UNDER THE PIER

CHAPTER 3

I decided to visit the beach the next morning. I avoided the pier completely and remained on the shore across from the apartment complex. This day was warmer than it was yesterday, yet still cold enough to wear my favorite green sweater and dark blue skinny jeans. My black and white checkered slip on shoes were stuffed with my white socks and held in my hand by the sole. I dared to allow my bare feet to walk through the high dunes of the sandy beach. Despite the sand as well being cold it still felt nice to feel something else besides carpet and pavement under my feet.
I wallowed in this smooth nice feeling until I stumbled upon a lone hat on the sand.
The hat was small and floppy on all sides. Like a old fashioned fishermans hat would be, but without all the hooks. It was a pale light green as if years of sun had dulled its color.
I dared to pick it up off the sand.
As the bright sunlight hit the sand underneath it, there was a yelp of surprise. I yelled in surprise and dropped the hat immediately. I took several steps backwards, getting away from the hat.
My mind raced with confusion for several seconds until I dared to take another step towards the hat again.
As I did, the sand around and underneath the hat moved. It moved slowly until it rocked back and forth rapidly until a pair of arms and legs revealed themselves.
The hat fell over from where it once sat and the owner of the legs and arms sat up. A dark skinned girl with a very sandy curly hair sat up from where she laid in the sand.
To my surprise she wore nothing but a green string bikini. Her hair, large in volume but short and curly. She was skinny but I could easily tell she was much taller than my 5’4 frame.
I realized I was staring and immediately spoke first.
“I'm sorry! I thought the hat was abandoned or something!”
“Don’t worry about it, better than stepping on it and on my face.” She assured. She continued to sit up in the sand, her thighs and calves still buried slightly in the sand. She started brushing the sand off on her arms and shoulders.
“You… buried yourself in the sand?” I dared to ask. I felt immediately puzzled by this behavior considering it was late February.
The girl nodded. “Yeah, I know it's weird but I love the feeling of sand on my body. I mean all at once.” She said. “I do this often. I like burying myself in the sand and just lay there. I find it very relaxing and helps relieve my stress.”
She turned to look at me. She looked at me up and down one good time. She saw I was holding my shoes in my hand and my bare feet were walking onto the cold sand. She smiled slightly.
“Looks like I am not the only one.” She said with the smile. “I'm Toni, by the way.”
“Cady. I just moved here recently.” I introduced myself. I dared to get closer to her. “Need a hand?”
“Thanks.” She said. I offered my hand out to her and she grabbed it. Helping her up, I saw very much I was right about her being taller than her. She was almost a whole foot taller than me.
“Shouldn’t you be in school?” Toni asked.
“Oh, um, my father hasn’t finished the enrollment process yet.” I lied quickly.
“Oh yeah? Well avoid Wellington High. They’re the worst out here.”
I said nothing and looked at the hat behind her.
“Sorry again about disturbing you.” I apologize. “This is technically my first day on this beach so I’m not familiar with everyone and their beach habits yet.”
“Don't worry about, it's not the first time.” Toni said almost giggling. She turned and picked up the hat. “Usually, I wear my sunglasses but my son broke them last week. So I’ve been borrowing my dads old fishing hat to block out the sun when I come here.”
“Oh! You have a child?” I asked.
Despite her being taller than me, she didn’t look like she was an adult. Much less tht older than me.
“How old are you if you don’t mind me asking?"
“I’m 18.” Toni said. “My son is a 2 year old terrorist. So… yes, I am a teen mom. I hope that’s not a problem between us…”
“Huh? What? No! No of course not!" I quickly said. “Though I will say I never met a teen mom before.”
“Yeah, I get a lot of negative feedback about it so sorry for that.” Toni said. She dusted off the few bits of sand off her hat. “So, you said you just moved here?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I live the ShoreHill Apartments.”
“Oh yeah, I know the place. Kinda old looking and cryptic. But hey, that’s directly in front of the beach.” Toni said.
“Yeah, it’s a plus.” I said.
