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A Beach Excursion
I wrote my third story! And 1,000ish words seems to be my average. I have a whole new appreciation for ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dialecticdreamer, and all the stories she writes for us during her prompt calls. I also understand a little better how her stories usually end up over 500 words, even though that is the standard amount she quotes.
This story again uses the same characters as before, but it takes place earlier in the timeline, just at the beginning of their friendship. It stands alone, but I'm hoping it gives a little more back story to my characters. (P.S. I did not intend to write all related posts, but it does seem to look most of them will use these characters.)
Now, the story!
Title: A Beach Excursion
Prompt: Swimming
Word Count: 1594
Rating: G
Warnings: None, unless you can't stand any mention of water whatsoever
Summary: Genevieve and her new friend Sandy take a trip to the beach.
A Beach Excursion
Gen bounced on her feet a little, eager to get going. Alexandros, Sandy, she reminded herself, had agreed to come to Point Pelee with her. It was the middle of the summer, and they were both enjoying the fact that they were done with high school. Even though he had only moved to her school this year, and they had only really started talking towards the end of the Biology class they had together, they had become fast friends.
Calling him Sandy would take some getting used to, but now that school was done and he had moved out of his parents’ house, he felt comfortable enough to use the short form he preferred. His parents were almost militant in their insistence that only full names be used, even if the person in question preferred a nick name.
This would also be Sandy’s first trip to the beach in quite some time, and Gen couldn’t wait to show him all her favourite things. She bounced again, her dark blonde hair swinging as she did so, and turned back to look at her new friend. “Come on Sandy, there’s so much we can do. I want to go on the boardwalk first!”
Sandy shook his head in bemusement. It still surprised him how Genevieve, Gen, could go from so quiet and reserved around a group of people, to so excited and bubbly when she was around people she was comfortable with. “Slow down Gen, I don’t know where I’m going. And I thought we were going to the beach.”
Gen paused and waited for him to catch up. “We are, but Point Pelee is a lot more than just a beach. It’s a national park, and it has trails for walking, a visitor centre, the board walk and of course, the beach with the Tip!” Genevieve twirled around, taking in the nature around her, before settling down and speaking again. “Ok, first things, our lunch is in the cooler in the car, and we can come back to eat it whenever we get hungry. Second, this area has the boardwalk, which will take us through the marsh and is good for seeing the birds and other animals, but it also has a place where we can rent canoes, and an observation tower for looking out at the whole park. We can do whatever you like.”
Sandy took a look around before responding. “I have no idea how to canoe, and I’d really like to see the beach. Does the boardwalk take long?”
Gen shook her head. “It only takes about half an hour, and I think there’s a short cut too. It’s only 10:30am, so I promise we’ll have lots of time to do everything.”
“Ok, show me this boardwalk.”
“Yay!” Gen skipped ahead, before darting back and taking Sandy’s hand. She pointed to the observation tower before leading him onto the start of the boardwalk. Once they started on the path, she was careful not to get too enthusiastic; falling into the marsh was not on her list of things to do. As they went around, Gen made sure to point out what she saw; cattails as far as the eye could see, many red-wing black birds, turtles and fish in the marsh, and the information plaques that were placed at various intervals along the trail.
About halfway around the boardwalk, she gave a small squee and said, “This is my favourite part!” Sandy just looked at her in bewilderment. “What are you talking about Gen? I don’t see anything special here.”
She took his hand, point of the edge, and said, “Watch!” As they took a few steps, Sandy could see the platform swaying. “Gen?” He questioned hesitantly.
“It moves! There are floating parts all along the boardwalk and they’re my favourite!” She looked back at him then said reassuringly, “It ends quickly and I promise I won’t bounce.”
Sandy chuckled nervously, amused despite himself that she had managed to catch on to his reluctance. “I’ll be ok. Are we going to the beach after this?”
Gen laughed, high and care-free. “Yes Sandy, once we’re off the boardwalk, we’ll make our way to the beach.”
