A Quest for Immortality

Tuesday

“Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore, so do our minutes hasten to their end.” -William Shakespeare

    The mist was swiftly sweeping off the raucous sea, enveloping the poorly maintained shack known as Caribbean Chareky’s.  C.C.’s, as called by the locals, had been a mainstay of North Daytona for many generations. For those seeking the fresh deviled crab, grouper, lobster, or almost any type of seafood, this was the place. The prevailing thought was that you could get acceptable food in a fancy chain diner; but for a real treat of the palate, a trip to C.C.’s was a must. Unless referred by the locals, it was a place that visitors feared to tread. 

      The pale gray rented Toyota Avalon pulled into the driveway of Chareky’s a little past 8:30 pm, as most of the regular crowd was thinning. Dr. Carollyn Morris-Bower

 stepped from the car slowly onto the graveled parking lot, peering at the dilapidated restaurant. Taking a deep breath, she noticed the sting of the salty air in her nostrils. Being from Chicago, this was an unusual sensation. Keeping her eyes focused on the restaurant, Carollyn motioned for her two sons, Jason, 14, and Nathaniel, 8, to join her.

             Carollyn casually looked around the surrounding area.  With the exception of a few houses the entire area was deserted and dark. She imagined what it would look like on a clear evening with the milky way lighting up the black  abyss.

 The trio walked up the creaky wooden steps, peering at the sand below, to the deck. Though the porch was almost totally engulfed with fog, it was obviously in need of much repair. The splintered railing that surrounded it was rotting; the wooden deck was riddled with holes and cracks. Rusted nails that had once secured the screen were still in place. A worn American flag proudly stood at attention on the outer porch. Two gas sea lanterns hung from the ceiling illuminating the unfinished picnic tables used for “dining alfresco.”