistle made me jump. When I turned around, I saw the redhead from the night before standing at the entrance to the lighthouse, his red hair glowing like a flame in the darkness. I stopped dead and my heart began to beat faster. We stared at each other from a distance, as if time had stopped, and then he gestured with his hand for me to run towards the white building that sheltered him from the rain.

'I can't believe it,' I muttered, quickening my pace as the rain soaked me to the bone. Once by his side, the man stepped aside, allowing me to enter the refuge of the lighthouse. Inside, the steady rhythm of the drops against the roof, added to the sepulchral silence, made me doubt whether that sound came from the storm or the loud beating of my own heart reverberating in my chest.

He closed the door behind me, isolating us from the icy wind lashing the outside, and I felt comforted by the warm and minimalist interior ambience. The lone sofa, the vending machine offering drinks and snacks, and the display case with maps and brochures of the island seemed to be there as witnesses to our encounter.

He turned towards me and our gazes met in an electric clash. His green eyes shone intensely and my breath stopped when his lips curved into a smile that lit up the entire room. I felt as if time had stopped, and only the two of us existed in that single moment.