Secrets

Kimanto Bay was the smallest town on the eastern shore of Florida. With a population of merely 900 and only the scenic route passing through town, outsiders were few and far between.

This was perfect for Claude. At an ageless 76, all he wanted was to settle down somewhere and live out the rest of his life in peace. The accomplish this he had bought the old Chester place, which faced onto the coarse beach just outside of town. With its wrap-around veranda containing a wide array of seating options, Claude could curl up on inclement days, or wander along the beach on sunny days.

Today was one of those sunny days, and the town's youth were determined to make the most of the last Saturday before school and homework started. Out in full force, they made sand castles, cavorted in the waves, or simply relaxed with friends and enjoyed the sun. Walking along the beach with the water lapping at his left foot, Claude couldn't help but smile at some of their antics. Turning to his right, he saw little Clary Potter running over to him, her blonde pigtails flopping as she bounced.

“Hello Clary. How are you on this fine day,” he asked her with a smile as she attached herself to his legs. “Are your adult teeth starting to grow in yet?”

“Yeth they are,” Clary replied, looking up at him and smiling wide to show him the gap where her two teeth had fallen out. “I can theel them now. And look, thith one is about to fall out too” she exclaimed.

“Wow,” Claude said, bending over to look. “ And did your mother manage to find the magic stone that lets the tooth fairy visit?” The stone was a sparkly pink number which had been found on this same beach many years ago. Clary truly believed that without it, the tooth fairy would be trapped in her own land.

“Yeth thee did. Thee thaid to say thank you and that thee never woulda thought to look in the pot cupboard. I'm hawpy cause otherwise the twooth faiwy woulda been stuck in twooth faiwy land and she woulda been missing a twooth. “ Clary looked visibly put out at idea of he tooth fairy not being able to collect her tooth.

“Well then it's a good thing you found it, isn't it” Claude replied. “But look, I think your little brother wants your help with his sand castle.” Indeed, Clary's three-year-old brother John was sitting by a mountain of sand looking forlorn. After accepting one last leg-squeeze from Clary, he shoed her off to go help. Smiling at the sight of the two children playing in the sand, Claude continued down the beach.

Next to acknowledge him was Mrs. Connely. Claude had helped her out the year before when she had misplaced a handbag that had been in her family for generations. She had also been the first one to call what Claude had a 'gift'. Returning Mrs. Connely's nod, Claude continued down the beach.

Claude rolled his eyes internally. «It's just a knack» he thought to himself. It was nonsense, really, that everyone else happened to agree with Mrs. Connely and call it a 'gift'. All he did was guess where that specific item would be. He did have to admit though, he'd never been wrong.

Claude came out of his daydream as he passed a group of the local teenagers. Contained therein were Josh Gibson, whose car key he had helped find, and Sophia Long, whose missing ten carat diamond necklace he had also helped find. Sharing a smile with each of them, he kept walking.

As Claude reached the end of the beach he felt a strange feeling come over him, urging to keep going. Stifling a groan at the protest in his joints, Claude began to climb over the rocks. He began sweating profusely as the reddish-brown rocks sloped upwards so that he was scaling a near vertical wall, then crested and sloped so far downwards that he descended in a seated position. Finally he reached the tidal pools on the other side.

Pausing to catch his breath, Claude looked around to admire the water's job of sculpting this secluded terrain. All over were pools of varying depths, containing a variety or mollusks and coral. Lobsters lived in some, moving slowly from shell to shell.

Feeling a strange compulsion to look to his right, away from the ocean, Claude did so and was startled to see a glint of gold coming from one of the shallower pools. Slowly, so as not to trip, he made his way over to the pool and crouched down.

What he saw surprised him. Tucked away in a crevice was a gold galleon, the likes of which were lost in the 1500s when the Spanish sea ships kept sinking in the Caribbean. Claude smiled briefly, and then frowned. Sure, the coin would make a great addition to his collection, but first he had to get back over those blasted rocks.