Yay!
300+
Gotham had done just a bit of exploring. He preferred to stay with his siblings because it was always more fun when he had them to play with. Today was a nice day, and even after begging the girls to go outside with him, they had refused. So he was forced to leave the house alone. The gangling boy moved at a quick trot, his ropy tail high behind him. He imagined that he had his pack behind him; there were monsters in the woods and he was leading them to safety. C'mon! he called to them over his shoulder, moving a little faster lest the "monsters" had heard him. He felt amazingly comfortable in the outer area of Crimson Dreams; there was limited or no fear in his iridescent eyes.
The dark child didn't realize how much time had passed, or how far he'd gone, until he reached the seashore. His imaginary pack disappeared instantly. Momma and Dad had told Gotham and his sisters that the beach was special to them. Maybe they'd be happy to know that he'd seen it himself. Dad had taken Cambria to the beach not too long ago, and she'd told them all how neat it was. The child saw now that she hadn't merely been boasting. The sand she'd talked of was softer than grass or dirt; it felt wonderful between his toes. And the crashing waves of the endless ocean whispered to him in a language he wished he could understand.
He plodded across the beach, and out of the corner of his eye spotted a small figure several yards to his left. He wondered why he hadn't seen it before. Gotham jogged toward the other child, a small smile on his face. "Hey... whas you doin' here?" he asked, his voice full more of curiosity than accusation. The girl was really pretty, with her soft coat and bright eyes. He sat down in the sand, watching her.