Burn Something Collective: An Introduction

Surfside Beach

by Adrienne Doyle I bend down low like a track runner, eyes on the horizon and hands under my shoulders. I take a slow breath and feel the shifting, warm sand under my palms. Afternoon sun on my shoulders. I look to my right and Baby is checking me out, studiously matching her stance to mine. Her brown, chubby thighs and biceps hold up her body, which is 2 feet shorter than mine and fitted in a lilac one-piece swimsuit.

She looks up, locks eyes with me, and smiles wide, exposing the gaps between her front teeth. I laugh to myself. We have the same high cheekbones.

Still grinning, she shouts, “You ready?”

I say, “Yeah!”

She counts, “One...two...THREE!” She and I bolt out of our stances and race across the beach, towards the pulsing Atlantic Ocean. It’s hard to run across the dry, shifting sand, but the wet sand is firm, so I gain some ground. My long legs are covering more than Baby’s and she starts trail behind me, so I slow down a little. Together, we zip into teetering ripples and throw ourselves into larger waves. The ocean slaps into our bodies and sprays around us. We erupt in laughter and drops of briny water get in our mouths. I try to wipe my face, but every part of me is wet and slick.

We race a couple more times. Neither of us have ever been to the ocean before. It’s gravity makes my head spin and the beach floor drops off if you go too far. Baby hops onto my back and we spin around together until I’m out of breath. We return to our laid out towels and bag on the beach, situated far enough away from other beach-sitters for comfort and safety, and let the sun dry us. There aren’t many folks on this part of the beach and there isn’t another 21