As the first woman neared, Woody was unaware that a second followed closely behind. It was not his vision or an inability to count that was acting as a hindrance. Rather, it was a shuffling light emanating from the slopes of a purposeful sand dune that was consuming the surface of his inquisitive eyes. It was akin to a magical orb that Woody had heard about when his grandmother used to babble about the creatures who lived in the woods. Supposedly, they used bursts of illumination to momentarily interrupt moonless nights, all the while piquing the curiosity of the most foolish of settlers. Woody could never understand the power of intense attraction versus the horror that fueled self preservation. On more than one occasion, experiencing this phenomena supposedly led families to exchange their homes and their safety for a pathway that lured them far, far away. Woody could still hear his grandma whispering the tale, while back in the world, he scrunched the top of his nose upward, bolstering the efforts of his squinting eyes. No matter the era, the “far, far away” was always a dead giveaway that someone was pulling his chain. He smiled and once again, promised not to hold it against her. The bright light was now flickering in different, and irregular dimensions. Flat triangles, giving way to thick diamonds and tall circles. Woody knew that there was no immediate threat, other than the burning sensation in his right eye. Even when he slept, he often struggled to keep it fully closed. It was not yet the middle of the day, and the sun was more than a viable substitute for a resting moon. Besides, sand was now beginning to fly and swollen, pinkish legs– repeatedly stumbling, were just enough to create a lingering image that reluctantly-Woody would be forced to entertain. As the flashes became less frequent, the legs continued to grow bigger. There was enough experience in the old lifeguard to trigger a feeling of impending horror. Somewhere far, far away, a wayward settler was supposedly begging Woody to join him, while Jim stood at the base of the shore, most definitely, pulling his chain.