Shortly, they found themselves at the end of the path and Gen rushed to the car for lunch. She grabbed a blanket and a shady spot and started laying out a picnic. “Come and eat! Once we’re done lunch, we’ll drive to the visitor centre and we can take the trolley to the Point.”
Sandy joined Gen on the blanket and set about eating lunch. He was hungry, and eager to see the rest of the park.
A short time later, they were back in the car and heading up the road. Getting to the visitor centre didn’t take long, and they were lucky enough to find a parking spot. Gen turned to Sandy, wanting to know his preference for what they did next. “We can take a trolley to the Point, where there is a beach, or we can go across the street and to one of the many beaches along the way. We could also walk to the Point from here.”
Sandy just shook his head, unfamiliar with where they were and not sure what to do. “How about we take the trolley, and then go to the beach there. Maybe we can walk back, if there’s time?”
“Sure, we can do that. Let’s head into the centre and check out when the next trolley is coming. We can change there too.”
Once they were inside, they took a look around at the nature information available, before using the washroom, and putting their swimsuits on under their clothes. When they were done, they heading outside to wait for the next trolley. Luckily, it seemed as though they wouldn’t have to wait long.
On the trolley ride to the Point, they were able to look out the open sides at the wild life, and listened to the narrator give them information; first in English, then in French. A quick ten minutes later, the trolley let them off at the information station at the start of the Point trail.
“This way Sandy! Walking to the Point shouldn’t take long, and the water should be warm enough for swimming.”
The two friends made their way down the trail, chatting idly as they went, learning more about each other and what they liked. As the reached the Tip, Gen bounced happily. “Oh goody! It’s big this year! Come on Sandy, let’s go look!” As they approached, Sandy could see that the strip of land extended fifteen or twenty feet beyond the signs warning them not to go any further.
“What’s with the signs Gen? Why can’t we go all the way out?”
“Oh! That’s because the currents are really strong. The Point cuts into Lake Erie, and the current gets really strong. Plus, depending on the tide, currents, and water levels, more or less of the Point will be visible, so it’s not really safe to stand on. Swimming happens mostly on the beach that’s on the left side. Let’s go take a look!”
She turned around and heading back towards where they came, but veered off to her right, leading Sandy to an area that was populated with families, many of them out in the water. Gen set her bags and towel down, before putting on a pair of goggles and handing one to Sandy. “Here, these are extra. I thought you might want them.”
Sandy took them from her, giving her a puzzled look. “What are they for?”
She stared at him for a moment, before shaking herself and reminding herself that not everyone had the same experiences. “They’re goggles. They around over your eyes and around your head, so that you can see under water. You want them tight enough so that they don’t leak, but not so tight that they hurt. Umm... You do know how to swim right? Only, I forgot to ask and I don’t have any safety stuff.”
Sandy fitted the goggles as best he could, trying to get used to the way they felt. “Yes, my parents taught me how to swim, but only in pools, and I never had goggles.”
“Oh, this should make it much easier then. Let’s go in!”
Sandy took a deep breath, brushing his dark hair out of his face. Then, he grabbed her hand and raced towards the water. The two of them splashed and swam, sometimes playing tag, sometimes just floating peacefully, standing any time they got too tired. Eventually they dragged themselves out of the water and flopped onto their towels.
The brunet lay on his back, panting as he pulled the goggles off and handed them back to Gen. “Thanks for these. I never knew how much easier swimming was when you can see.” Gen gave a laugh and waved him off.
“Those are an extra pair, you can keep them. I’m glad they helped.” She sighed, then turned on her side so she could look at him. “I really enjoyed today, thank you for agreeing to come with me.”
Sandy rolled over to face her, reaching out to take her hand. “Me too. It was a great time. We should do this again. Maybe something a little closer to home next time?”
