Short Story – Dogs at Sea

Dogs at Sea

As Lizzie’s footing crunched along the pebble scattered shore she allowed herself to relax. The cooling mist of the morning starting to evaporate, turning the shadows of land in the distance into view. She glanced over to the abandoned-looking fair on the pier. Out of season it expressed a sense of loneliness, longing to welcome the groups of couples, families and children which delight in the bright lights and sticky food.

The cries and chatter of people gone, she embraced the gentle and rhythmic sound of the sea persistent beside her. Mornings in such a setting like this were worth getting up early for. Her hectic job at the hospital was stressful and relentless, it was a career she loved but times like these on the almost deserted beach was precious and few.

Today she was walking her friends two dogs, thought of as a kind gesture, when in reality it was a selfish move. The dogs were of a scruffy terrier breed and all the creamy browns that a dog can be, she was glad they were small dogs otherwise their bounding would have knocked her over. There was no denying she found comfort in their calming company. Running and playing carefree along, before making a daring dash for the sea and retreating suddenly as the wave reaches them, making their paws darken and damp with sea foam. It brought a smile to her face.

The sun was rising now and with it warmth reached her skin, she sat and let the dogs lollop around her. When the two dogs had calmed and tired themselves both settled beside each other at her feet. She relaxed too, and let her mind wander as she laid back against the slope of pebbles. She closed her eyes for what she thought was a moment.

She awoke, awkwardly raising as dislodged stones tumbled around her, batting off smaller pebbles that had imprinted red on her pale bare arms. Her mind tried to focus as she blinked repeatedly out of the direction of the sun now higher in the sky, slowly remembering where she was, regaining memory. Not knowing how long she had led motionless to the world, the sea had retreated carving shingle shelves in the time that had passed. Sitting upright, she froze in fear. The dogs were no longer at her feet. She stumbled while trying to stand and frantically turned her head in all directions to recognise any sort of glimpse of a tail or floppy ear that might be hidden otherwise.

Much to her frightening concern she could not see the dogs from where she stood and hoped they had stayed close. The beach stretched out before her, surprisingly uninhabited, the sea looked as dark as a storm threatening cloud, unwelcome in her situation, as if mocking her for being so careless.

She started walking in no direction in particular to distract herself from the uneasy feeling that was starting to rise in her stomach, this way she could cover ground while making a planned solution to finding her friends dogs.

After fifteen minutes she started to panic, the few people she had seen had not seen any dogs of their description. She had covered one half of the beach, the route they had taken their walk from, she rushed back to the place she had last seen them curled up next to her and searched the other end of the shore.

When all hope seemed lost she heard barks in the distance, not sure if they were the familiar calls of the dogs she had once had by her side, she listened. She figured the barks were coming from the sea, her fear refreshed itself anew. As she reached past the pier she saw a man in a little boat and two dogs she was relived to see safe.

By the time the man and the dogs disembarked onto the shore, all the fear and worry had been washed away and she was annoyed she had panicked when she had not needed to, although she still rushed up to the man and thanked him for looking after the dogs in her unforgiving absence.

He had known the dogs and her friend, Betty, they were used to seeing him and taking trips out on his boat. The dogs enjoyed to watch the fish captured in the bucket. He thought they had simply ran away on their usual walk to find him and told her not to worry herself, dogs did what they wanted.

When apologising to her friend, her response was not quite what Lizzie had expected; her friend found the whole thing quite funny. In fact she apologised for not telling Lizzie the dogs have a mind of their own when taken for walks.

After Lizzie could forgive herself for losing the dogs, it had made her think that she needed a companion. So, at home she picked up the local newspaper and answered an ad; he was tall, blonde and adorably handsome. Soon she would have a sandy-coloured labrador to look after and she could not be happier.

…

For more of my short stories and poems see: http://www.goodreads.com/jeni-girl

The above short story was for the last of my four week writing classes… I had to read it aloud! But I am so glad I had to courage to even go to the class in the first place.

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Some of the best days since I have last posted…

I’ve done so much and I should of kept up to date with this blog to give enough enthusiasm for each day.

-Fleet Air Arm Museum, Corfe Castle and Swanage

Mum’s birthday weekend. My suggestion of Fleet Air Arm museum paid off, very good, interactive experiences; incredible imagination whoever thought up how to do each section. Saw three battle helicopters (okay, maybe I wasn’t paying a lot of attention to everything, names and date, for example) and saw soldiers disembarking. We were there about 4hours and still didn’t see and read through everything we would have liked to, must go back another day. I was please they had an art exhibition for the month, some brilliant paintings, very moving.

