by Liz deBeer

Limping to the ocean’s edge, my broken foot’s worried, wondering if the podiatrist would approve, but I say Screw it, adding, Salt water’s healing. Wading in further, frothy foam numbs my foot’s angst. Gulls swoop among surfers, calling “go-on, go-on!” Then terns shriek and children holler, “It’s a big one!” A huge wave approaches, its wall of water blocking the sun: I dive through the salty blue, my foot and doctor-be-damned. Heart racing, hair dripping, adrenaline pumping, endorphins racing, my foot and I glide beyond the breaks, away from our restrictive orthopedic boot, waves whispering of promises over the horizon.

Liz deBeer, author of the chapbook Farewell to Emptiness ­(Thirty West), has published flash in BULL, Fictive Dream, Bending Genres, Literally Stories, and others. She has written essays for various journals including Brevity Blog. A volunteer reader for Flash Fiction Magazine, Liz is a teacher and writer with Project Write Now.  Liz writes about resilience via her weekly Substack newsletter. Follow Liz at ldebeerwriter.com