The Dead Of Summer

The jogger ran north along the water's edge, the sand heavy underfoot after the night's rain. At the promontory he turned and headed back down the beach. In the distance he saw a figure walking towards him. Suddenly the person stumbled and fell, then just lay there not moving. Feeling uneasy, he ran forward. 'Are you all right?' The face that turned towards him was expressionless, the eyes cold. For the jogger, time seemed to stand still. Deep down inside him something came alive, something he had tried to bury for years. Then he saw the muzzle of the gun. It was pointed straight at him. He sank to his knees; everything in his mind went still…