Get Away

Caution!  Dangerous curve ahead!

The yellow signs flashed by too fast for Grace to read.  She and Bob had fled their hotel leaving half of their belongings scattered across the room when the desk clerk had called them warning them of the arrival of the police.

For two weeks they had thought they would get away with committing the perfect bank heist.

Wheels squealing in protest Bob fought to keep the jeep on the road as they skidded around the curve.  Unable to stay on the road they sailed off the cliff meeting a fiery end to their criminal career. 

Once A Working Dog Always A Working Dog

“Lucy!”

A piercing whistle sounded from his pursed lips.

“Lucy, come.  It’s time to go.”  He headed away from the water’s edge toward the parking lot, scanning the sand dunes for the appearance of a black and white dog.  Behind him the sun was setting.  Above him a lone seagull circled.

He and Lucy had this stretch of the beach to themselves and he had let her off the leash.  He spotted her running back and forth, occasionally voicing a bark.

“What did you find?” 

To his amazement Lucy was shepherding a group of baby sea turtles toward the ocean.

Sleeplessness

At three am she still could not sleep.  The motion of the cruise vessel should have lulled her to sleep, instead it nudged her just enough to annoy.  In exasperation she slipped out bed.  Careful not to wake her husband she donned sweatpants and tank top, pulled on her flip flops and stepped out into the passageway.

She made her way down to the promenade deck without seeing another person, a strange phenomenon on a ship carrying four thousand people. 

She luxuriated in the peacefulness of solitude as she walked thinking about life at sea, wondering what it was like.

Once again I was able to connect while out at sea.  Modern technology, is wonderful!

Day At Sea

The early risers scoped out the decks finding a spot to call their own for the day.  They draped towels over deck chairs and set out books to stake their claim.  Bob, an early riser by nature, moved with measured pace lining up chairs for his travel companions.

One by one they made their way to the deck, collapsing into the chairs.

Slathered in sunscreen, dark glasses hiding bloodshot eyes from the late night party, the last two members of the group arrived with the midday sun.

“Looks like you two had a lot of fun last night.”  Bob said.

First Stop

Lined up at the pier, the three ships descended in size from the biggest the farthest out from shore to the smallest nearest the boardwalk granting access to the city. 

“They look like the three bears.”  The woman in the white shorts said coming to a stop and looking up.  Her husband grunted his agreement.

The crowd of tourists flowed around them as they followed their tour guides.

“Come on.”  He said tapping her arm.  “We don’t want to be left behind.”

“Yep, just taking a picture.”  She said struggling to replace her camera in her tote while she gawked.

Get Away

The bed was firm.  The pillows were soft and she was tired.  All the comforts of a five star hotel were at her beck and call.

 It had been weeks since she had enjoyed a decent night’s sleep and she was hopeful tonight would be the first of many.  The incident at the bank was the cause of it all.  If only the teller hadn’t tried to play hero, she would be enjoying her ill-gotten gains instead of trying to erase the image of the young woman crumpling to the floor with a bloom of red blossoming across her chest.