A young boy kicked at the shells scattered across the sandy vista. The day was as grey as the beach he stood on, and the clouds overhead were swollen with the promise of rain. The boy kept his small hands in his pockets and squinted as his hair pelted his face as the cold wind blew through him. He turned his head and stared over into the distance, past the silver-blue waves crashing upon the rocky beach. After a moment, he closed his eyes and listened intently to the sound of sea and the calling of the gulls hovering above him. The boy let out a sigh, enjoying the song the sea was singing, but it was soon broken by the screech of his stomach, “Liam! I’m hungry!”

Liam opened his eyes and grunted in protest, but he knew that there was a bowl of warm oatmeal waiting for him back home. His stomach mumbled again with the thought of each spoonful sliding down his throat and the warming sensation it came with. He placed his hands onto his belly, in attempt to quell the uncomfortable vibrations. “Okay, all right… I’ll go,” he retorted to himself. He slowly turned around, sliding his hands back into his trouser’s pockets and headed for the hills. Following the dilapidated wooden posts and boarded stair, he slowly clambered to the top. Once there, he stopped for a moment and sighed, letting the salty air fill his lungs. Liam then bounded across the tall, rustling grass, toward his home near the cliff overlooking the sea. He took his hands from his pockets and outstretched his arms facing his sides and mimicked an airplane against the wind. As Liam reached the door to his home, he spotted his fat, orange tabby cat curled up atop the barrel that sat below the round window. His pelt was like a blazing fire that contrasted against the grey evening and was very hard to miss. Liam skidded to a halt in front of his cat and panted; once he caught his breath, he frowned and picked the cat up. “Oh, Pierre… you do know it’s going to rain soon…”

Pierre meowed in objection as he was slowly placed over his master’s shoulder. Liam shook his head and headed for the door.