Beginnings - Twilight Surf

It was dusk when Harold left the bar. The sun, a deep orange, still warmed his face as it disappeared into the ocean, reminding him of the 103 degree afternoon of which he had escaped within the darkness of the air conditioned bar “The Black Oasis.”


Two dozen games of pool and eight bottles of beer later, he reemerged into life numb and tired. He stood in the swirling dust in front of the Black Oasis, watching the waves crash across the muted yellow sand of the empty beach across the street.

Harold then turned and staggered down the side alley between the bar and the back of an old, pay by the hour, motel called “The Sea Breeze.” As he walked, Harold fumbled in his pants pockets for his keys. He stopped at the rear corner of the buildings. The alley opened into an unmarked dirt parking area which had exits through both the alley from which Harold had staggered as well as along a dirt trail through the empty, weed choked lot behind the bar. The trail emptied out onto the next block adjacent to a squatty little hardware store with bars on the windows.