Chapter 1-The Ride
She pulled her van off the road onto the stony beach. There really was no time for her to take this break, but she had nowhere else to be. Besides, the water was inviting and the urge was irresistible. Quickly, she shed her sweater and jeans. She pulled a black wetsuit from one of her bags and, after checking her bandaged side, slipped into it.
It took her only a few minutes to unload her board and attach the sail. Then, despite her habit of leaving the keys in the ignition, she locked her van up. The small beach might look like it was in the middle of nowhere, but she'd been wrong before. With all of her possessions in the vehicle, there was no point in her taking a chance.
The icy water shocked her senses when it first touched her skin. Late September might be perfect weather in the southern part of the country. In New York, however, it already felt like the weather was gearing up for winter. She paddled out far enough that she wouldn't run into any sandbars. Then, catching a gust of wind, she took off.
The board skimmed over the top of the water quickly. She laughed out loud at the sheer intensity of the feeling. It had been far too long since she'd let herself really have fun. A few dolphins, hearing her laugh, swam over to investigate. She called to them, urging them to play.
All too soon, she felt her playtime slip away. It was going to get dark soon and she needed to keep driving. She reluctantly turned her sailboard towards shore. When she got closer, she discovered that she'd strayed south of her beach. She was about to lower her sail to paddle back on her own when a powerful gust of wind grabbed it and started pulling the board to shore.
Unlike the beach that she'd left her van parked at, this strip of land was blocked by huge boulders jutting out of the ocean. She attempted to steer away from them, but the wind and the current wouldn't let her. At the last second before her board smashed into one of the boulders, she bailed off. Unfortunately, her face scraped the rock as she dove into the water.
She stumbled up onto the beach. Vaguely, she noticed that it comprised of the soft white sand that could only be bought. She sat down to rest for a moment while she figured out how to outsmart the current. She was so lost in her musings that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her. The snapping of a twig was her first clue that she was not alone anymore. She whirled around into a fighting crouch.
