On The Beach

Fiction | The Rocket Pod | Adapted Book Chapter

GiaB prompt #2–4: the beach

Simon jogged along the water’s edge, his arms stretched out like the wings of a sea-eagle. He swooped and swerved to miss the reach of the incoming tide.

Rocket trailed after him, lolloping and splashing in the shallows.

Out further, waves were breaking on the sandbar. Up ahead, the rocky reef was in full sunshine. There was still time to explore the rockpools, each one a mini water-world of make-believe.

Simon clambered onto the rocks, leaving Rocket to play in the water and chase seagulls along the beach. The heat of the day had warmed the rocks. A cooling breeze blew across the water and fanned his face.

Simon leaned in low over one of the rockpools intent on finding midget monsters lurking among the sea urchins, cockles, corals and kelp.

He didn’t hear Rocket approach from behind.

He wasn’t ready for the spray of seawater Rocket showered over him with one almighty head-to-tail shake-off.

“Fizz-but!” snapped Simon, spinning around to face his playful mate. “That does it!”

He scuttled across the reef, grabbed a long trail of seaweed, and took off down the beach.

“Are you coming?” he yelled over his shoulder.

A grey and white dart bolted past him and kept going. In no time, Rocket was the length of a football field away.

Then he stopped.

Head down. Nose to the ground.

Simon knew what that meant.

Last time it had been a rotting shark’s head. Just thinking about it made Simon’s guts churn.

He let the seaweed drop to the sand and mooched along the beach towards his dog. He was in no rush to discover the source of Rocket’s latest smellathon.

“What’s got you this time?” Simon asked as he drew near.

Apart from a flick of his tail, Rocket remained nose-first in a dense mat of seagrass. Simon steeled himself for what he didn’t want to see. Swollen human foot. Maggoty rat. Squishy blobfish. Headless cat.

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