Every summer her family rented a house for a week on the ocean. They typically planned for one of the last weeks of summer so the cold Atlantic would have had time to absorb what warmth it could from the few hot summer days that Maine could muster. Near the end of August many of the tourists would have left leaving the beaches nearly vacant. Early in the morning and later in the evenings when the cool ocean breezes made the air too chilly for the non-natives...this was the time she would run.
The beach was long and at low tide she could run the sandbar to a small island. She would see only a few people and as she ran she would amaze at how unbelievable it was for her to have this piece of the world all to herself. The salt air, the water licking at her bare feet, the unpolluted air filling her lungs and the absolute freedom of running without boundaries allowed the stresses of the year to be washed away with the tides.
Running allowed her time to think of things forbidden. Work and the routine of family rarely came to mind. Whether she was running over sandbars or through the apple orchards near her home she allowed her mind to play in ways it could not at other times. The sound of her feet hitting the road or the soft, rhythmic patter of her feet in the sand lulled her into the fantasies of her friends. Here she would imagine and dream of the friends she had met on line and run her chats through her mind looking forward to the long, hot bath that awaited the end of the run. In the bath she would bring her mind game to its’ peak.
It was late in the day, this summer twilight making the ocean appear dark and mysterious. It was getting colder and she could almost feel the autumn air start to flow through her hair. She rarely ran with her hair tied up. She liked to feel it flow and the bounce of her curls down her back helped establish the pace that would take her on her journey.
This evening her mind played with a friend she had never met. They had chatted briefly on line and exchanged emails but never had the chance to fully engage in a complete discussion about anything. He had written some stories for her and the stories stayed with her long after she had read them. As she listened to her feet hit the sand and felt the curls dance down her back she thought of her new friend. Her friend knew where she was. She had described this place to him thinking he would like it. She liked knowing he knew where she was and what she was doing. It made her feel connected to him in some way.
Thinking of him and the words he had written made her think of the bath that awaited the end of this run. Her husband and children were in town for the evening and she didn’t expect them back until late. She imagined running into the cottage, peeling off her shorts and tank and then sinking into her hot bath. This was her favorite place to play. The hot water, privacy and slippery assistance of soap and oils allowed her hands to slide freely over her body.
However, at the end of this beach something made her stop short. Instead of turning left to the cottage she paused and concentrated on something she thought she saw. At the end of this beach of was an old fort. It was getting dark and she wasn’t sure if her eyes were playing tricks on her or not. She thought she saw a person standing in the shadows of the lower level of the ruins. The fort was locked but the outer perimeter was still used as a picnic area for visitors. She was right, she saw a man as he started to step outside the shadows.
She had no idea why but she was convinced she knew this man. He was older than she was, only a few inches taller than her and slight build. He looked strong and carried himself well. Knowing she should take her left she stepped forward despite her mind questioning about why. She was closer to him now and even more certain she knew him. He had sandy brown hair and a full beard. She never met anyone with his description but still she knew him. She couldn’t place where or how still but she felt like she was meeting a friend.