Pandemic Birthday Party

One last piece; that was all that was left of the decadent, chocolate cake that had been bought for the small, family, birthday party. The beach house they had rented for the occasion was quiet for the night. Everyone had settled in to relax after a day of celebrating.

The morning had started with a family breakfast at one of the local eateries. Later the male half of the family had headed in one direction while the girls went on a shopping spree. The highlight of the shopping trip had been all the treasure troves of boutiques by the water with the most unique items. Many laughs had been shared throughout the day.

The men of the family had headed off for mini golf, fishing and swimming in the resort pool. They had took it easy while the women were off galavanting. Their ideas of vacation were of the simpler nature overall. Relaxation was their main goal for the week at the Outer Banks.

That afternoon, the cake had been picked up, along with ice cream. A candle was procured. The traditional song was sung, along with a wish made. Pictures were taken. The day had been perfect overall.

That night, there was a restlessness knowing that the trip was almost to an end. The teen whose birthday had been celebrated asked for a walk along the beach at night. Her and her stepmother headed out, with flashlights, to enjoy a quiet walk. As they crossed over the pool area, and the boardwalk afterwards they finally headed down the steps that would lead to the sand.

They could feel the breeze from the ocean. It was a starry night, and the moon was out, but they still were not sure if they would encounter anyone. Once they were close to the sand, they went ahead and turned on their flashlights.

The teen let out a shrill scream. She danced in place and her stepmom told her to calm down. Truly she was talking to herself too, because there was something about that scream and seeing the creepy crawlies near their feet that just gave her goosebumps. There were hundreds of ghost crabs all around the beach. They scattered from the light as quickly as they were spotted. Both figured out if they kept the flashlight pointed at their feet, the creatures would stay away from the light. They started to go down the beach, but quickly figured out there was something creepy about the feeling that one may accidentally step on a crab at any time. The ghost crabs were living up to their names, by staying just out of reach of the light, but still being seen at the outskirts, much like a ghost.

They quickly made their way back to the steps and decided to walk around the resort instead. This way no toes would be in danger, and no lives of any creatures would either. As they walked, they shared their favorite parts of the vacation that was coming to an end. The stepmom knew this was one of those moments she would hang on to, as the teen was quickly growing older each year. She was no longer that baby she once held in her arms and rocked to sleep. No, the young lady that was with her now was quickly approaching adulthood and had already made hints that she wanted to move out, and away, when that time came. The stepmom knew in her heart that many teens say such things, but in the off chance that the teen lived up to her promises to leave, she knew she would cherish these moments when she looked back on the memories they shared. The beach trip would become just another vacation memory overall, but the walk on the beach with just the two of them would be one she would reach to in the future when she thought lovingly on the little girl she helped raise.