For the next hour, Toni and I walked along the shore. She told me of places to shop and eat, she spoke of her son and her parents. I spoke little of my life, not wanting to alarm her. Though I did tell her of how we got evicted and were forced to move up to the shore here.
Before I realized it, we had walked up almost right up to the underneath the pier.
I looked up once I realized we had hit its shadow. I looked up and saw the tall pier looming above us. In front of us, were a series a tall smooth round rocks that laid littered along the foundation poles of the pier. These rocks were tall, and somewhat jagged at the top. Only the bottom half were smooth due to rising shore waters. Multiple seagull poop could be seen at the top of these rocks. Remains of old and damaged nests laid on pieces on few rocks.
The unique thing about these rocks were they were so close to each other, they acted almost as a barracade. Preventing anyone from going underneath the pier.
I had never been this close to the side of the pier and observed it. Now that I was this close, I saw a large part of the front of the pier that laid underneath the entrance was concrete. It reminded me of what the dark top corners of an underpass looked like. After several dozen feet, the concrete foundation stopped and turned into the traditional giant wooden pillar foundation. Multiple thick ropes wrapped around each pillar for reasons unknown to me. The pillars would space out by many feet until they reached into the ocean and they would stop once about 100 yards in the ocean.
“It’s the largest and longest pier in the state.” Toni said to me, admiring the pier as well. “You should see it in the summer. Lots of festivals and more tourists.”
“I can imagine.” I commented.
I turned back to the concrete foundation and saw a set of small stairs practically hugging the concrete wall. It led down underneath to the pier and behind the large boulders before us. However after leaving the concrete foundation, the stairs hung on its own small foundation below it. There were no railings on either side, making it a climb at your risk experience. Almost looking like a terrifying floating stairs experience.
“Where do those stairs led to?” I asked Toni, though it seemed pretty obvious.
“Under the pier.” Toni said. “But honestly, its not a good place to go to."
“How come?”
“Well for one, there's not to do underneath there. Two, the ascend and descent to get there is crazy scary. If you fall, you fall at least a dozen feet. And three, there's a whole lot of junk that washes up on shore under the pier.” Toni shaking her head, “And of course, there's the rumors of a sea monster underneath there.”
“Sea monster?” I asked curiously. “but you said this is one of the safest beaches ever.”
“It is, trust me. Hell not even jellyfish migrate here anymore. But of course years and years ago, someone made up a story about a giant snake or something trying to drown him under the pier.” Toni said. “He apparently went fishing under the pier and he claimed to be attacked by something.”
Toni looked at me. She then smirked and laughed after seeing the wide eyed expression on my face. “Oh come on, Cady don’t believe everything you hear! Its just a scary story to tell kids to stay out from underneath the pier.” She said. “Hell, I tell it to my son when we come out here. Except my version of it is a giant octopus, not some sea snake.”
I shook my head. After breathing slowly, I felt I didn’t believe the story. But yet my curiosity heightened at the thought of going behind the rocks and under the pier.
“Well, I gotta get going. I promised my babysitter that I'd be back before 12, and I still got some other errands to run.” Toni said. “I hope to see you again Cadence.”
I smiled and nodded. “Nice to meet you. Thank you for showing me around the beach!”
Toni smiled and ran off back down the shore. Upon walking, she had left her bag and hat. She said she felt assured that no one would steal them. I watched her for a long moment and then looked back at the pier.
My curiosity was still strong about the underbelly of the Pier.
“Hmph.” I said and then walked to the large boulders. Could there be a way trough these boulders instead of taking the risky 30 step stairway?
I squeeze myself between two large smooth boulders. With my tiny frame, it was a breeze, but now I had officially inserted myself into a maze of large rocks. Below my feet, the sand was damp and hard. The rock around me varied from smooth to jagged and hard. The tops of the rocks were drizzled with hundreds of seagull poop. I walked around to the left of the first rock I came to and then squeezed myself through two rocks, so close to one another that I thought for sure I was going to get stuck.
