Fiction
Dark Clouds Rolling In
What was approaching was to change their lives forever
Emmy had always loved the beach ever since her parents had first taken her there as a small child. Despite having her own child now, she could still vividly recall many happy, cherished memories, of playing gleefully on the beach with her first bucket and spade. The sound of the waves, the smell of the salt, the feel of the sand between her toes. It was her happy place, her escape from the stress and chaos of her life. She had come here every summer since she was that young child, and now she was sharing it with her own daughter, Lily.
They had rented a cozy cottage near the shore, with a porch that overlooked the ocean. They spent their days building sandcastles, collecting shells, and swimming in the clear water. They ate ice cream, watched sunsets, and read stories by the fireplace. They were having the perfect vacation, until the day the dark clouds rolled in.
It was a sudden change. One moment, the sky was blue and bright, the next, it was gray, angry, and ominous. A strong wind picked up, whipping the sand and the sea into a frenzy. It was supposed to be high tide yet the waters had rapidly receded leaving nothing but wet sand as far as the eyes could see. The temperature dropped, a sudden and unexpected chill ran…
