There had been a storm last night. The wind howled incessantly, huge breakers crashed onto the beach. Together they had kept the boy from sleep most of the night. In the morning, the beach was a mess; normally smooth and clean, this morning it was littered with sea weed, sponges, sticks and shells of every kind.
Finding things on the beach was a favorite pastime. He dreamed of magical places, of pirates and mermaids, of shipwrecked sailors and buried treasure. So, despite only being half awake he wandered aimlessly along the sand, weaving through the treasure that the storm had deposited.