Discovery on Hog Island, Part 12

I finally make it to the little beach. Most of the vegetation has been washed away by winter storms. I take some pictures of dead crayfish and flotsam. No time left to write. I really should go back because I have to walk to the car and drive to the house. And we're going out. Aiee. Not that I don’t want to go out. I just want to sit and WRITE. Waves crash on the shore. A big boat goes by. I have wet sandy knees from kneeling to take pictures. I sit and work on Discovery at Little Hog Island. The next thing I know, too much time has gone by. I never should have sat at all. I'll be late getting home.

Discovery at Hog Island, Part 12

part 1, part 11

Dana was in Buck's arms as he scooped her from the black water. Her head throbbed, and she leaned weakly against his chest.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice thick with concern.

"I guess so," Dana said, shakily. She felt like crying because her head hurt and she had water in her lungs.

"Let me take you back to camp," Buck said.

"And help her pack up and be on her way," Glenn's voice came from the shore.

Buck carried Dana to shore. She was no tiny damsel in distress. "You must be strong," Dana said.

"Pulling all those nets, hauling and all those lines," Buck answered. "You're not that heavy. You should see the barrels of fish I heft onto the docks every day." He set her in one of the dinghies moored off a log that jutted out into the water. Then, he dragged the deflated kayak and paddle over, squeezed the remained air and water out of it, and tossed that in the dingy. Then started rowing.

"Don’t come back." Glenn shouted from the dark woods as they moved out toward the still ocean. The moon made a crooked and broken path over the small swells. Bucked rowed in silence. He followed the route Dana had taken in. He rowed out, then south, then in and back along the shore.

"Billy Owens was Glenn's best friend." he said, as they neared the path to her tent. "And you are spitting image of Ami, his estranged wife."

"I'm not Ami, and I didn't kill Billy Owens. I had nothing to do with it. I've never been here before."

"You’re stirring up hard feelings. The fact that you know nothing about it, that you're a stranger, makes it worse. Like you're poking your nose in where it doesn't belong."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I have this weird radar that seems to sense when things aren't quite right. I always want to know where the discrepancy is. I'm unbearably curious. I know it's a weakness. What happened back there?"

"Glenn shot a hole in your kayak."

part 13