Thread:ThisIsXenon/@comment-32460917-20190603090203/@comment-32273133-20190628233333

///was listening to "crab rave" by noisestorm while writing this

Clay rummaged around a closet for extra blankets and pillows. There was a surprising amount of stuff in the house given that only one person lived in it the majority of the time. He closed that door more softly once he found enough cushiony objects.

Tiny glow crabs illuminated the path down to the beach, and the faint cries of gulls merged with the soft lull of the waves. The sand was cool under Clay’s bare feet. He glanced around for a good spot.

The best way to not think about something was to fill your head with lots of other, unrelated thoughts. It wasn’t hard, and he found his mind drifting to Calidi again, as it usually did when there was nothing else immediate occupying it. He’d scared Cali when he sat up so quickly—he’d heard a surprised squeak that definitely wasn’t the mattress. Guilt gnawed at his heels, from scaring Calidi, from leaving in a huff, from leaving Micah with Delphi in that clearing, from not trying to reach out to people before now.

And here I am, devoting all my time to one person again....But this time, it was worth it. This one person needed him. And, if he was being honest with himself, he needed this one person.

Clay’s eyes drifted over to a slight dip in the dunes, clear of grass and stray rocks. Perfect.

He flattened a pathway to it, then spread layers of blankets over the sand. It was soft already, and the blankets provided an extra layer of protection from the sand granules. He tossed the pillows down as well.

There. He found himself smiling. ''That’s done. ''

He climbed back up the dunes to the cottage, glancing at the window he knew Calidi could see out of.