Lily

Lily was excited. She was going to the beach. Her parents had just told her yesterday, they had wanted it to be a surprise. She was so excited.


Lily loved the beach, it was full of all kinds of things. Lily wondered if she would find a neat shell, or maybe she would find a hermit crab. She really wanted a pet this year. Last year, her mommy had told her she wasn't old enough. Well, it was a year later, and Lily was older. She so hoped to be able to bring home a pet.


Lily could barely sit still at school. All day long, she could only think about the warm sun, and the taste of the salt in the air. In her mind, she was already running in and out of the waves, laughing and having fun. She loved the beach so much.


Lily daydreamed about building sandcastles with her daddy, and walking on the beach early in the morning with her mother. It was the best time of the day, those morning walks. Lily cherished them. It was so quiet, and the beach was empty. It was like they were on their own private island. Lily's mother always had a kind word for her, telling her interesting things about waves, and tides, and nature. Lily wanted to feel the water squish between her bare toes as she walked through the surf. 


Lily just barely managed to get through the day. Her teacher could tell she was distracted, and kept having to bring Lily's attention back to her work. Lily couldn't concentrate, she was already sitting at the picnic table sipping lemonade while her grandpa cooked burgers on the grill. Lily was so ready to go.


As she boarded the bus for the ride home, Lily barely noticed the approaching thunderstorm. In her mind, she was laying in the sand, letting the sun beam down on her, she was flying a kite in the wind, and laughing as only a child could.


Lily paid no attention to the other kids on the ride home. She was anxious to get her trip started. Lily knew that her family was leaving for the beach just as soon as she got home from school. She was so excited she was bouncing on her seat.


Lily was so into her world, she never felt the bus driver lose control. She never heard the screeching tires, she never felt herself tumbling end over end as the bus careened down the hillside. Lily never knew when her end came, she was floating on a inner tube, riding the waves up and down, at peace.