Pebbleway Cove The water is my sky and I swim to fly.

[Lavender Wise]

Livvy had some time off, miraculously, although it was only the latter part of one day, and decided to visit the beaches of Easthaven. Pebbleway Cove seemed like the most accessible option and when she pulled into the parking lot for the entrance to the beach in her trusty car - long ago repaired from the incident with Flaming Man - a few other cars were already parked. Swimmers or strollers, it was a beautiful day and she didn't mind the company. Some folks were self-conscious of how they looked in a swimsuit. Livvy was not one of those people. She was very comfortable in her own skin, even though there were still faint scars on her left side from her accident at the pond when she was fourteen.

The teenage Livvy had, unintentionally, done a great job of harming herself.

Concealing her knapsack/purse in the car and locking it, she walked along the path to the wooden fence with a double-wide set of gates set in it. It was an official but casual barrier and Livvy liked that. It was early in the season, though, so there was no lifeguard sitting on the tall perch with the life preservers hanging on the side of the small hut at the top. She was a good swimmer, but still glad others were around, just in case.

Some people were even in the water, which was her goal. She staked out a patch of dirt near the irregular line where the pebbles started, dropped her sports bag and stripped down the her bright, yellow bikini. It was still a bit cool, but the season started in May back home and she didn't mind cold water. She crouched to remove her snug swimming slippers from the bag, put them on and tucked her clothes away. The slippers would help protect her feet from anything sharp or uncomfortable once she was in the water. It wasn't a perfect solution, but she would be doing very little walking.

Livvy looked down the beach at the other people braving the early spring weather. There was an older couple, wading through the water, holding hands. She smiled. Her parents were like that with one another. There were a few teens taking in the sights and from their gestures and laughter, potentially daring one another to go in the water. There was also a man and a girl with a dog, playing Frisbee. A few other people were sitting in lawn chairs they had brought with them, watching some children play on the sand.

It wasn't home, but it had a good vibe.

[Jonathan Crowhurst]

Pebbleway Cove was a destination for the adventurous. Maybe even the supernatural thrill seeker, considering how many stories Jon read about ghosts along this stretch of sand, not to mention the whale skeleton. Naturally, Yasala wanted to go and Jon was all for it, so their morning had been spent hiking the length of the beach, looking for the fabled skeleton.

They’d found it in good time, far at the end, out of sight of the parking lot, and it was just as great as they’d imagined. A little morbid too, and Jon considered collecting a few pieces for… well, he wasn’t sure once he was conscious of the thought. He wasn’t about to do anything with them. So, they turned around and made the trek back in time for lunch.

A few more people were by the shore now, enjoying the secluded beach. Since it was a more remote location, the crowds were nonexistent. Jon had plenty of room to throw the frisbee for Marley without hitting anyone. It was while he and Yasala were chatting about mermaids, mermaid costumes, and consequently, the mermaid theme of her next birthday, that he winged the frisbee out and a freak gust of wind hurtled by, pulling it away from Marley’s jumping catch.

Conversation faltering, Jon watched it speed toward a woman about to take a swim, eye-catching because of the bright yellow color of her bathing suit. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he hollered, “Heads up!” His voice boomed down the beach, but he didn’t expect her to catch it. She’d have a chance to get out of the way if she was paying attention.

[Lavender Wise]

Livvy was paying attention.

Unfortunately, it was on the wrong thing.

She was up to her waist in the ocean now, her body acclimatizing to the cool temperature. Staring down at her clad feet in the water below her and watching the bottom of the cove shift and swirl as her presence disturbed it. The shout caught her attention, though, and she lifted her head in time to witness two things: a Frisbee, angling for her and a very large, enthusiastic dog loping closer, eyes on the flying object.

Though she loved animals, and dogs in particular, she knew to be cautious of canines you didn't know and who didn't know you - but first things first. In order to dodge the Frisbee, she took a quick breath, let herself drop beneath the water. It was very refreshing. The toy made a small splash a few feet to her left. The dog made a much larger splash as he ran then paddled toward it when his paws ran out of beach.

Not one to come between an unknown dog and his target, Livvy surfaced nearby so the animal and the owners could see she was unharmed and giving their pet some space. She watched the dog retrieve his prize and turned her head to smile and wave at it's human companions.

[Jonathan Crowhurst]

To Jon’s mild relief, the woman heard him and dove, avoiding the frisbee. It whizzed harmlessly overhead and landed in the waves next to her. Marley gave chase. Next to him, Yasala also murmured in relief, noting needlessly that the woman almost ‘got herself bonked’.

“Yeah, good thing she dove,” he replied with that tone of mild enthusiasm one took with kids. “That was quick thinking.”

Splashing his way toward the frisbee, Marley nabbed it in his mouth and then started back, his prize held aloft as he paddled along. When the woman surfaced and waved, Jon smiled and waved back, angling his path to meet Marley as he splashed his way back onto the sand. “Good day for a swim, huh?” he called conversationally while he waited for his loyal hound.