Sillia stepped down from the front of the boat and into the shallows. Her boots sank into the mud, making a squishing sound with each step. The waterway reeked of the sweet smell of sulfur. But Sillia had woken up early that morning just so she could bask in the scent and watch the sun rise.

With each step, she looked around at the surrounding water. The tide was still high enough that you couldn’t see the oyster beds hiding below the surface. Sillia waded closer to the shoreline, making sure not to step on them. She watched as tiny shrimp floated past her legs, occasionally getting confused and ramming their heads into the exposed parts of her thighs.

By the time she reached the shoreline, low tide was in full effect. The sun glowed over the horizon as it peeped from behind the ocean. Sillia had made it just in time.

The sun's rays began to shine on the oyster beds. Their mouths bubbled in the water as they slowly shut one by one. Hundreds of sand fiddlers scurried out from underneath the shells. Their claws clicked as they snapped together, trying to grab any leftovers the oysters left behind. She watched as the sea snails slithered from underneath the muddy surface, leaving behind trails that looked like someone wrote a random combination of cursive letters.

Sillia watched as the sun turned into a bright orb in the distance. It was time to leave. But instead of saying goodbye, she whispered to herself, “I can't wait to see how much you've grown next time.”