Fiction On Odyssey: Contemplations At The Shoreline

Bare feet splash the navy waves along the shoreline.

The tide is lower tonight than it usually is. The water is calm, nearly still. She walks along the water, silent in this rare peace and smiling in sight of the moon, bright upon her as a spotlight this Halloween night.

It's dark. Stars poke through a pitch black canopy.

They seem to wink at the girl, as their splendour in the heavens from great distances glisten in her quiet moments. She refuses to look at the time, fearful the beauty of the night will vanish upon realization of how long it may last.

She thought she knew how life was meant to be lived.

As a vivid array of colors, she found meaning flying from one place to the next. She was meeting different people, hearing their stories, and making her own while never resting.

She was never content in a single place.

Three of her friends sit laughing in the middle of the beach. No one else is around. She smiles at them from the shoreline.

The moon is different tonight.

It's bigger than it usually is, creeping up behind the buildings opposite the shoreline. The friends sit between the shore and the buildings. There's hotels and tourist shops. Cheap objects with extravagant price tags lure in the oblivious traveler.

The girl is intrinsically captivated by the sky.

The moon holds her gaze. Hanging in the sky, a round object illuminates light from the hidden sun amidst the darkness. She doesn't know why sharing this sight is important to her. It simply is.

There's a moment of hesitation. She walks up to them and waves them to the shoreline.

They can't see the moon from where they're sitting. They see the stars, hear the waves, and feel the wind.

They walk over, continuing their conversations of horror stories and music preferences. The girl remains silent, staring up in wonder again, smiling at her friends at the mere realization of the evening's frivolity.

Standing at the shoreline, they pause.

The waves reflect the white light of the moon, flickering as if thousands of glittering diamonds were tossing about the waves.

An object quickly lurches against the girl's shoulders. A friend screams, drops her purse, and clings to the girl. Panic passes as they notice a white dove on the ground. The dove isn't moving, other than signs of heavy breathing.

A quick google search teaches them it's unwise to do anything for a dove in shock, other than letting it be.

So they walk on, through the night, past the empty beach, leaving the dove resting in the sand.