Corfe Castle and Swanage was such a lovely day. Sunny and just the right amount of wind, Corfe Castle at first I thought was a ruin with little there and little to tell but I was soon proved wrong as I read the illustrated timeline at the entrance. As most things old it has a dark history of murder. The castle ruins were interesting and very photograph-able. In fact so much so I took over 70 photos and a few videos. Swanage is a sweet seaside town, many pastry shops, that I was grateful for and bold shops. One shop had lots of crazy and bright clothing, also many funny hats. Another shop had lots of small but lovely things to buy (including a range of mini pegs!)

-Present at Work

I helped this lady, who told me from the start she is hard to deal with in a joking way, I dealt with her request for several bus and train and tubes times that worked out best for her, she kept talking to my other work friends and kept saying I’m not sure she’ll be able to do it. When I had all the information printed out and placed in front of her before she had finished her long-winded talking. She seemed quite surprised and grateful. I was happy that I could help her, after all it’s what I do, it’s my job. Next time I came into work I found in my locker a present. In a paper bag that had my name wrote on the front I found ‘Forest Fruit Liquorice’ and a note from the lady saying thank you and don’t eat them all at once otherwise I’d get (whatever the german is for ‘the shits’). It was so nice, and they tasted yummy, I don’t normally like liquorice.

 

-Dog at Bus Stop

I think who ever in this world is watching us had a laugh this day.

I was walking to the usual bus stop on my way to work, when I saw a dog coming towards me. Luckily this has happened before, the last one came running at me and this one looked familiar, so I wasn’t scared. It was a cocker-spaniel, just like my dog, only smaller and with a darker coat. It’s fur was all matted like it had been out all night and it kept close by to me, but didn’t let me near to touch it. I couldn’t leave it and I knew I belonged to one of the houses near the bus stop. One of the houses was lit, so I went to that one first. I knocked, noise but no answer. Saw a person looking through the window, but still no answer. I knocked again. Finally she opened the door to tell me it was her neighbour’s dog. I walked around to knock on the other door, no answer.

I knew my bus would be coming soon so I phoned mum to explain that she needed to walk the few minutes to the bus stop and look after the dog, until the owner answered the door. However, as I did this I dropped one of my gloves, which the dog picked up and ran off with… Me; not amused. After I finished speaking on the phone I ran after the dog, then made noises to coax it near me, but it wouldn’t let me close enough to my glove. Then it ran into a small local graveyard, wasn’t going to ran around that… so I waited while the dog ran around and through hedges. In the end I had to walk back to his owners house, the dog had now stopped on the pavement waiting to see my next move. I knocked on the door louder this time. Finally someone answered. ‘Is this your dog?’ She looked to where I was pointing, ‘yes, oh I’m sorry.’ I shrugged and embarrassingly said, ‘and it has my glove’. She looked at me strangely, then made the dog come over and sit in front of her and after much persuasion dropped the glove. I took the wet glove, said my thanks quietly and left quickly. I was annoyed, she didn’t even seem to care about the dog. Also I wasn’t sure with all the commotion if I had indeed missed my bus. I called mum to say the dog was back home and my sister was just about to leave, so I managed to run back to my house and have a lift into town with her. I haven’t had to run in ages! What a morning that was!

 

-Hula-hooping in Town

Exactly how it sounds, I met up with my friend Loz after work. We looked around some of the shops and she bought a hula-hoop for her mum, for Christmas; apparently she had asked for one. My friend told me to hula-hoop in the middle of the main pedestrianized street, so I did, hehe was fun. Also I’m becoming much better a hula-hooping, probably because I have one and try to use it quite regularly, last time I managed to make it go around 14 times before it fell to the ground, I know it’s not much but I’m proud.

