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I knew I could play inside my house, but I didn’t want to close out the early morning air. While I enjoyed the heat in this tropical part of the state, I wasn’t entirely acclimated to it yet, and I enjoyed making the most of the early mornings before it got too warm.
There were a few trails in the area, many of which ran through the nearby mangroves.
There were some boardwalks that could take me further into the growth, but I wanted to stick to the beach. I knew there were alligators around, so I didn’t want to tempt fate. Not that I feared they’d attack, but I still was rather new to the area, and I wanted to get used to the trails before going onto the boardwalks.
I’d slung my guitar over my back, carrying it in its case with me along the trail until I found a place that seemed nice and secluded. There was a large stump in the middle of a small clearing, and to me, it looked just like a place that was beckoning for me to sit down and strum a few chords.
Of course, I took the time to look around and make sure there wasn’t anyone else around. I didn’t expect to see anyone, not with it being so early in the morning or with how small of a town this little place was. But I still wanted to double-check just the same.
Satisfied I was alone, I sat down and pulled out my instrument, making some minor adjustments to it here and there before settling in to play.
The sound of birds chirping to each other in the early morning light filled the air, and I felt that was the perfect complement to what I was playing. I wasn’t singing, only strumming the guitar as I listened to the birds singing around me.
I was so engrossed in the peaceful moment I didn’t notice someone approaching. The man managed to get nearly all the way into the clearing before I noticed him, and in an instant, I flew to my feet, guitar in hand.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to scare you like that.”
“Who are you?” I asked.
“My name’s Wave,” he replied with a smile.
“Wave?” I repeated, unsure of whether I’d heard him right.
“Yup,” he said. “Like the ocean.”
“Okay,” I shrugged. I figured it had to be a nickname, and I didn’t want to encourage him to stick around, so I didn’t ask.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“Krissy,” I said.
“Beautiful,” he breathed. “Forgive me, but your music is enchanting. I was just out for a little walk when I heard you, and I couldn’t stop myself from being drawn this way. How long have you been playing?”
He continued to approach the stump as he spoke, and I took a step to the side, trying to keep a distance between the two of us.
“A while,” I said. “Are you from around here?”
“I’m staying with a friend for a while,” he told me. I found that to be a little unsettling. Not that it would have been much better if he had been from the area. There was something about him that was giving me the creeps, and while I wasn’t able to put my finger on it, I paid attention to the alarm bells going off in my head.
“What else can you play?” he asked.
“You know, I was just about to get going,” I told him. “I don’t have much time to play out here this morning. I’m sorry.”
“Do you come here often?” he asked.
“Not usually,” I said. “I just figured it would be a nice place to play without bothering my boyfriend in the house.”
I hoped the lie would keep him at bay. I wasn’t sure I had sold it to him very well, as he only smiled at me and nodded.
“How considerate of you,” he said. “If he’s still asleep, I bet you have time for one more song. Will you play one for me? I would love you forever if you would.”
“I don’t think so,” I said. “I have to get home. He gets up early, and he’s going to be wondering where I am. I don’t want to scare him by being out later than planned.”
“So, he doesn’t know you’re out here?” Wave asked. “That’s not too smart to go out somewhere and not tell anyone where you’re going. Don’t you know there are alligators around here? A small thing like you could wind up a nice little snack for one, and you don’t want to be one of those girls they find on the news, do you?”
He gave me a warm smile as he spoke, but I felt immediately threatened. All the uneasiness I sensed about him before was elevated into a near panic now, and I was left scrambling for words. I didn’t want to say the wrong thing and anger him, but my intuition screamed at me to get out of there as soon as possible.
“He knows,” I squeaked.
