Vacation Therapy Read Online Free PDF Page A

trade winds blew across the water and picked up moisture along the way. The spray felt good against my face, but as I closed my eyes, images of the shower and a bleeding body threatened to re-emerge in my mind. I opened my eyes and tried to push those thoughts aside.
    Two tall, lean men in their thirties held hands as they strolled along the beach, greeting me as they walked past. Hurrying up the steps, the couple headed in the direction of the music. Why did I feel like I was going in the wrong direction? Nothing new there.
    More chaise lounges and umbrellas made from palm fronds ran along the shore, and the wind rustled the dry leaves. White waves crashed on the beach as the foam hissed and dissolved into the sand. Kicking off my tennis shoes, I stepped into the surf, and my bare feet splashed in the cool water.
    A volleyball net whistled in the wind, and off to the right stood several vacant tennis courts. In the distance, a row of wind boards waited for the next day's events. The moonlight muted their bright colors, and with my limited night vision they looked black and indigo.
    The disco's music tingled faintly in the distance above the surf. I continued on my walk, passing the wind boards, and wondered how anyone could stand on them in the rolling water.
    The waves continued to intensify and forced me to move farther from the waterline. A row of palm trees sprouted up from a mound of sand to my right. Each tree appeared like a waiting skeleton, glowing white in the dark from the lime painted up their trunks to prevent insects from invading their foliage. As I neared the tree line, it was amazing to see how high they had to paint the lime. It looked like eight feet or the tree wouldn't survive the insects’ invasion. What kinds of bugs were that persistent?
    I glanced back at the resort. A warm glow flickered in the horizon's blackness, outlining the hotel, and the full moon added a cold, bluish illumination. That's when I realized how far I had walked on the beach.
    As I turned to head back, the hair on the back of my neck prickled. I felt as if someone were watching me. Turning, I scanned the darkness, but no one was visible. I felt eyes following me as I walked along the surf. The tide had calmed into a soft lap on the sand. I hadn't noticed when the thunderous pounding or hissing foam disappeared.
    I couldn't ignore the feeling of being watched. Unsettled, I started my return trip. After two steps, the moon slipped behind a cloud and plunged the beach into blackness. What night vision I had was gone. I blinked hard, trying to force my eyes to adjust and pierce the blackness. Only a warm glow burned from the resort's lights at the far end of the beach.
    I took a tentative step, feeling the way with my feet.
    A soft rustling in a pile of palm fronds made me stop. Despite the darkness, it looked like a palm frond had lifted up off the ground a few inches, and then slowly sank back down. The pile of leaves wasn't large enough to hide a person; at least I didn't think so. Maybe something wild was nesting in them.
    In the earlier conversation at supper, the men had mentioned a pamphlet telling about the wildlife at the resort, but I hadn't read it yet. Images of lizards and alligators, along with many Hollywood monsters, flooded my mind.
    I sidestepped closer to the water, but my eyes never left the heap. My hands clenched my shoes like a weapon, ready to use them in case anything sprang from it.
    More rustling shook the pile.
    My eyes slowly adjusted to the dark. I took a deep breath and saw something dart out from underneath the fronds. I didn't wait to find out what it was. I leapt forward and ran. I bolted down the beach, the moon remaining behind the only cloud in the night sky. I hadn't noticed when my shadow disappeared, and I wasn't going to stop and worry about that. I veered closer to the water's edge. My feet splashed in the surf as I picked up speed on the sand where it was firmer.
    Blindly, I pressed forward.