‘C’mon’ he coaxed
her into the ink, the black
water
She wasn’t bothered by
the waves lapping at her
thighs
The night sky blanket
on her shoulders, the
empty stretch of silver beach
She saw his teeth gleam
white in the moon
She. wavered.

But then
a slippery something slid past her shins
Maybe a minnow
Maybe a man. eating. shark.
She shrieked shocked
slipped back to the shallows
to watch him be swallowed
‘C’mon’ he called
‘It’s probably just seaweed’
‘Sure’ she said
‘But why risk it?’