Summertime

Nicole Hillman

The salty breeze caught my hair, as I  skipped across the cold soft sand. My toes dragged in the moist sand, as the calm ocean waves crept up on me and tickled my feet. The dark clouds filled the sky, not letting a ray of sunshine warm up the beach. As I skipped and skipped I traveled further away from our beach house. I looked back to see the light blue siding, which appeared darker from the overcast. The white trim looked more gray and our wooden deck lay there in front. My mom sat in a plastic chair up on the deck, reading the book she’s been invested in for days now. Every few minutes her eyes trailed down to the beach, keeping an eye on my two little brothers who played in the sand right off the edge of the deck. 

I looked down, a flat shiny sand dollar had just washed up right underneath me, a beautiful one, unlike no other I’ve seen. Then in an instant the next wave stole it back into the ocean, disappointment filled me as I wished I were to pick it up quicker, maybe I could have brought it back to my mom I thought. I skipped and I skipped, as the salty breeze caught my hair, traveling further and further from home. As I went the clouds seemed to get darker and darker, the beach almost had the appearance of it being night time, the hazy lighting filled the beach as the wind grew. 

Right as I decided to turn back I caught something out of the corner of my eye. In the distance I thought I saw what looked like a figure on the shore line, my first thought was maybe a seal as they wash up quite often, but something seemed off. I squinted my eyes trying to get a better look between all the hazy light. I started to walk toward it, curious at what it might be, as I got closer my heart began to race. I started to notice what looked like torn clothing, all wet and soggy. As I got closer I began to notice a boot, toward the end of the figure, and then another boot. My steps slowed as I saw hair up against the sand, sand filled the hair, I paused. I took a step back, anxiety filled my lungs as I saw a face, a bloody face, a rotting face. I turned and ran. Faster than I ever have before. After I created some distance and I could see my house again I turned back, the body laid there on the sand. I stared for a moment in disbelief of what I had just seen, trying to catch my breath, breathing all the nerves out. I stared as a big wave overcame the body, dragging it back into the ocean. Leaving no reminiscence of it. Frozen I stood there, not even believing my eyes. I stared at the sand in which the body just laid. 

“Isabelle time for dinner!” My mom yelled out in the background. I jumped as her voice caught my attention. I started to walk back still trying to grasp what I had just witnessed. As I walked on the shoreline the same flat shiny sand dollar appeared back on the sand, a wave washed it up right in front of me as I walked. Terrified, I walked past it, not wanting to take an extra second to pick it up. Not caring how desperately I might have wanted it a few minutes before. I walked up the deck inside, and sat silently at the dinner table, barely picking at my food.