Guys

Z

Although the night was quiet, it was certainly alive. It was the usual sounds of the man's nightlife, the ones that served as white noise for him. The bugs in the trees, the rustling of the fronds in the soft, warm wind. It brought him solace.

Of course, he hadn't been surfing until the water was pitch black. He knew better than that; some friends were in town visiting and, somehow, a quick chat had turned into a talk around the bonfire, as it usually did. But he learned his lesson this time. His feet were beginning to hurt, and his arm felt heavy, but he was almost there. He got off the road and walked along the grass, reaching the old wooden fence and setting his tattered up funboard against it while he opened the gate, proceeding to grab his belongings and walk inside the lot. The wall light on the backdoor of the main house was turned on, and Zeke smiled, knowing it was his aunt. 

He dumped the board in the pool and let it float, choosing to take care of it in the morning, then proceeded to kick his sandy flip flops off and wipe his feet on the harsh mat at the front of the shed, the one he turned into his own little studio. The door opened and he heaved a relaxed sigh, sliding the straps of his backpack down his burnt, tender shoulders and leaving it by the door, then removing his shirt, and his swimming trunks. The only source of light came from the little nightlight he'd left by the kitchenette, and he was fine with it, knowing his way around the small space by now.

Though his skin felt sticky, sandy, and just too warm, the tiredness of the sun and waves tugging at him all day took over him. He let himself fall face-down on the bed with the unmade sheets and blindly reached around, searching for the small remote that would turn on his AC. Soon enough, he could hear a scratching by the door, followed by the familiar tap of his dog's paws on the wooden floor, and before he knew it, he was accompanied on the bed by the old, small animal, laying down next to him. The laziest of smiles set on his face and he reached over, petting his small head.

"What a day, huh?"