Gen gave a big grin and said, “Ya, that sounds great!” She gave his hand a squeeze, then laid back to enjoy the sun and Sandy’s quiet company, looking forward to all the fun they could have in the future.
dialecticdreamer, and all the stories she writes for us during her prompt calls. I also understand a little better how her stories usually end up over 500 words, even though that is the standard amount she quotes.This story again uses the same characters as before, but it takes place earlier in the timeline, just at the beginning of their friendship. It stands alone, but I'm hoping it gives a little more back story to my characters. (P.S. I did not intend to write all related posts, but it does seem to look most of them will use these characters.)
Now, the story!
Title: A Beach Excursion
Prompt: Swimming
Word Count: 1594
Rating: G
Warnings: None, unless you can't stand any mention of water whatsoever
Summary: Genevieve and her new friend Sandy take a trip to the beach.
A Beach Excursion
Gen bounced on her feet a little, eager to get going. Alexandros, Sandy, she reminded herself, had agreed to come to Point Pelee with her. It was the middle of the summer, and they were both enjoying the fact that they were done with high school. Even though he had only moved to her school this year, and they had only really started talking towards the end of the Biology class they had together, they had become fast friends.
Calling him Sandy would take some getting used to, but now that school was done and he had moved out of his parents’ house, he felt comfortable enough to use the short form he preferred. His parents were almost militant in their insistence that only full names be used, even if the person in question preferred a nick name.
This would also be Sandy’s first trip to the beach in quite some time, and Gen couldn’t wait to show him all her favourite things. She bounced again, her dark blonde hair swinging as she did so, and turned back to look at her new friend. “Come on Sandy, there’s so much we can do. I want to go on the boardwalk first!”
Sandy shook his head in bemusement. It still surprised him how Genevieve, Gen, could go from so quiet and reserved around a group of people, to so excited and bubbly when she was around people she was comfortable with. “Slow down Gen, I don’t know where I’m going. And I thought we were going to the beach.”
Gen paused and waited for him to catch up. “We are, but Point Pelee is a lot more than just a beach. It’s a national park, and it has trails for walking, a visitor centre, the board walk and of course, the beach with the Tip!” Genevieve twirled around, taking in the nature around her, before settling down and speaking again. “Ok, first things, our lunch is in the cooler in the car, and we can come back to eat it whenever we get hungry. Second, this area has the boardwalk, which will take us through the marsh and is good for seeing the birds and other animals, but it also has a place where we can rent canoes, and an observation tower for looking out at the whole park. We can do whatever you like.”
Sandy took a look around before responding. “I have no idea how to canoe, and I’d really like to see the beach. Does the boardwalk take long?”
Gen shook her head. “It only takes about half an hour, and I think there’s a short cut too. It’s only 10:30am, so I promise we’ll have lots of time to do everything.”
“Ok, show me this boardwalk.”
“Yay!” Gen skipped ahead, before darting back and taking Sandy’s hand. She pointed to the observation tower before leading him onto the start of the boardwalk. Once they started on the path, she was careful not to get too enthusiastic; falling into the marsh was not on her list of things to do. As they went around, Gen made sure to point out what she saw; cattails as far as the eye could see, many red-wing black birds, turtles and fish in the marsh, and the information plaques that were placed at various intervals along the trail.
About halfway around the boardwalk, she gave a small squee and said, “This is my favourite part!” Sandy just looked at her in bewilderment. “What are you talking about Gen? I don’t see anything special here.”
She took his hand, point of the edge, and said, “Watch!” As they took a few steps, Sandy could see the platform swaying. “Gen?” He questioned hesitantly.
“It moves! There are floating parts all along the boardwalk and they’re my favourite!” She looked back at him then said reassuringly, “It ends quickly and I promise I won’t bounce.”
Sandy chuckled nervously, amused despite himself that she had managed to catch on to his reluctance. “I’ll be ok. Are we going to the beach after this?”
Gen laughed, high and care-free. “Yes Sandy, once we’re off the boardwalk, we’ll make our way to the beach.”
