My Calling (AJR Metmaid Challenge)

1

      There was a sound of shells crunching under boots as the man stepped onto the beach, a garbage bag in one hand. Both hands were protected with rubber gloves, keeping them protected from bacteria and sharp edges. Adam grabbed a handful of plastic bottles from the sandy shore and stuffed them into the bag. He sighed a little as he looked out at the pollution that stretched along the shoreline. This would be a multiple-day project, that was clear. Adam would be fine with that. This was a project for Sustainable Partners, the company he'd founded and run. His girlfriend and co-worker, Emily, was supposed to help him today, but she'd gotten sick.
      Adam stuffed more of the plastic into his bag, muttering to himself at all the garbage. There was a dead fish trapped in a six-pack ring, making him frown a little. He reached down to pick it up, his shoulder-length black hair falling into his face. He should've worn a headband today.
     Adam untangled the poor creature from the plastic and tossed it into the water again, watching silently as it drifted out to sea. It would end up either sinking and rotting or becoming food for a peckish seagull later. Adam dropped the ring into his bag.
     As he continued walking, he started hearing some strange noises from one of the rocks. He glanced over at the large boulders that had been worn down from the centuries of water eroding them. He couldn't see anything, so he just assumed it was the sound of waves or trash hitting the rocks.
     The noise continued, and soon curiosity had gotten the best of Adam and he went to see what it was. He set his bag down as he saw fisherman's net snagged on the rock. Something large was trapped inside, jerking and squirming as it tried to free itself. Adam couldn't identify what it was, but luckily he had a pair of scissors for something like this. He placed a gloved hand on the creature, a little surprised when it stopped moving. He began snipping at the net, jumping away as the creature splashed into the water. As Adam pulled the net away, it looked over at him. He could see large black eyes staring into his own startled hazel ones.
     "What the-"
     Manatees weren't native to New York. The animal climbed onto the rock again, still maintaining eye contact with the puzzled man. Its gray, fatty body began to change as he watched it. Soon, a woman with white hair in a long, baby blue gown was laying on the rock in front of him.
     "Thank you,"
      she whispered, her voice soft and slightly hoarse as if it hadn't been used in a while. Adam blinked, backing away and stumbling over his trash bag.
     "Bless you and your future journeys."
     Adam blinked again and she was gone. He could see something rippling through the water away from him, something large and dark.

. . .

     The sun was halfway through the sky as Adam stuffed a few broken, sandy bottle caps into his bag. It looked like it was about to rip with all the trash in it. He wasn't done quite yet, but he'd filled two bags already and figured he could use a break. Adam set his bag aside and peeled off his gloves. He wiped sweat from his forehead, his mind wandering back to the strange lady from earlier. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about her. She was... strange, to say the least.
     Adam kicked off his shoes and socks, tugging off his shirt and jeans as well as he began to wade into the water. A shiver raced up his spine, not expecting it to be so cold. He got in up to his knees, sighing a little at the cold relief before feeling his legs suddenly buckle beneath him.
     Adam opened his mouth to scream as his body fell into the water, completely surrounded by the iciness. His legs seemed paralyzed as he struggled to reach the surface, which was growing further and further away. His arms did not help with his fight as he began losing air, the freezing liquid filling his mouth and lungs. Adam attempted to cry out one last time before his vision went black.

{723 words}