There was silence.
But only in his mind.
Beyond lay the crashing of the waves, the water hissing into the sand. The cry of silver gulls on the wing. And ever the wind off the open ocean. It caught in his hair, it roared over his ears.
It sung.
He centred.
His eyes closed.
The scent of fresh seaweed.
Wrens tweeting in the heath.
Salt on his tongue.
Sun on his skin.
Exhale.
And in the distance the roar of powerful rocket engines launching the world’s fastest aircraft into the air.
His comms squawked.
And his eyes opened.
-o-o-o-
