>>5992813>>5992338>>5992326>>5992324>>5992304Yes, the beach. There are a lot of nasty rumors about the sea, but that only makes you sound cooler for proposing it. Mom and dad would get mad if you went there, but it's not like you're going for a swim anyway.
"Want to hang out near the beach?" You ask.
She looks at you with a confused look. "...sure, I guess."
You thought she was going to refuse at first, but it looks like she doesn't mind. Reaching the beach only takes an hour of walking or so. It probably took longer since you insisted on leading the way, even though you don't actually know the town that well since you rarely go out. You think she snickered to herself every time you got a little lost. It's taking a lot of self control on your part to not snap at her.
The beach itself isn't great. It's not one of those tourist spots people like to sunbathe in, it's more of an 'algae and seashells everywhere' type of deal. It's gross, you already regret picking this spot, but it's too late to go back now.
"My parents died during a sea trip," she says. "Said they found something that would've made us rich, then never came back."
Does this mean that the beach is bringing bad memories? This really was a terrible spot to pick.
"Why do so many people work in the water if it's that dangerous anyway?" You ask. Maybe you shouldn't ask this, but you really are curious. What's the point of working near the sea when the death rate is so high?
"Some people find stuff that makes them a fortune. Old stuff, weird fish, buried treasures. My parents didn't have any money, so I guess they just wanted to get lucky. So much for that."
"Your parents sucked." You answer. You realize a little too late that this may be slightly insulting, but to your surprise, she takes it well.
"Yeah, they did. It's-" She stiffens up. "Don't move."
You're about to ask why, but you're interrupted by a rumbling sound. The grains of sand littering the beach are jumping up and down, as if something was moving underneath it. An earthquake? Is there such a thing around here?
The vibration intensify, and you notice they're not coming from underneath--it's coming from the water. The waves part ways as something gargantuan emerge from the water. You don't move, not because you were told to, but because you feel like you can't.
A black mass made of both bright and dark colors makes an inhuman sound as it traverses the side of the beach, the giant waves created in its wake just weak enough to not reach you.
And after a minute that felt like hours, the beast is gone, and you let go of a breath you didn't know you were holding.
