Leavin' Here

         Terry picked up his things from the flat, posted the keys back through the letterbox. He walked down to the campsite and recovered his forlorn looking tent and a few belongings inside. It reeked of stale air and disuse, damp patches starting to grow green grey on the fabric. He packed it carefully nonetheless and strapped it onto his rucksack. He flipped the overweight bag over his head and onto his back, crouched down and slipped his board under one arm. There was a definite rain in the air and no-one else was about.



          Picking his way through the empty site, 'round caravans that lay idle waiting for winter lets and those which would be closed up until next spring, he pushed an envelope through the locked door of the office with his final few days' site rent in it. He still had enough cash for a while, even though he no longer had a job to go back to, having overstayed his time here and not quite having got around to letting them know. He didn’t care – the job meant nothing and the only loss was a regular income, something, he was certain, would turn up. Either that or he’d sign on.



          As he walked back down the valley, wondering when the next bus out of town was, he was passed by a couple of kids, thirteen or fourteen at the most, running down the unmade road carrying cheap pop out boards. He smiled, the sea was flat, but something about it still drew them in. He felt that he was pulling away now. Time to go.



          Once he was back in the village proper he stopped by Joe’s shop. He propped his belongings against the wall outside – he’d never negotiate the narrow aisles with a rucksack – and went in for a final time. Joe had seen him all packed up and his smile was one of more gentle concern now.



          "Thought you were off on a mission or somethin’?", the voice was low and even slightly worried.



          "Gave up on it Joe. Giving up on the whole thing."



          Joe turned ‘round and pulled a couple of packets of fags from the shelf behind, he threw them out to Terry who caught one and let the other skid along the floor behind him, he smiled.



          "No swell, no reason to stay." It was a blunt and final statement which said far more than Terry meant it to.



          "Yeah, no swell." Joe sighed, "No reason to stay’s a different thing altogether…" He let the words hang in the air.



          "All the same – that’s it. Off back now."



          "Going home ?"



          "Nah, leaving it I think…." Terry looked down and Joe said nothing.

short chapter so a long dub to make up for it....