The Drowned Refrain

🫧🎪🔮The Drowned Refrain🔮🎪🫧

Sometimes after storms people think they see a girl walking along the beach. Usually pretty far away. By the time anyone gets closer there is only wet sand, old carnival junk and whatever the tide decided to return that morning.

She seems to be taking care of the place. Straightening chairs that will never be used again. Picking up tickets for rides that haven't moved in years. Occasionally she stops beside the remains of the old boardwalk and waits as if someone is supposed to tell her what happens next.

Whatever rules she is following must have made sense at some point.

The strange part is how seriously she still follows them. She waits her turn. She bows when the performance is over. She keeps things clean for people who aren't coming back. Maybe after doing something long enough the reason becomes less important than continuing to do it.

At dawn she sometimes faces the empty beach and takes one final bow.

The tide applauds.