I looked up at the pier dock above me, using it as my guide and goal to where I wanted to reach. I wanted to make it underneath it, not away from it.
After squeezing through two more rocks, I finally emerged myself under the shadow of the pier.
There were things I immediately noticed upon arriving underneath the pier.
One, that it was dark underneath the pier. The only light shining through was through the small cracks of the planks of the pier. And secondly, it was a lot more cold underneath the pier than outside of it.
I looked around. I officially stood by one of the first wooden foundations of the pier. It was wrapped in 6 feet in perhaps the thickest rope I had ever seen. It loomed 8 feet over me, holding up the dock above me.
I turned my attention to the end of the concrete foundation and saw a long concrete wall the width of the whole pier. The gray wall was spray painted with a few graffiti words that I could understand and read. It's once smooth grey wall had multiple tiny holes within it. Slight cracks in places and several old stains that could have been from anything.
I looked away from it and at the shore before me. There was at least 10 yards worth of shore left when the water rushed upon it. Going back in, there 15 yards.
However, one main factor that Toni had been very true on: the amount of litter. Multiple bootles, broken and buried, plastic wrappers from a variety of food. Broken fishing rods, tangled in their on line, soda cans, the tops of soda cans, and a variety of thick rope that had fallen off of the foundation pillars.
Upon further inspection I found a long linked chain used for god knows what, dead fish and carcasses that had longed washed upon shore, and even random pieces of clothing.
I carefully placed on my shoes, seeing that I didn’t want to come home with cut feet. After so, I waked slowly around the dry shore.
After observing some more, I pondered on how some of these items came about to be abandoned under the pier.
I looked at the waterline. My heart felt more pity for the ocean as I saw even more bottles were poking out through the wet sand.
A small wooden box laid halfway out the water along the shore. It looked like a small crab trap of sorts. The thing of it that really got my attention was its constant sashing noise coming from it.
I walked over closer and saw why. At first, I thought it was a snake but after looking closer, it was a eel. A small black eel.
Its wide white eyes were frantic. They began even more frantic upon seeing me. Its small black body tangled up in the chain linked fencing of the trap. It thrashed wildy. Its tail, being the only thing that is free, slapping the ocean water up and down.
I knew immediately it needed help. I dared to take off my shoes and tossed them further in the shore. I wadded my feet I the ocean and went to the trap.
“Okay, lets calm down, little buddy.” I said as I gently pulled the trap out of the and more into the ocean.
The eel seemed the thrash even more, looking at me with its wide white eyes and slapping its tail. It opened its tiny mouth revealing its tiny sharp teeth within. I didn’t know much about eels but I knew it was a threat display.
“Just let me help you out, okay? You’re stuck and you need help.” I said calmly and cradle the trap well within the water. Despite the constant waves coming in and out, I stood with my calves in the water. The waves didn’t hit as hard.
I forced open the wooden top of the trap off, revealing to me its contents inside. Beside the eel tangled up within it, there laid two dead and decaying crabs within. They were not tangled within it and seemed to have been dead for a long time now.
I made a slight face of disgust. I looked back at the eel. Its jaw was shut now, but its wide black and white eyes were fully focused on me. Still panicked but now seemed as if curious of how I was going to help him.
I examined the chain linked wire. It wasn’t like the normal chain linked wire for fences. This type was skinny and thin. It was as well as eroded from the water.
This trap had obviously been in the water for years and years. The side of the chainlink was no longer attached to the trim of the cage. I could easily untwist it and the eel would be able to be free.
“Alright, im gonna try to untwist it. When I do, you are not allowed t bit me or sting me or whatever it is you do. I'm just trying to help.” I said to the eel.
The only response I got was a small flick of the eel’s tail. It splash out of the water and water splattered upon me slightly.
I stared at it for a moment more and then placed my hand inside the trap. I held my breath as quickly tried to untightened the chainlinks. After a moment of struggling, the links came apart. I could now untied them apart.
