After staring at a drawing of a young girl sprawled on a log, the waves hitting her back, I was inspired to write a background story to go with it. This is my free-write for that photo:  

    When Andrea opens her eyes, she's lying on her side, waves hitting her back. Somehow she floated back to shore. Slowly, she crawls out of the water, wincing in pain as she does and plops onto a piece of wood. Exhausted and out of breath, she looks for Drew, but he’s nowhere in sight. Probably halfway to Glassboro by now.

    Sand crunches between her skull and the boards, and her head begins to throb. The smell of seaweed drifts further and further as she closes her eyes.

     Earlier that evening, Andrea put on her skimpy little black dress. Drew’s favorite. She wanted him to notice her again; not push her aside like he’s been doing the past couple of weeks.

    But when he arrived at the shore, an hour late, he barely looked at her. Didn’t even mention the dress.

    “How was your week?” she pried.

     He shrugged without saying a word.

     Ever since she told him that she didn’t want to sneak around anymore, he’d been acting differently. 

    She’d originally planned to make amends today, but as she watched him become more and more distant, with total disregard for her feelings, her pain, she changed her mind. He treated her like shit, had been for a while. And it needed to stop.

    “I wanted to meet today because…”she took a deep breath, “I was going to apologize.”

    With this, Drew looked up.

    “But sitting here, with you ignoring me like this, I’m not sure I want to anymore.”

    Drew dropped his voice to a whisper, “Well, I came today to tell you...it’s over.”

    Andrea gasped and chucked her apple into the water.

    “I put up with your shit for two years. Threw together this nice picnic for you, kept your secret this whole time, and this is how you repay me?”

    “Calm down. You knew I was married when you met me,” he said. “What'd you think? I would just leave my wife and kids for you?”  

    “Then why'd you lead me on? Was I just a screw?” She kicked the wicker basket onto his lap as she stood, her cheeks burning.

    “Calm down. If you keep acting like a child, I’ll leave right now.”

    “Do it! I don’t care.”

    He grabbed his shoes and wallet, shaking his head.

    Then Andrea lit up the screen on her cell. “I’m calling your house!”

    When he turned back around, she was already thumbing his name.

    He lunged toward her. “Don’t-

    When his wife answered, Andrea turned around so he wouldn't distract her.

    Then everything went black.