Dolphin Magic

Chapter 1

Gull

He had traveled such a distance, he could scarcely remember when he had begun. But that was the point, was it not? His boat's engine sputtered and coughed, pleading with him for rest. He would oblige, he told her, tomorrow. Tomorrow we will rest.

***

Tomorrow came, its brilliance bursting forth with the sun's rays, daring anyone to send it back to yesterday. He was not an expert sailor by any means, but his instincts and his recent days at sea, coupled with online instructional videos and the kindness of strangers, enabled him to find a vacant dock for rent, and to find the vacant dock.

He steered the Bayliner toward the dock, fumbled this way and that, until he ran parallel, cut the engine and awkwardly stepped onto the dock, rope in hand. He tied the boat securely to the dock, a skill he had almost mastered since his first day.

His innards still bobbed with the waves, though his feet were planted firmly on land. He knew the term "sea legs" intimately by now. He'd grown accustomed to eating from tin cans in the compact kitchenette, and his appetite had shrunk accordingly, but he felt a new hunger today, more than food for the mouth. The dock owner provided him directions and a list of stores in town. He pulled up her email and read. He made a notation in ink on his hand and left the boat for the first time in 3 days.

The town was a long walk from the dock, but the old Schwinn bicycle he picked up at a stop near Outer Banks made easy distance between the two. In town was a general store that provided the bare essentials, of which he stocked up, paid in cash, and rode back toward the dock. He pedaled down the middle of the gravel roadway, dipping from side to side like he did as a child on the neighborhood streets with friends. The gravel spit dust onto his leather sandals that were salt-worn and sweat-stained from his travels. He braked suddenly as a figure blocked his way.

As small as a fawn, the Key deer he had only heard about stood elegantly on the gravel, its delicate face turned toward him, brown eyes peacefully gazing. The small animal was no more than 24 inches tall at the shoulder, like a toy deer. The man couldn't help but smile at its comical size. It lowered its head again to nibble the grasses that made their way through the asphalt.

He watched it closely, believing the creature to be legend. He had read about the Key deer; once numbering only 25 in existence, they were now a protected species, with most living in the National Key Deer Refuge and surrounding islands. There were now about 1000 Key deer in the wild, but they were still a threatened species. In a cruel turn of events, the Key deer were once again threatened, only this time by a gruesome flesh-eating larva, decimating 10 percent of the remaining population.

The miniature deer had no fear of humans, but the man kept a respectful distance. He watched in awe as this animal, who had fought back from extinction more than once, appeared so calm and carefree, unaware of its uncertain past and even more uncertain future. With the grasses gone, the deer meandered off the road and into the adjacent pine forest.

The man took a moment to absorb what he had seen, then pedaled back to the dock with his purchases. He rented the dock from an elderly woman who owned the cottage on the coast. It was vacant for the time being, while she visited relations up north. The cottage was closed for the season, with boards nailed over the windows in the case of inclement weather in her absence. He didn't need to rent the cottage, he had told her over the phone somewhere near the Carolinas; he could live on his boat. Just a secure dock in a secluded space. There were several luxury homes in the vicinity; in fact, this island was quite heavily populated, but there was only one other home nearby. It was similar in structure and size to the old woman's cottage, but was rundown, dilapidated even. He would have the privacy he desired.