-Date with Guy

Never thought I’d be putting that as a title. But somehow and amazingly, I did meet up with someone. Truth be told, I ‘met’ him on the internet first and for months we were just friends, I gave him my mobile number and we discovered that actually we had tons in common and we have the same sense of humour. I was reluctant when he would say silly stuff like ‘you are pretty’ but then I soon realised, that’s just him. When we met, it was clear he is just a nice guy and so sweet. Unfortunately I’m not used to dating, actually I’m not used to guys showing me attention, so when we first saw each other, he tried to hug me and well I didn’t really know what to do, so I just kind of froze. He didn’t seem to mind, technically this was the first time I met him. We went to Waterstones for something to talk about, then to our local pub Spoons. We sat side by side but I noticed he kept his distance as he knew I didn’t feel comfortable around him. We tried to keep conversation flowing and it was really lovely just getting to know him more and actually being face to face with him. It was strange, no wait that’s not the right word, intriguing how he looked at me, I’ve never had anyone hold so much intense attention to my every movement. Like I was going to brake any second into a thousand pieces, so he wanted to make sure he saved every memory, of every inch of me if that happened.  He confirmed his smile and loving eyes by saying; ‘I don’t mind, I could happily just look at you all day’ when I said I didn’t really know what else to talk about. Every now and then through out him talking, he’d reach to touch my knee and I knew he wanted to put his arm around me. I’ll admit it, I was being silly and freaking out, I was panicking; I didn’t know what to do, how to act, how to feel. I rushed to the bathroom to compose myself.

When I sat back down, I made myself sit right up beside him. Made myself sounds like I didn’t want to, like I didn’t like it; quite the opposite, I had to make myself from the fear of someone actually liking me in this way. I relaxed once he kissed me on the head. We were talking about the nightlife of each of our towns, and I had said, ‘yeah, my friend says I attract the freaks.’ Not until after I said this, I thought he might think I was calling him a freak, I turned to look at him as I realised my mistake, luckily he found it as funny as I had. He joked ‘I came all this way to be called a freak.’ He ordered another drink for us both and a cheesecake for me. The waiter, who I know quite well from being at Spoons so much and one of my friend’s had a massive crush on, came over and started to explain animatedly that I had to order something other than Pepsi because the Pepsi nozzle wouldn’t stop ‘there’s just Pepsi everywhere!’ I just nodded and asked for tea, when all the while I was wondering what he was thinking, he’d never seen me in Spoons without my friends, it would of been interesting to be in his head at that moment. We finished our drinks and as he hadn’t been to my town before we went on a walk, I was being my usual awkward self but it was nice. Near the end of our walk we held hands and I had finally felt comfortable with myself and even more with him. And I’m getting carried away with the detail… anyway he drove me back home and of course we kissed goodbye, knowing he had to drive the 3hours back to his home. I never before understood when people said they could still taste someones kiss until that day. I loved it and to be honest, I really do think I love him. I just don’t want to be hurt in the process and a long-distance relationship is tough, but I know we are both determined to make this work.

-One of the Best Days Ever! Shopping, Gorgie Porgies-All You Can Eat and Bowling!

I had planned a while back getting the train and going shopping with a friend, basically just to look at the onesies in Primark. And that was all I had planned. However, I met Loz and she had told me Jamie wanted to come along and he would give us a lift there and back. Score! We waited for Jamie while we had breakfast (bacon toasty yum!). Jamie said he didn’t mind driving as he loved it so much, so I didn’t feel bad that we didn’t go on the train. We shopped and laughed, he bought his gf a talking vibrator for xmas; hilarious! It didn’t seem like we had been long but after 2hours we got back to the car and Jamie suggested we go to the all you can eat for 7.99. Again Score! Was such a good choice, my many meals and desserts were gooood. They had the machine where you can whip-up your own ice cream and squirt all the different sauces over it, so delicious. After we had some time left before Jamie had to be back, we went bowling!

Got to say, I actually love bowling shoes. The colour and design, not the amount of times they have been worn. I warned Loz and Jamie I’m not very good at bowling. The first 3bowls I didn’t hit down anything. We didn’t have the sides up you see. I changed to a different weight in ball and managed a spare, so pleased. Then much to my surprise, I won the whole thing! I beat a guy, awesome. Then we played some air hockey in the amusements next to bowling, I went on a grabber thing-y, first and only go I grabbed an ‘Angry Bird’ toy! I’ve got to say sometimes I’m just too good for those grabbers, although in my 19years, I have had a lot of practice.

 

-Christening and Alisha’s Funny

One of my cousin’s babies christening. We were a tad late, Dad always says it’s Mum that makes us late when this time it was definitely him, as I was ready early and Mum was on holiday. Anyway, it was a lovely christening but it was Alisha my niece of 15years which made my day. We were in the car talking about her school etc. Then she says; ‘in history we are learning about the Irish Potato Famine, the one where all the potatoes went missing.’ I repeated the last bit back to her ‘WENT MISSING???’ I haven’t learned about the potato famine but I was sure they didn’t ‘go missing’. I couldn’t stop laughing and saying things like, ‘where do you think they went?!’ Alisha looked at me like I was the one being silly and said, ‘I thought that’s what famine meant? I wrote that in my essay.’ Then she looked worried, ‘do you think I could get my essay back and change it!?’ So funny! Then she went onto tell me she watched something that looked like a unicorn in the sea, I worked out she meant a narwhal but still made a joke saying, ‘are you sure you weren’t watching a unicorn snorkeling?’

