MicroHorror

Maggie looked up from her book and realized the girls were gone. She scanned the empty beach and threw a panicky look toward her sedan. She saw no one.

They were here a moment ago. Maggie glanced at her book and flushed. She’d been so absorbed in it that she’d lost track of time.

If the girls had gotten bored… Maggie spun in the direction of the surf. She broke into an awkward jog. The sun glared down at her snidely. The sand grasped at her feet and slowed her progress to the universal speed of nightmares. The surf hurled itself toward her spouting indecipherable insults and then retreated with derisive laughter.

“Lindy! Lila!” she screamed. Only the gulls cried in mocking response.

They’ll charge me with criminal negligence. Something bobbed in the surf twenty yards out. Maggie lost sight of it behind a cresting wave. She splashed in deeper and broke into a doggy paddle. Her arthritis wouldn’t let her do more.

“Lindy!” Maggie called again. She choked on a mouthful of saltwater and began to flail. She’d gone further out than she had intended and felt disoriented. Maggie paddled on doggedly. “Lila!” Sorrow overwhelmed her. She’d lost her darling grandbabies. If they find us all later, at least they’ll know I tried. I tried…

Maggie held onto this thought as she sank and the undertow swept her away.

The girls returned to where Maggie had left her book and looked around, perplexed.

“Where’s Grandma?” Lila wondered.

“I dunno.” Lindy responded. “I told her we had to go use the potty.”

Lindy and Lila sat together in the sand and played as the sun descended. At last it sank completely into the water and it too was swept away. Later, when it started getting colder, the sisters crawled into the back seat of Grandma’s sedan and waited for her to return.