A Mythical Encounter

She crests the dune, surfboard ready for an afternoon alone with the waves. But she’s not alone. At first she doesn’t understand what she’s seeing. An enormous animal sits the shallows, something as ancient as a dinosaur! Frozen mid-step, the heavy surfboard now feels weightless in her hand as if it’s begun to float away. The beach is quiet, there are no birds. The only sound is the slap of the waves against the creature’s dolphin-like hide. Its deep-set eyes glow like embers. Their gaze is locked together, as if by an invisible cord. She can’t say how long they stay this way. Wonder and fear fill her. At some point with a great heave, the beast shoves its bulk back into deeper water. Huge backpedaling motions of its forelimbs bring it further into the ocean. Turning from her, it twists its serpentine neck as if to keep their gaze unbroken for as long as it can. Soon she is alone. All trace of the monster’s passage erased by the tide. A tear runs down her cheek toward her smile