The Glow on the Bluff

Years back, my friend Leo and I often visited a coastal trailer park not far from our town. In the warm months, we would spend our evenings at the park’s bar, The Salty Anchor, drinking and meeting travelers.

One autumn night, long after the summer visitors had gone, we attended the park’s annual bonfire celebration. We stayed long after the fireworks ended, walking the quiet grounds. Eventually, we called a car and waited for it near the old shower house, a small building close to the bluff’s edge.

As we stood there, I noticed a strange light along the bluff, about a stone’s throw away in a small gully. It looked like embers beginning to glow. I pointed it out to Leo, asking what he thought it was. He just shrugged, saying he wasn’t sure.