Down by the Sea

I savored the tang of ozone and electricity in the salty air as my heels dug into the sand, still cool from the storm moments before.

It was good to be away from the city, to be in a seaside paradise, if only for a weekend.

The sun was setting. It’s beams peered through the dark clouds and lightning that peppered the skyline.

I tossed off my flip-flops and ran towards the sea.
Shells pebbled the landscape and pricked my too-tender city feet.
No matter.

I began my dance with the yellow-footed snowy egrets.

Waddling behind these birds up and down the shoreline, I was careful to only place my feet on their tracks.

At the end of the foxtrot, a beautiful conch shell crossed my path.
Its spirals and hue marked it for a fairytale treasure, such as a mermaid’s horn.

With a gentle tug, I lifted it to press it to my ear, to listen to the whispers of an underwater kingdom.

AHHH! HOLY SMOKES IT WAS ALIVE! IT’S EYESPOTS WERE LOOKING AT ME! IT’S FOOT WAS WIGGLING! I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST SAND BUT IT WAS DEFINITELY NOT SAND!

NATURE, YOU SCARY!