Coconut Grove i slept in last nights clothes.

The pool of self-pity Penn had wallowed in for weeks had grown deeper in the days since his daughter’s departure. He’d hoped the warming of the weather might help ease his spirits and give him something brighter and sunnier to think on, but the beach remained just as cold and grey as it had when he’d washed up on the shore months ago. He kept replaying the encounter with Druid (who he knew as Penn) in his mind again and again. She’d been so solemn, so… damaged. What had happened? How could a creature with Blackthorn blood in their veins—his blood—ever turned out so sad?

Penn was standing on the beach, staring blankly out to sea, which was not in the least bit unusual, when it happened. He felt a bump against his toe when before he’d felt only the tide sweeping in and out. He looked down and spotted the offender—a shell, twisted up in a coil. It was no bigger than his paw and would’ve otherwise been completely uninteresting. It was dull and grey in color, nothing extraordinary. Until suddenly, bright reddish pink claws extended from inside its depths. They gripped the sand and just like that, off it went, scooting away on down the beach.

Penn stared after it as it went as though he’d never seen anything so fascinating. It disappeared eventually into the wild blue yonder, but he still stared long after it was gone. He had no idea how long he stared, but finally, he interrupted his own contemplation with a loud, exasperated exclamation of ”Well fuck.”

With that, Penn stood up, turned around, and left.