Prologue

Adrift: Between real and reality,

Adrift: Not quite, used ... unused, a free ... unspirit,

Adrift: Loosed. No particular place to go,

Adrift: Waiting ... for what?

Adrift: Once owned, owned twice ... looking.

Adrift: How many times?

Adrift: Made ... unmade.

Adrift: No purposeful purpose.

Adrift: Once?

Adrift: Solid ... simple rebuilt rebuilding

Adrift: Sands of time sanding, wearing polishing.

Adrift: Immense heat the forging, cutting

Adrift: Melting

Adrift: Failure

Adrift: New from old.

Tick ... tick ... ticktock

Adrift: Success

For the moment of time and the angels sing.

June? Waiting.

"Wait up, June?" That's NOT the voice associated with angels.

"Hurry up ... don't have all day." That voice is closer.

"Wait please..."

"Stay out of the water."

"Wait..."

"Mom said stay out of the water ... look at you."

"Yeah ... she's going to be mad."

"New shoes ... school shoes. You are going to get it."

He held out his hand.

"Where did you find that?"

He pointed with his left at the water.

"It's probably no good ... soaked ... there's water inside it."

"Wait ... buckle the strap? I can't make my thumb work."

"Why? It's never going to work."

"Please?"

"Shit."

"Junie ... please..."

"Here ... gimmie that. Gawd, you can be so ... so ... sometimes."

"Tighter, June."

SLAP! "Keep your fingers off while I ... just ... get ... this ... in ... the ... hole. THERE!"

"How does it look?"

"Looks good ... shake your wrist ... too loose?"

"No, June ... it stays on."

"Let me check..." SLAP "Keep your fingers off while I look."

"I just want to see if it winds."

"Damn it ... hold still."

"Ah ... June?"

"Idiot!"

"Junie."

"What!?!"

"Where are we?"

"Dummy ... we're on the beach just above the pier..." She looked up ... then back. She turned on me..."Ok ... what did you do with the pier?"

Like it's my fault ... Every-time something happens it's my fault. Gawd ... Sisters!

"I didn't do nothing."

"You did something ... Where's the Snack Stand?"

"Snack Stand? Where's the lighthouse?"

"Won't be no lighthouse without no pier. Jimmy ... where are we?" June panicked.

She started running away from the beach ... up to the no longer there road.

"JUNE!!!" I hollered. "JUNIE!! June Moon!"

June Moon ... what was mom thinking? James Moon I can live with ... but poor Junie. Now that she's 13 and showing ... butt, life is going to be very hard. Kids can be so cruel.

"There's a Moon out tonight. Let's go strolling"

"Hey ... it's a full moon."

"Junie ... stick your butt out the window ... moon them guys."

Who knows what else. I better go find her. Just in case you're wondering ... I'm just looking for my sister ... I'm NOT in a full bore panic ... yet.

Chapter 1 »