Darkness had crept stealthily across the ocean and onto the beach, swallowing everything in its mysterious, murky shadows until the only light came from the randomly twinkling stars and the pale sliver of the moon overhead. The waves, gently cascading upon the shore, mirrored the pale moonlight as they rose and receded in their seemingly endless quest to conquer the shoreline.

Far overhead, two lonely seagulls danced on the wind, hovering close enough to smell the remains of the picnic supper, but cautiously high and at a polite and respectable enough distance to remain out of danger.

The only sounds were the gentle lapping of the waves on the shore, and the oddly stirring occasional cry of the seagulls flying above. The wind coming in off the ocean gently blew across the beach, offering a subtle sense of the unmistakable saltiness of the ocean and in a way, the gentle sweetness of the night air itself.

He sat on the blanket, several feet from the receding tide, his arms around his knees, staring out at the endless motion of the ocean. Wearing only an old pair of comfortable shorts, he felt the cool tingle of the night’s breeze move around his body and through his hair. Through the headphones of his portable CD player, he listened to the eerie, haunting strains of the soundtrack to Somewhere In Time as he stared endlessly into the ocean, watching the waves dance in the moonlight.

He reached down to the remains of his midnight picnic supper, and picked at the remaining crumbs of the sandwich and vegetables he had prepared. Satisfied that he had consumed all he cared to, he tossed the few remaining tidbits onto the sand nearby and watched as the two circling gulls sank down and hungrily devoured the small repast. He watched with some amusement as they scavenged for every single crumb of his discarded meal until only sand remained. The gulls, oblivious to his presence, finished their scavenging and took to the air once more, seeking more food elsewhere perhaps.

Turning slightly, he reached behind him and grabbed his thermos, and poured another cup of the steaming, aromatic coffee. He added cream and sugar, and held the mug to his mouth, gently sipping the hot coffee, still staring out into the darkness.

After nursing the coffee to its satisfying conclusion, he set the mug down in the sand beside the blanket, and lay back. He stared up into the dark sky, and waited as his eyes became used to the darkness. As his focus cleared, he began to see more stars than he had seen at first glance, the paler and more distant ones now blinking into focus. Somewhere far above, a small airplane passed over him, and he watched the blinking lights on its wings and tail until they passed out of his range of vision. He turned off the CD player and took off the headphones, resting them on the blanket beside him.

He listened to the random but insistent cadence of the waves lapping on the shore nearby, and stood and walked to the water’s edge. After having sat on the sand that still bore the day’s heat, the cool water felt good to his feet. He splashed the water gently, bringing a gentle spray of water to his legs. The wet sand, parting and reforming as he placed his feet into it, was cool and soothing to his tired feet.

He sat down, and played in the water