She batted it away as she carved out of the wave. With a groan of frustration, she straddled the surfboard and shoved the wayward lock into the thick rubber band at her nape. No matter how often she chopped the waist-length mop, it grew right back. One of the many inconveniences of being mere. Crimson streaked the morning sky as she waited for the next set’s approach. Soon she rose to her feet and flew over the ocean again, leaping across the swells. The ride left her breathless, but at her next break her glance darted to the parking lot. A gray SUV lurked behind the dunes. The windshield drew her attention. It barely hid two pairs of sunglass-covered eyes. Nerves and salty mid-Atlantic air prickled her skin. A choice swell carried her halfway in and she lay on the deck and paddled to the shore. After hauling her board up the beach, she peeled off her wetsuit and threw a sundress over her bikini. Sun peeked out over the horizon. Keeping her eyes averted from the other end of the mostly-empty lot, she hoisted the fiberglass beast onto her tiny VW.
