Cavanaugh shielded his eyes from the morning sun, shed his life jacket, and stepped from the motorboat. “I didn’t want this assignment, besides it was Logan’s turn. Why do I always get the weird ones?”
Reed waited in the boat.
Cavanaugh turned. “Aren’t you coming?”
“Yeah, but I have to check some of my camera equipment first.”
Cavanaugh walked to the left end of the long sandbar and gazed over the blue-green ocean toward the seashore. “How many people disappeared here, was it two or three?”
“Three now,” Reed said, restarting the engine and backing the boat slowly off the sand.
“What are you doing?” Cavanaugh ran from the end of the sandbar to where water now separated him from the idling motorboat.
“Mason knows you’re having an affair with his wife. He paid me to strand you here, hopes you’ll disappear like the others.”
“You can’t just leave me! I’ll pay you whatever you want!”
Reed laughed. “You don’t have the money. Everyone at the newspaper knows you lose when you bet at the casino.”
The motorboat sped away, leaving Cavanaugh behind. He flopped down upon the warm sand and looked out over the sea, but there were no other boats. The sea was deserted.
It was common knowledge that he couldn’t swim but how did Mason, his editor, find out about the affair. They had been discreet.
Lost in thought, he didn’t notice the sand around him begin to swirl and sink. Then the sandbar devoured him, like it had the others.
K. A. Williams lives in North Carolina. Her stories and poems have been published in many magazines including The Chamber, Black Petals, Corner Bar, Yellow Mama, Altered Reality, Calliope, The Sirens Call, and Schlock! Apart from writing, she enjoys rock music, Scrabble, and CYOA games.
If you liked this story, maybe you will like these other works by K.A. Williams and published in The Chamber: “Storm”, “Son”, “Lunch at the Lake”, “Cal and Kay”, and “Night Caller”.
You may also like the anthology Ghost Parachute, which you can find in The Chamber’s bookshop.