Whenever Theo Branson needed to think, away from his overbearing parents, he would strap his board to the top of his jeep and drive to the beach. The waves along the Maine coast were strong, making surfing a gloriously freeing escape.
The weight of the talk with his father threatened to suffocate him. Being told he must marry Evelyn Carlson, a stranger and daughter of another wealthy family, had turned his stomach. The argument went on for most of the night but his father remained unmoved. Marry Evelyn or be cut off from the family fortune.
Not even his mother had cared to hear that he was already in love. Sharon wasn't some passing romance. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. How could they expect him to abandon her? And worse, Evelyn was like a sister to him.
Fighting back a wave of nausea, he parked near the shore and carried his board down to the water. He set it in the water and slid on, his arms finding their rhythm in the familiar burn that came with paddling through the cold Atlantic.
He exhaled, breathing in the fresh, salty air as he sighted an oncoming wave. Grinning, he paddled hard and turned to ride it. The waves rose and he caught the sight of a gaunt man with hollow eyes and bared teeth as it crashed on him.
He gasped and nearly fell off his board, wiping the water from his face to be sure of what he'd just seen. The figure was no longer there.
He frowned, replaying the short scene in his head. His imagination seemed to be getting the better of him. Scarily, the gaunt man looked exactly like his father.
He shook his head and slowly padded back to the beach. The sun was slowly setting on the Maine coast, casting the beach in a golden glow as he walked to his jeep. His phone buzzed and it was a text from his father.
You have a date with Evelyn Carlson by 7pm at The Ritzer. You'll thank me later. Don't be late.
I hope you enjoyed reading this short piece. It's inspired by the Freewrite #dailyprompt phrase "bared teeth".
Thank you for visiting my blog.
Image created by AI using NightCafe Studio
