November 3, 2009

  •                 He snorted, wiping his nose on the back of his sleeve and watching the bitter white of the foam on the ocean. It reminded him of pastels…though in liquid form – but he wasn’t sure that even made sense. He might’ve walked elsewhere on the boat, to escape the reminder of artistic tools, but he had seen all inches of everything already; there was nothing new left to discover, nothing new to explore.

                    Nothing but dirt, as far as he could see. He didn’t understand how people saw anything clean about the ocean. From the boat to the water, everything had a dampened feeling to it. He rubbed his hand across the metal railing, rubbing it on his pants’ leg directly afterwards. It was instinctual, by now.

                    What he’d give for some other life to be present, though he’d likely just get irritated with it just the same. Regardless, nothing was bothering to stick its head out now. The weather was chilly when the wind billowed, and the browning of the floorboards didn’t exactly make for a cleanly atmosphere. He shifted his feet a little to make a small pile and then kicked it to make it puff up before settling.

                    “Amusing yourself?”

                    He grinned, clenching his right hand and stiffening his posture. “In the most thrilling fashion.” He tried to hide his surprise as he turned around. His shoes seemed to take a more blackened hue as he approached her; but he very well couldn’t just walk a few inches off the floor, now could he? “Languid, are we?”

                    “I’d hardly say we, but I do my best.”

                    “So you admit?”

                    “I allow your interpretation.”

                    In a bathing suit, she lay stretched out on one of the beach chairs they had left outside.  Contently making ample use of all the space it provided, the back of her suit and some of her back was coated from the chair.  Her hair rested wherever is could stretch. And her eyes focused upon me, not letting go for fear I might forget that she still, nonetheless, was not dirt.