Fun in the sun on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk was just what the doctor ordered for the Fox family. It had been on Ethan’s wish list ever since seeing it on the Discovery channel. So, when his adoptive parents, George and Betsy Fox, asked him to choose a vacation destination, it was a no-brainer. It didn’t hurt that California was the farthest on that list from their home in Manhattan – and after the events of the previous weeks, that was a good thing . . .

Ethan stood at a railing at the edge of the boardwalk and stared at the horizon while he waited for his dad. The fresh ocean breeze tickled his auburn hair as he squinted at the sun glistening off the waves. The ocean always brought Ethan a peaceful calm. Mesmerized by the waves, his mind raced as he imagined what sort of giant creature might burst up from the murky depths. Sometimes he’d even spot the odd whale or dolphin jumping, but so far today – nothing.

Ethan was of average height for a thirteen-year-old boy. He had brown eyes, straight redish brown hair, and a freckled complexion. But unlike most boys his age, Ethan was not obsessed with videogames. He preferred to be outdoors. 

Fun in the sun on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk was just what the doctor ordered for the Fox family. It had been on Ethan’s wish list ever since seeing it on the Discovery channel. So, when his adoptive parents, George and Betsy Fox, asked him to choose a vacation destination, it was a no-brainer. It didn’t hurt that California was the farthest on that list from their home in Manhattan – and after the events of the previous weeks, that was a good thing . . .

Ethan stood at a railing at the edge of the boardwalk and stared at the horizon while he waited for his dad. The fresh ocean breeze tickled his auburn hair as he squinted at the sun glistening off the waves. The ocean always brought Ethan a peaceful calm. Mesmerized by the waves, his mind raced as he imagined what sort of giant creature might burst up from the murky depths. Sometimes he’d even spot the odd whale or dolphin jumping, but so far today – nothing.

Ethan was of average height for a thirteen-year-old boy. He had brown eyes, straight redish brown hair, and a freckled complexion. But unlike most boys his age, Ethan was not obsessed with videogames. He preferred to be outdoors. 

Fun in the sun on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk was just what the doctor ordered for the Fox family. It had been on Ethan’s wish list ever since seeing it on the Discovery channel. So, when his adoptive parents, George and Betsy Fox, asked him to choose a vacation destination, it was a no-brainer. It didn’t hurt that California was the farthest on that list from their home in Manhattan – and after the events of the previous weeks, that was a good thing . . .

Ethan stood at a railing at the edge of the boardwalk and stared at the horizon while he waited for his dad. The fresh ocean breeze tickled his auburn hair as he squinted at the sun glistening off the waves. The ocean always brought Ethan a peaceful calm. Mesmerized by the waves, his mind raced as he imagined what sort of giant creature might burst up from the murky depths. Sometimes he’d even spot the odd whale or dolphin jumping, but so far today – nothing.

Ethan was of average height for a thirteen-year-old boy. He had brown eyes, straight redish brown hair, and a freckled complexion. But unlike most boys his age, Ethan was not obsessed with videogames. He preferred to be outdoors.