Written by Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee
Funny how the tables turn when setting out to hurt someone ... by Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee.
Artwork by Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee
The beach had one more visitor ... Walter Sebastian. He was dressed in his black swimming trunks ... with white polka dots. No noticed him sitting under his blue and white striped umbrella. He had a red and white cooler sitting beside him as he sat on his yellow and white towel. All and all ... Walter Sebastian made a happy beach-goer picture when seeing him from afar.
He leaned back on his elbow while watching lots of people playing in the water. Ocean waves washed in on the sand ... chasing little children making them squeal with glee. Mothers and fathers grinned with pride, happiness while they watched their little Johnnys and Susies play. Oh, look at Susie jump that wave! What a big boy you are, Johnny! That's a beautiful sand castle you built, Susie!
Walter Sebastian scoffed under his breath. Mommy, Mommy ... Daddy, Daddy! Can I go out farther in the water? Can I have a cookie while I play? Can I ... can I ... can I? There wasn't any end to the questions the little Johnnys and Susies asked. Walter Sebastian was getting ready to put an end to that. He almost laughed aloud thinking about all the scuffling and shuffling getting ready to go on!
He began to get up from his towel ... something made him sit down ... take a long look around. For a moment he thought he felt sadness for what was about to happen! What the fuck? Tears filled his eyes ... made his heart squeeze.
Walter Sebastian was reminded of being saved in the little church. But, that wasn't real! I don't need God in my life ... there was a spiritual battle going on inside the very evil Walter Sebastian.
If one noticed ... of course, no one ever noticed Walter Sebastian ... Walter was making all kind of expressions. He had never had such an attack before ... good trying to overcome evil.
His hand reached for the little vial of blood ... he meant to walk into the ocean to spread it throughout the water. He wanted to see some wild action. Each time Walter Sebastian tried to stand up ... his legs gave way ... he fell back onto the yellow ... white towel.
By this time Walter Sebastian was good and mad. Nothing ... he meant nothing was going to keep him from walking into that water ... open that little vial and let the blood flow! Nothing!
He made it up onto his legs ... stood there for a moment to get his balance. He couldn't figure out what in the hell was going on. That hadn't ever happened to him. Never! It must be because he went to church. He looked up to the blue-blue sky and yelled one time at the fluffy white cloud overhead ... 'I was just joking, God! I was pretending to be saved! I'm not your man!'
All became quiet ... Walter Sebastian looked around ... he couldn't hear the squealing, parents calling to their children. He heard a voice say, 'Walter, don't do it! Don't do it, Walter! You have a chance to turn back'. Walter Sebastian turned around ... his heart was heavy with pain ... he couldn't hurt these innocent people. Tears flowed from his eyes ... he held his hand over his heart. I can't do it, I just can't do it!
Walter Sebastian stood in one spot staring out over the waves. He listened to the seagulls sing ... he felt the wonderful warm air on his skin ... he felt ... he felt a sensation of pure heat come up through his feet from the sand. What the ... Walter Sebastian had never felt anything like this before. He didn't know what to make of it.
'Go forth ... my son!' Visions of people thrashing in the waves ... bloody waves filled his mind. Screams ... not squeals of joy ... filled his head. A good horror movie ... Walter Sebastian's next thought was, 'I want a Coca-Cola and peanut butter crackers!'
Walter Sebastian began walking toward the water ... his hand fondled the little vial in his pocket. Walter Sebastian was tired of playing. Good ... my ass! Determination was in his every step toward the water ... he meant to do what he came to do ... that was to have fun.
He waded out waist-deep ... stood a few minutes to feel the warmth of the water ... Walter Sebastian closed his eyes to enjoy it. His hand opened the lid of the vial while fondling it. He didn't realize what he had done.
A dark shadow beneath the water came barreling toward Walter Sebastian. He never saw it coming ... Walter Sebastian flew up out of the water into the air a good twenty feet. He was in shock ... his thoughts went crazy! What!
Walter Sebastian passed out just as he hit the water. People had scattered ... ran to shore. There wasn't anything they could do for Walter Sebastian.
The room was sterile white ... voices were muted. A jab of pain ... was that ... where am I? Walter Sebastian opened his eyes ... looked around. A nurse had just given him an injection for pain.
She saw that Walter was awake. She began to talk quietly to him. The nurse told him he'd been attacked by a shark. What a lucky man he was! He had a lot of bites on his body but, he was going to live. Walter had almost lost his right leg but, thankfully ... he was going to get to keep it and he'd recover from the injury.
The strange thing was ... Walter Sebastian couldn't remember anything. The nurse smiled sweetly at Walter ... she leaned down ... kissed him on his forehead. I'll be back later, Mr. Corbett!
Walter Sebastian couldn't remember anything ... he barely remembered being Walter Sebastian Corbett ... anything else was a blank.
A vision came to him of himself sitting in church ... getting up, walking up to the preacher ... being saved. Walter Sebastian knew he must be a good man. Praise the Lord! Amen!
He knew as soon as he got out of the hospital ... he'd be sitting in church the first Sunday morning he could. He wanted to give thanks to God for saving him ... he was happy to be alive. Hallelujah! Walter Sebastian felt on fire for the Lord! He didn't know why ... a shark attacked him ... but, it must be a sign he wasn't close enough to the Lord. He'd remedy that.
A trip to the beach ... made Walter closer to his God. He must have always been a good man he thought. The only memory he had was the church he saw in his mind. He was so glad because ... suppose he had died during the shark attack ... he'd been sure to have gone to hell.
The nurse entered the room ... her name tag said ... Grace. Walter Sebastian was fully awake now. Walter Sebastian was in love ... the stranger thing was ... so was Grace. The room filled with electricity ... sparking from Walter to Grace ... Grace to Walter. Love was in the air ... Walter had found him a woman.
Walter asked Grace if he could have a Coca-Coca and a pack of peanut butter crackers.
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