Beach tune

Start 11:40 AM 4-24-07 for Writers Cramp prompt ending at 12:00 4-24-07

I sat in the wooden chair on the back porch. I watched the waves crash on the sand. I didn’t know where Lonnie went today. He was always off somewhere. Usually with someone he shouldn’t be, doing heaven-knows-what. A deflated beach ball washed up with the waves and danced around in the surf.

I listened to the oldies station. There was a silly old song on, something about ‘pink shoelaces’. Then it was the news. It said some sort of monster had washed up on the beach on Twelfth Street. It looked like a big kelp-creature, but it didn’t seem to have any insides.

I was mortified. I waited until dark and got out my wheelbarrow. It was only a couple of blocks to where the newspeople had found the ‘monster’. I was sure they hadn’t moved it yet. No one ever did anything here with haste. It was there on the sand above the high-water line under a tarp. I sighed heavily and shook my head taking the box of matches I’d brought out of my pocket.

I burned the remains and went home. Lonnie was back. He knew I was upset, because I knew where he had been today, now.

“Lonnie!” I admonished. “You know better than to leave your molts out in plain sight so the regulars can find them.”

He smiled sheepishly. “Sorry Mom, I thought I was far enough offshore. I guess the tide was coming in.”

I sighed and shook my head. “Don’t let it happen again.” I ruffled the scales on his head. “Want some shrimp?”

“Thanks, Mom." He said.

We both went out to the porch and watched the moonlight on the waves. The radio played softly in the background.