I let out a breath and held it again as I began untwisting. I was ready to yank back my hand at any moment. I knew this eel didn’t understand word I had said. And he didn’t know I was trying to help him.
I had already made the decision to go to the ER if I was bitten by him.
The eel however kept its head still and away from my hands as far as he could, as if he was as afraid of me as I was of him.
Its little wide eyes still watching me closer. Its tail moved like a serpent but more calmly and slowly. Even so often, it would flick out of the water, splashing water around us.
After several long seconds, The last twist came undone. I pried the chain link with both of my hands, freeing the eel.
The eel splashed once more before slithering out of the trap. It swam wildly away in the ocean, disappearing into the shadowy waters.
I watched it go and looked around in the water for a long while afterwards. He was free. He was going to be okay.
I sighed slightly, relieved nothing bad happened to me or the eel. I looked down at the crab cage. It was destroyed, decayed and within it, unlucky souls who didn’t have me to come along and help them.
I grabbed it and carried it to the dry sand. I dumped the decaying crabs upon the sand and threw the rest of the cage near the concrete wall. It hit the sand and rolled over on its side to a stop underneath the graffiti art.
I looked around for my shoes and found them close by. As I placed them on, a heard a splash within the water. The sound of it sounded louder than the normal waves hitting against the foundation pillars.
I turned around and saw nothing. Just the normal tiny waves coming into the shore. Though the water rippled a little more, I couldn’t tell what made the splash.
In my mind, I thought of the eel. Had he splashed around again?
I smiled at the thought and turned away from the water. I looked around on the beach and it was then the sight of the bottles littering the sand disgusted me.
I picked up a glass bottle closest to me and dumped the sand out of it.
It was obvious many people had come here to have drinks and left their party behind them. More than once.
I didn’t know why or how but a minute later I held five different glass beer bottles. I took them to the concrete wall and placed them gently along the wall in a pile. Since I didn’t have a bag or sorts, a trash pile would just have to do.
I found myself humming a Astro tune and picking up all the bottles I could find along the shore. Broken, shattered or whole, I picked them up. I even found one unopened with the tab still on it. After about twenty minutes, I had collected at least 50 bottles out of the shore and ocean. They laid in a lumpy pile on the wall.
Turning around I saw lumpy holes with the sand and wet sand of the shore. But they were easily filled in by the incoming ocean water. It pushed water and sand within the holes, filling them up rather easily and quickly. No harm was done.
I spent more time picking up soda cans and tops along the shore and waterline. I found them to be more abundant than the beer bottles. Though I myself loved Sprite and Mountain Dew, I never imagined I’d see so many coka cola cans in one area in my life.
After many minutes, I found myself having found more than 100 cans of soda in one hunt. I continued piled them with the beer bottles. This soon caused to have an effect and make a enormous pile of bottles and cans that reached to the middle of my calves.
I took out my phone from my back pocket and saw it was afternoon. My father would probably be at the grocery store about now. I turned and looked up at the pier above me. I could their faint voices of excited people still. They were enjoying themselves, laughing and enjoying their time up there.
I turned back down and looked out to the water. While the ocean water outside the pier was dark blue, under the pier, it was nerly black due to the shadows.
I didn’t feel frightened as I dared to approach the waterline again. I took off my shoes again and sat down on the sand. I sat with my knees up almost to my chin, folding my hands around my knees and admired the view before me. I allowed the ocean water to flow towards me and hit the my toes. Its all I allowed for now.
Beyond the shadow of the pier was the vibrant blue water of the Pacific. The view seemed endless and it small waves crashing into itself and rolling towards me.
I had no thoughts of suicide, my father, our eviction, or anything embarrassing or terrible. I sat quickly and calmly and enjoyed what beheld in front of me. My heart truly felt at the most peace.
I don’t know how long I sat there. But when the sun slowly began to crept into under the pier, giving it light, I decided to get up and go home. I felt more relaxed and at peace more than I ever had in months.
Underneath the pier, it was dark and filthy, but yet it was calm and quiet.
It was hard to explain it why but I knew I would returning tomorrow.