Releasing One More

The magical nights of Summer on a beach.

The sun has already set across the water. Everything appears to be black. The roaring ocean to our left feels like more of a threat than ever. Still we walk.

To others we are merely red dots of light in the distance, but up close we are much more. We are hopeful, nervous, anxious, excited. Walking faster and faster, the sand between our toes, we want tonight to be the lucky night. 

Finally, shapes appears on the dunes. There are people sitting, huddled close together. My eyes strain to see who they are, what they are doing, but I cannot see. It is striking how clueless this makes me feel, how lost I am when I can't read people like open books. We walk towards the churning black ocean, sparkling in the moonlight, up to 2 people, also waiting. A mother has her arm around her little boy. He is till at the age where she can protect him from anything, with simply a comforting touch. Even the big, black sea.

"Do you know what's going on?" Mom asks in a whisper.

"They said to wait down here," the woman responds.

The young boy looks up at us. We wait together now.

The group on the dunes rises, comes in our direction. We are shown an empty shell. The luckier ones are riding in the bucket. Probably with no idea that they are being helped. A line is drawn in the sand, where the spectators must stand. Now there are many moons. They stand ankle deep in the dark water, guiding those being set free. The woman comes up and takes my hand. She has a long manicure, and even in the darkness I can tell her face is coated in makeup. She lowers my hand into the bucket. I feel a damp, sandy creature in my palm, wriggling slightly, but she keeps it secure. Together we release the baby loggerhead into the ocean. I now see only the sparkle of the water, not the black. It is much more welcoming when it is someone's home, where they are meant to be.

The small shapes are washed up again and again, and they keep swimming, harder and harder. They now rely on their own instincts to survive that great ocean. I have released one more that might make it back.

Author's Note

In case you didn't know, a Loggerhead is a type of sea turtle. I had this unique experience of releasing the babies into the ocean on Topsail Island, North Carolina. I understand if this was hard to follow, so let me know if you have any ideas on how I could make it better.