 

-Work-events and works funnys coffee and mobile down loo!

Work has been quite funny, well the people, not work itself. The assistant manager threw coffee everywhere, some over an american lady who said, ‘is this the way you all great people over here?’ Hehe. Then she dropped the tray with water and coffee on, one mug smashed, I found it funny; actually we all did because she was clumsy all day. Then near the end of the week another person dropped her phone down the loo! It hasn’t worked since, hehe. An update on how work is with me; I’m practically running the events when I’m in that is, I get to put events on websites and event lists and posters on boards. I’m really enjoying it and I get to process ticket sales, sounds boring but I love it. Although we now have all our Christmas things out and for me, that’s just too soon and drags out the whole celebrating the event. Some people spend over £50+ just on Christmas cards!? Some times I want to say; seriously? I swear you don’t know that many people!

 

-Drinking + Spoons

Since I’ve posted last, I’ve been to spoons quite a bit with my friends. Each time I try not to drink, but I was never good when it came to peer pressure, so I have at least one drink. But since I’ve been ill with pleurisy, twice, they thought it might have been a blood clot, I haven’t been able to hold my drink as well and every time I get home, I’m sick. Every time. I know I say it a lot but I’m definitely NOT going to drink again. There’s just no point, especially if I’m just going to sick it all back up. Just gross.

Yesterday I went to the cinema to see Immortals in 3D, great film, very violent though. After me, Jade and Lee went to spoons. They insisted I drank and to be honest I wanted to, because I was upset that I couldn’t see my man, Chris again until this Sunday. It couldn’t be helped, but I still felt upset.  I had a burger, many chips and drank. We didn’t really know what to talk about, after years of knowing them, somehow we had ran out of things to say. With me and Lee, that happened a while ago and we are content in the silence, but Jade was not so she and Lee did their play fighting and bored flirting, as I just sat drinking and texting Chris. We went to the park and I felt much better being on a swing in the cool night air, seeing how high I could go; I felt so care-free. I was tired though and at 10.10pm I was picked up and taken home. I got home and was sick several times, read a few chapters of the book Lee had given me, then went to sleep.

Today I’ve been on here. More recently I’ve become addicted to the Apps on Google Chrome; I have finished Angry Birds. Tried out a lot of other games including Original Sonic and Little Alchemy (I have 35/210 help me please, I’m stuck). However, Green Farm is the one I keep going back to, not good.

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Staying Alive

Here is a little post, mostly because I’m bored, which coincidently the same reason why this is going to be short.

Today I woke up at 4am feeling really ill but stayed for hours just listening to music until I fell asleep again. When I did wake I was astonished to find a thick layer of snow outside. After a shower, I went on the internet to see if any of the bus services were running for mum.

Thus, here I have stayed since then really. Listening to Christina Aguilera ‘Bound to You’ , James Blunt, Paramore and Amy Peters songs. I saw Amy live as one of the support, she is an amazing singer songwriter. I have been singing, loudly at that, when I was alone. Even finished off one of my songs a bit more. Shame Dad came back, I was having fun with my tone-deaf voice.

I’ve been on the usual social network suspects. While every now and then checking the weather, which by the way has been crazy! I’ve never seen such big snowflakes! It was like a blizzard out there, it has been on and off all day. At the moment it is quite steady small flakes.

Strange thing of the day is I went to stroke the dog and had a big electric shock of it! Then her ‘mane’, I like to call it, went all static, Hehe. She is fine and now sitting away from me curled up sleeping; I swear that dog can sleep all day and still be tired (must get that from her owner).

I still can’t eat properly without feeling ill. I thought I would have a little bit of my birthday cake, the one that I have not had anything of yet and it is almost all gone, however I have had my piece for at least 3 hours now and it is still not all gone. This proves without doubt something is wrong with me! At least I’m a ‘only drink water’ person, as apparently you can just live on that for a few days, so I’m staying alive for now.

Later edit; After finally finishing that bit of cake, which tasted good by the way. I drew a few things, not much but kept me amused. While I did I listened to HIM because I was recommended to and I’m glad, I like the sound very much. Unfortunately the drawing was too big to scan all of it in one, so poor thing has no antlers!

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