I reached the end of the road and had taken the narrow path to the beach. Once on the beach I made my way to the rock jetty and sat on the fourth rock. It was the first one that was flat and I planned on sitting for a while and reading my borrowed paperback. It was about the end of the world, although it seemed to take place only in Maine, but I was only a chapter or two in when all the commotion happened.
Although I did not see them there were two girls sitting on the end of the jetty and as I read they had gotten up and made their way back towards the beach. They used the rock next to me get down and startled me. I must have jumped because they giggled and said they were sorry. I smiled and they smiled back as they turned and headed for the path leading up to the road.
As they approached the mouth of the path a kid screamed:
“Get out of the way.”
He almost plowed them over as he ran by.
“Billy, what’s the matter?” the girl in the blue shorts asked.
“Shane!” the kid exclaimed.
He said it like it was supposed to explain everything and judging from the look on the girl’s faces it did.
Just then a second figure exploded from the path and would have leveled the two girls flat if they hadn’t stepped as far back as they had when Billy almost took them out.
“Get over here you little shit.” The newcomer apparently named Shane screamed to the other, smaller boy that was trying, but not having much success getting over the jetty.
Shane bounded up the jetty with two giant leaps and hauled Billy back to beach level. One they were on equal ground I could see Shane had at least a foot and fifty pound on Billy, but he was getting ready to lay into him.
“Where is it you fucking bitch?” Shane asked.
“I told you I couldn’t get it. I told you fifty times.” Billy sobbed.
I have no idea what “it” was or who “it” belonged to or why Billy was unable to obtain “it” because there were no more words, only fists.
Shane’s first right connected squarely with Billy’s nose. Blood poured at once. His left missed because Billy was already falling to the ground. Both girls screamed. Shane jumped on top of the semiconscious boy and hit him again, this time just under his right eye. It made a sickening splat sound. By then was off my ass and down the jetty. As Shane raised his right to drop another right on the now unconscious boy I hooked his arm with mine and pushed him off.
“That’s enough” I said almost to myself.
Before I knew what was happening Shane was up off the sand and over Billy’s limp body coming at me. He caught me just above my right eye. I think he would have had a better aimed shot if the sand hadn’t been loose under his feet. His momentum kept him moving past me, but I knew he would be turning and closing with another fist. Blood started to drip into my eye from the split brow.
I spun in time to see another closed fist sailing towards my face. I had enough time to side step and his momentum once again took him past me. As he turned for the second time I swung a fist of my own. He turned around fist cocked and I caught him at the exact point where the upper and lower jaws meet just in front of his right ear.
He was out cold before he hit the sand. I didn’t know I was going to do it before it was done. I took several steps back and could not believe what I was looking at. Two kids sprawled out on the beach, one bleeding and crying and the other motionless except for his heaving chest. Both girls were looking at me wide eyed, mouths gaped.
I said nothing because I didn’t know what to say. Billy cried out and he broke the spell. They both ran to Billy. I’m no doctor, but it was pretty clear his nose was broken. Both eyes were already turning an ashy gray and would be black by morning. There seemed to be too much blood for a nose bleed. The girls turned him over and got him in a kneeling position so no more blood would go down his throat. As soon as he was kneeling he puked up the blood he swallowed along with this morning’s eggs and raisin toast.
One of the girls, the one in the blue shorts, took off her sneaker and sock and used the sock to on Billy’s bleeding nose. In the movies the girl always took off her shirt revealing a lacy bra or an almost see through wife beater, but Billy would have to live with a left sock. As soon as she put some pressure on the nose Billy screamed and passed out falling backwards with his legs under himself.
The girl in the blue shorts tried but couldn’t stifle her giggle. He had sounded like a five year old girl screaming right before he went bye bye.
“Alison!” the other girl scolded. “That’s not funny.”
“I know.” She said, but there was still a smirk on her face.
Alison looked up at me and then stood.
“You better take off. Shane doesn’t know you and it’s probably best for you if it stays that was.”
I looked down at the Shane, his chest was still heaving but he had not moved a muscle otherwise.
“He seems to like the smaller ones. I’m his size.”
“That doesn’t matter” the other girl, the one in the red shorts said. “You got a good shot in on him, that’s all. If you didn’t he would have had you both side by side on the ground.”
I shook my head and that made more blood flow into my eye. I was getting ready to tell red shorts that I was the one standing and he was the one taking a sand nap when a guy from one of the cottages came running down the path. He was fifty and balding, but still in pretty good shape. He had a deep tan and wore no wedding ring.
“Alright you guys, I saw the entire thing and I called the cops.”
Fear leapt into my chest, and I could see it on the faces of both Alison and red shorts. Our eyes darted back and forth from each other to the cop caller.
“No, no, no” He said. “Don’t run. I said I saw everything. I know this guy started it and you were just defending yourself. I’ll tell them that. Don’t run or you will seem guilty of something.”
I pointed at the girls.
“Let them go. They don’t have to be involved.”

spambot post

123,309 words later this novel is finished. I have a meeting with Abbott Press about self publishing.

Self-publishing a novel. This should end well.

I don't care. it's a hobby and something to do. It's my first crack at a book. if it goes alright I'll try another.

I have several books about self-publishing if you would like them.