Writing Honorable Mention: “Local Imagery”

Photography Honorable Mention: “Sunset Stroll” by Sue Grubman

by Quin Rau

I sat and watched the horizon from the Hermosa Beach Pier. The sky became darker as a thick layer of fog began to close in on the beach. I watched as the last clusters of people passed by, tan surfers, sunburned tourists, and uptight bikers seemed to be most common.

Shouts of anger and happiness rung through the air, accompanied by the rolling of sandy skateboard wheels and the chatter of the occasional passerby. Chilling ocean mist settled on my exposed back with every wave that crashed. The beach was not very busy, in fact it was almost completely empty.

As the weather started to take a turn for the worse, sand began to whirl around my heels and sting the back of my legs. The ocean’s captivating sparkle faded along with the sunlight. As I turned my attention back towards the nearly deserted plaza, I noticed the majority of the stragglers had left. Out of the blue, a tall man carrying a short surfboard not even half the size of him walked towards me.

Hey, you know those waves are supposed to get pretty insane when this weather comes in!” he exclaimed.

“Yeah,” I said “but, I think I better get home before I freeze to death.”

“All right buddy… whatever. I’m gonna’ go shred those pounders.” he replied.

I kept an eye on him as he jogged eagerly down to the ocean. I began to wonder why someone would subject themselves to those vicious waves, but I cast the thought aside as I caught a glimpse of the sunset under the thick fog.

Not many people have the luxury of watching the sunset over the ocean every day, but it is a luxury most people in Hermosa Beach could not live without.  B

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