Pulling into the parking space, I can see the heat radiating off the black asphalt. Like shimmering, dancing ghosts skimming between the cars, little whirlwinds swirl in the dimming light.
Reluctantly I turn off the car, the cool breeze blowing from the dashboard vents is quickly replaced by humid ocean air.
I tug on my ball cap, tucking stray strands of hair behind my ears. As soon as I open the car door the rest of the air-conditioned cold is sucked out and I immediately begin to sweat.
With my camera strap looped around my neck, I lock the car and head toward the wooden stairs leading to the boardwalk that arcs over the dunes.
Along the fence and base of the risers, small drifts of sand form. If it weren’t for the desert hot winds, you could easily believe it was snow. Sugar white granules fill every nook and cranny, creating abstracted patterns on the wooden slats.
Bypassing the zigzagging ramp, I take the stairs two at a time, hoping to get to the beach in time. At the top of the landing, I can finally smell the sharp aroma of the ocean blowing off the Gulf waters.
It’s windy, and I’m grateful for my snug cap. Turning my back to the water, I take off my glasses, wiping the lenses on the hem of my T-shirt. The salt spray leaves a dull film on the glass. I kick off my shoes at the end of the boardwalk before descending to the beach. The air cools with each step down I take. At the base of the stairs I open my arms, face turned toward the sky, and breathe in the ocean.
Making my way along the shore, my skin begins to tingle. A mix of the hot sand and the cool spray of water mingles to leave a fine crust of salt on my arms and face. I lick my lips, tasting the tang of the Gulf.
The beach, soft beneath my feet, is more like powdered sugar than sand. Still warm and sun-baked, I feel it sift between my toes. I wade into the surf, letting the tiny evening waves gently wash the sand from my ankles and legs.
Clear emerald green in full daylight, the water is ever shifting layers of mysterious onyx in the deepening night. White-tipped waves curl over the shoals, churning up the sand, offering skittish pipers tiny morsels of seaweed and mussels. Their twig legs quickly skipping ahead of the ebbing water’s edge.
The seagulls are loudly protesting my presence, cawing their insults as they swoop and dive. They congregate on abandoned turrets of children’s sandcastles, surveying their sandy kingdom, impatiently waiting for me to leave.
Turning west, I see the molten heart of the sun slowly melting below the horizon. Syrupy strands of orange and gold sunlight course along the edge of the ocean, reaching out long tendrils toward the shore.
Light clouds, pale yellow and deep purple, spread across the sky. A lacy curtain drawn between the worlds, glimpses of paradise shine through the veil. The day begrudgingly giving way to the night.
After capturing a few fleeting memories within my camera, I find a dry patch of beach above the tide line. Sitting cross-legged, my body forming a perfect indentation on the sand, I close my eyes. I swear later that I could hear the final sigh of the sun as it drops below the edge of the world, coming to rest at the end of the day.
For Story Dam, an online writing community offering weekly and monthly writing prompts. This week’s theme is: Take me there
Thin spiral notebook 
Wow…..just wow. I know we’re supposed to critique, but I can’t. The images you create with your words a just perfect. You are so talented! Thank you for sharing such beautiful imagery with us through your words!
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I have never visited the Gulf of Mexico, but I have heard of white sand. Thank you for giving me an experience (and a craving) I’ll possibly never attain otherwise.
I’m going to agree with Brandon, but only because the few fragments you have here and there caught my attention. I wasn’t looking to critique (or for errors), but they stood out to me. They are beautiful instances of description I think could be easily threaded into the sentence before, or as Brandon said, fixed with a simple tense change.
Your submission utilized all of the senses, allowing me to see, smell, and feel this particular slice of Heaven on earth. Thank you again.
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Such a beautiful image… with words and the actual photo. love it
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Oh, what a beautiful picture you paint….and what a gorgeous picture you posted. Thank you Tara. ~Joy
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Thank you for taking me to the beach at sunset. I was there as a shadow behind you every step of the way.
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Ahh, I read this and all I can think is “I WILL BE THERE!!” In less than a month I’ll see these beaches, feel that sun 🙂
I can’t wait. Thanks for the taste
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This is breathtaking!
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There is noplace on earth like the Gulf of Mexico. Absolutely noplace. I will live there some day. My favorite time to be there is in the ungodly heat of summer when good shell days are rare but that much more precious and even the locals have the good sense to stay in most days. I hate days with that purple “dangerous marine life spotted” or red “rip tide” signs. I’ve never seen the two together. I guess the Jellyfish know to swim sideways to the current.
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Great imagery & much appreciated on a cold Ohio morning. Wish I was there!
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I think we may have made a mistake in asking our community to critique this week. Bathing in an experience like this should not be cheapened by looking for faults or ways to improve it.
You did a great job with this, Tara.
I especially liked this line: “Turning west, I see the molten heart of the sun slowly melting below the horizon. Syrupy strands of orange and gold sunlight course along the edge of the ocean, reaching out long tendrils toward the shore.”
One thing I always miss (or enjoy, depending on my visiting status) about Oklahoma is the sunsets. It is the perfect ending to any day. You captured a sunset well here.
If I had to suggest anything to you, it would be to watch for lines like this: “The salt spray leaving a dull film on the glass.” In this context it would be ‘leaves’ rather than ‘leaving’. Something simple that just needs to be caught during editing.
Thank you for this.
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You’re right, that was a simple editing faux pas. I do need to be more thorough with my editing. Thanks the the concrit and encouragement.
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Absolutely.
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