The Glowing
Chapter 1
I lay still and listen to the sound of rain and the pounding surf. Squeezing my eyes shut, I inhale the smell of fresh salt water and sand, allowing it to roll in waves across my face. The surf grows louder—becomes almost tangible—and above the din a seagull’s cry pierces the gray light, then joins the sound of crashing waves. Soon more gulls join in, and I stretch my fingers over the sand, grasping, trying to claim back the late summer breeze full of salty spray and brine. If I pinch my eyes closed tighter still, I can faintly catch the aroma I had come to love; a scent of salt with warm undertones of pine and earth. This scent had come to represent summer, comfort, and home. I lolled about in it, basking in the sounds and steely light, smiling for the first time in weeks. I was happy; I was content.
