Tomorrow Will Be Kinder

[Lemuel Ryuk]

The birds were out in full force. Early evening and the sun had just barely started to dip over the horizon. When Lemmie breathed in, he smelled sea salt and sand and the air was sticky wet against his skin.

He trudged down the sand on his skinny little legs, hands firmly planted in the separate pockets of his half zipped hoodie. Sometimes, the ocean drowned out the sounds of the voices in his head. Sometimes, when he walked into the ocean and allowed the water to rush into his ears, he felt like he was in Heaven.

At the moment, he didn't step into the water. His scuffed up boots were two sizes too big, a pair he'd gotten on loan from the homeless shelter. Lemmie used a shoulder to rub at one ear distractedly, gaze darting out over the water and then up the beach.

At this time of the evening, around six or so, families had packed up and left, leaving behind the raucous teenagers chasing each other in the waning daylight. A pair of lovers were lying close together on a shared towel. A girl was waist deep in the water, squealing that it was cold.

Lemmie sat down at the bottom salt soaked step that led up to the pier. Somewhere nearby, he smelled pot. Somebody had lit up close to him. Lemmie dropped his lower face against one arm, propping the arm on one knee.

"The fuck's going on down there?" he heard one of the pot smokers asking. Lemmie didn't move his head but his eyes slanted toward the direction they were looking.

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