Shortly, they found themselves at the end of the path and Gen rushed to the car for lunch. She grabbed a blanket and a shady spot and started laying out a picnic. “Come and eat! Once we’re done lunch, we’ll drive to the visitor centre and we can take the trolley to the Point.”
Sandy joined Gen on the blanket and set about eating lunch. He was hungry, and eager to see the rest of the park.
A short time later, they were back in the car and heading up the road. Getting to the visitor centre didn’t take long, and they were lucky enough to find a parking spot. Gen turned to Sandy, wanting to know his preference for what they did next. “We can take a trolley to the Point, where there is a beach, or we can go across the street and to one of the many beaches along the way. We could also walk to the Point from here.”
Sandy just shook his head, unfamiliar with where they were and not sure what to do. “How about we take the trolley, and then go to the beach there. Maybe we can walk back, if there’s time?”
“Sure, we can do that. Let’s head into the centre and check out when the next trolley is coming. We can change there too.”
Once they were inside, they took a look around at the nature information available, before using the washroom, and putting their swimsuits on under their clothes. When they were done, they heading outside to wait for the next trolley. Luckily, it seemed as though they wouldn’t have to wait long.
On the trolley ride to the Point, they were able to look out the open sides at the wild life, and listened to the narrator give them information; first in English, then in French. A quick ten minutes later, the trolley let them off at the information station at the start of the Point trail.
“This way Sandy! Walking to the Point shouldn’t take long, and the water should be warm enough for swimming.”
The two friends made their way down the trail, chatting idly as they went, learning more about each other and what they liked. As the reached the Tip, Gen bounced happily. “Oh goody! It’s big this year! Come on Sandy, let’s go look!” As they approached, Sandy could see that the strip of land extended fifteen or twenty feet beyond the signs warning them not to go any further.
“What’s with the signs Gen? Why can’t we go all the way out?”
“Oh! That’s because the currents are really strong. The Point cuts into Lake Erie, and the current gets really strong. Plus, depending on the tide, currents, and water levels, more or less of the Point will be visible, so it’s not really safe to stand on. Swimming happens mostly on the beach that’s on the left side. Let’s go take a look!”
She turned around and heading back towards where they came, but veered off to her right, leading Sandy to an area that was populated with families, many of them out in the water. Gen set her bags and towel down, before putting on a pair of goggles and handing one to Sandy. “Here, these are extra. I thought you might want them.”
Sandy took them from her, giving her a puzzled look. “What are they for?”
She stared at him for a moment, before shaking herself and reminding herself that not everyone had the same experiences. “They’re goggles. They around over your eyes and around your head, so that you can see under water. You want them tight enough so that they don’t leak, but not so tight that they hurt. Umm... You do know how to swim right? Only, I forgot to ask and I don’t have any safety stuff.”
Sandy fitted the goggles as best he could, trying to get used to the way they felt. “Yes, my parents taught me how to swim, but only in pools, and I never had goggles.”
“Oh, this should make it much easier then. Let’s go in!”
Sandy took a deep breath, brushing his dark hair out of his face. Then, he grabbed her hand and raced towards the water. The two of them splashed and swam, sometimes playing tag, sometimes just floating peacefully, standing any time they got too tired. Eventually they dragged themselves out of the water and flopped onto their towels.
The brunet lay on his back, panting as he pulled the goggles off and handed them back to Gen. “Thanks for these. I never knew how much easier swimming was when you can see.” Gen gave a laugh and waved him off.
“Those are an extra pair, you can keep them. I’m glad they helped.” She sighed, then turned on her side so she could look at him. “I really enjoyed today, thank you for agreeing to come with me.”
Sandy rolled over to face her, reaching out to take her hand. “Me too. It was a great time. We should do this again. Maybe something a little closer to home next time?”
Gen gave a big grin and said, “Ya, that sounds great!” She gave his hand a squeeze, then laid back to enjoy the sun and Sandy’s quiet company, looking forward to all the fun they could have in the future.