The beach was closed.
The snack bars brought down their rolling shades and the umbrellas snapped shut. The blankets shook themselves out and folded themselves. The sand blew off and the shells retreated into the water.
The waves came to a gradual stop, and the world was perfectly still. Then the ocean receded one last time.
A beachcomber passed over the bare stones with a broom, sweeping up and putting away the last of the beach chairs.
When he was done, he looked at the stretch of empty miles and nodded to himself. They would all be back next year.

Thanks for reading! You can support me and find links to all my other work via my Linktree!