squiddy's story part 11: Night Tide Glow | chapter 2: beach time

(AYO SQUIDDY GET OFF THE FREAKY JUICE) I curled my tentacles around the hollow curve of a sun-bleached conch shell resting half-buried in the cooling sand. The tide was creeping back in, murmuring softly under the night sky. Max hopped over the damp sand with steady little clicks, nestling his gray plastic base right into a shallow dip between my front limbs. To keep the encroaching darkness gentle, I pulsed a rhythmic, breathing wave of turquoise radiance across the wet sand, illuminating the foam brushing against our toes. Max gave a small, quiet wiggle, tilting his googly eyes up toward the stars as if finally comfortable speaking his own silent language with me.