Invasion Of The Fog Monster

Warm sun is pulsing deep into my skin while a light breeze softly blows the heat away.  I’ve wanted to pull off along one of these causeways for days.  Finally we are here. And it’s the perfect place to spend a day sunning by the water.  Most of the people here are parked here so they can launch their boat or kayak out to the bay, or walk over to the bridge and fish.  But a few of us are just looking for somewhere to plant the lawn chair and get some sun.  This is one of the few causeways not charging to park.  We like this causeway.

I could get used to winter here.  The whole pace is so different.  Man Yana style. Chill style.  “We’ll get to it” style.  Truthfully that’s not me, but still, I could learn to adapt.

The dogs are restless today.  They don’t want to be quiet.  Every little sound is setting them off, which is awkward and unusual.   Buddy is pacing.  The girls are whining.  I can’t seem to give them anything to sooth their nerves.  They are totally on edge.  I take the girls for a walk.  I run Buddy around the whole parking area hoping to wear him out.  We meet a perfect Standard Poodle.  It still doesn’t settle them down.  So, selfishly, I do my best to ignore their fussing for the next 3 hours.

Meanwhile, far off in the vast sea waters, something is brewing.  A heavy gray-black streak materializes across the horizon line of water.  Like a dark magic marker drawing.  It seems to be coming closer.  Growing taller.  Moving slowly toward shore, getting taller the closer it gets.  What the hell is that thing?  Was there a fire?  What is that?  Smoke?  I roll over to sun my back.  I’m keeping an eye on that thing.  No one else seems to be concerned.  Maybe they haven’t noticed.  The hours pass, the sun starts to disappear behind the clouds.  Burrrr… not funny!  Then the sun is in, and out, in and out, then, mostly in the clouds.  Not coming out. 

I sit up and put a shirt on.  Oh my.  There is an ominous rolling dark cloud on top of the water right out there.  It is rolling toward shore, getting bigger by the minute.  Almost instantly, boats are popping out of that cloud and running up to shore, people quickly loading their rigs onto trailers and pulling out of the causeway like greased lightning.  The heavy, gray-black monstrous cloud of darkness appears to be some sort of suffocating substance and it is creeping closer and closer to shore.  To us.  The sun worshippers are now scrambling to gather up their gear and drive off.  Ok, no need to convince me!  I toss the kids into the truck, grab the blanket and chair, and get into the truck.  The ominous mass has just hit the shoreline.  In minutes it will get to me.  Afraid to be swallowed up, I throw the truck in drive and burn rubber out of that sand causeway. 

As I look into the rearview mirror, the causeway parking lot is gone. Just plain gone. As I’m driving away, the bridge is now gone.  The whole place I just spent the afternoon at, is all gone.  Swallowed up by a monstrous fog.  Holy Sci Fi.  How creepy is this?  The girls are shaking and trying to get under the seat covers as I burn away from the area.  Buddy is yelping in his kennel.

They tried to warn me hours ago.  I just didn’t listen.  Next time, I will.  We escaped the Fog Monster by the skin of our teeth, and headed back to the safety of our hotel.