The Lightship – Part 7 of 11

THE LIGHTSHIP

Part 7

The man gave a quick wave without looking back and Annie waited until he had disappeared into the hardware store before starting back up Pacific toward home. She walked slowly at first, trying to weather the storm in her mind, then abruptly turned left on Pilot Street to avoid the moorage and started running up the hill. By the time she reached the porch her heart was pounding, and she was fighting to breathe. Annie dropped heavily into the wicker chair and gripped the armrests to calm her shaking, but it was a good ten minutes before her heart stopped racing. Even then, her mind would not.