Free I Sing the Body Electric by Ray Bradbury

She looked out at the water from time to time, eyes sly, nodding at the water as if to say, “Look! You see? Ah-ha!” She purred like a kitten.
    â€œThere.” He gave her the bottle.
    He was half into the water before she yelled.
    â€œWhere are you going! Come here!”
    He turned as if she were someone he didn’t know. “For God’s sake, what’s wrong?”
    â€œWhy, you just finished your hot dogs and lemonade—you can’t go in the water now and get cramps!”
    He scoffed. “Old wives’ tales.”
    â€œJust the same, you come back up on the sand and wait an hour before you go in, do you hear? I won’t have you getting a cramp and drowning.”
    â€œAh,” he said, disgusted.
    â€œCome along.” She turned, and he followed, looking back at the sea.
    Three o’clock. Four.
    The change came at four ten. Lying on the sand, the woman in the black suit saw it coming and relaxed. The clouds had been forming since three. Now, with a sudden rush, the fog came in from off the bay. Where it had been warm, now it was cold. A wind blew up out of nothing. Darker clouds moved in.
    â€œIt’s going to rain,” she said.
    â€œYou sound absolutely pleased,” he observed, sitting with arms folded. “Maybe our last day, and you sound pleased because it’s clouding up.”
    â€œThe weatherman,” she confided, “said there’d be thunder showers all tonight and tomorrow. It might be a good idea to leave tonight.”
    â€œWe’ll stay, just in case it clears. I want to get one more day of swimming in, anyway,” he said. “I haven’t been in the water yet today.”
    â€œWe’ve had so much fun talking and eating, time passes.”
    â€œYeah,” he said, looking at his hands.
    The fog flailed across the sand in soft strips.
    â€œThere,” she said. “That was a raindrop on my nose!” She laughed ridiculously at it. Her eyes were bright and young again. She was almost triumphant. “Good old rain.”
    â€œWhy are you so pleased? You’re an odd duck.”
    â€œCome on, rain!” she said. “Well, help me with these blankets. We’d better run!”
    He picked up the blankets slowly, preoccupied. “Not even one last swim, dammit. I’ve a mind to take just one dive.” He smiled at her. “Only a minute!”
    â€œNo.” Her face paled. “You’ll catch cold, and I’ll have to nurse you!”
    â€œOkay, okay.” He turned away from the sea. Gentle rain began to fall.
    Marching ahead of him, she headed for the hotel. She was singing softly to herself.
    â€œHold on!” he said.
    She halted. She did not turn. She only listened to his voice far away.
    â€œThere’s someone out in the water!” he cried. “Drowning!”
    She couldn’t move. She heard his feet running.
    â€œWait here!” he shouted. “I’ll be right back! There’s someone there! A woman, I think!”
    â€œLet the lifeguards get her!”
    â€œAren’t any! Off duty; late!” He ran down to the shore, the sea, the waves.
    â€œCome back!” she screamed. “There’s no one out there! Don’t, oh, don’t!”
    â€œDon’t worry. I’ll be right back!” he called. “She’s drowning out there, see?”
    The fog came in, the rain pattered down, a white flashing light raised in the waves. He ran, and the woman in the black suit ran after him, scattering beach implements behind her, crying, tears rushing from her eyes. “Don’t!” She put out her hands.
    He leaped into an onrushing dark wave.
    The woman in the black bathing suit waited in the rain.
    At six o’clock the sun set somewhere behind black clouds. The rain rattled softly on the water, a distant drum snare.
    Under the sea, a move of illuminant white.
    The soft shape, the foam, the weed, the long strands of