Clam Digging with Little Jon

Jon spent the morning in the hot sun digging clams on the island.  Maybe this trip would bring some happiness back.  Their life was a drab, joyless haze since the fever took their son.  He didn't fear the ghost stories about the island.  He came because of them.  Jon thought sorrowfully of digging with Little Jon on this same beach.


A lone tourist towed Jon back across the Sandy Straights for showing him how to dig clams.  It had been a long, hot row there so Jon let the man show his gratitude.  The American insisted on taking Jon's picture with the cod Jon helped him catch.   Jon obliged, humorlessly holding the fish while the man scrambled into the trailing boat to snap the picture.

Months later when the picture arrived, Jon and Sarah knew for sure what they suspected from the little creaks, and strange sounds haunting their cottage.  Little Jon had come home that day.  Finally, they smiled.

Story Prompt

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Submitted for: Flash! Friday Vol 2 - I (160 words)
Some neat background about Woody Island http://www.woodyisland.com/WoodyIslandHistory/StoriesAccounts.aspx
And a map

Update:  So honored, Flash Friday! Runner Up!