Castle Competition by Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves underage characters. You have been warned
The sun is bright, burning ever fervently onto the ground below. The heat is intense, and the sandy beaches of Baimo are baked in it. Those who walk on it go more quickly, hoping not to burn their feet. Of course, it is for naught; only those wearing shoes or sandals are spared from it. Yet the children on the beach care not. Frollicking through the sands without a care in the world, giggling away, doing whatever their hearts were content with.
Nelson was a young boy who lived in a smaller city that was far removed from any beaches. The closest ones were many kilometers away, and his parents seldom took him on trips to visit them. Recently, one of his friends had gone to the beach, talking about a sand castle competition that the place was holding in the near future. The young Dalmation boy had only once had such an experience, and it had been an indelible memory in his young mind.
At 8 years of age, Nelson was an only child to two loving parents. His mother was a pilot who was more often away than at home. His father, a banking executive who had just as many expectations thrust on him, still found time to spend with his son. Oftentimes, they have to leave their son with a babysitter. Each time it happened, the boy was just as upset as the previous one, even throwing a fit on occasion.
But Nelson had been badgering them about the beach now for weeks. The weight of the want to participate in the competition was known to them. Unbeknownst to the boy, they had been conspiring a trip behind his back. They very much wanted it to be a surprise for him and had been planning it for a while. Both of them had asked for the weekend off, so it would be a two-day excursion, and they'd even be renting a beach house.
The weekend in question was quickly getting ever closer. Nelson was doing alright in school, but had recently done exceptionally well on a reading assignment. After showing his father the grade, the older male just had to share it with his wife. Of course, she was just as proud of the boy as her husband was. It was decided that they would finally tell him about it, waiting just days before the excursion, when both of them happened to be home.
That night at Dinner, the family shared a meal for the first time in weeks. His mother had bags under her eyes from an overnight flight, but she knew she had to put on a stiff upper lip. Despite her fatigue, she had the usual soft smile on her face as she looked over to her husband. The man, still in his sports coat and tie, had just gotten home from work but wasn't quite as harried as she was.
"How was school today?" The older male asked his son, trying to start things off in a more casual manner.
The dalmation puppy smiled at both of them. "It was good. Mrs. Burns gave out prizes today for attendance."
"Oh, and did you get anything nice?" His mother said, trying to take an interest in his school life, as it was important to her to stay as involved as possible.
Nelson nodded happily. "Uh-huh, she let me pick this super cool action figure. Wanna see?
The boy was about to get up, but his father gently touched his shoulder. "Maybe later, champ. Let's enjoy our dinner first. We don't get to have dinner as a family often."
"That's true. You can show me after. I promise. Besides…we have a little surprise to share with you." The older woman waited for her son to sit back down.
A sparkle of curiosity glistened in the puppy's eye as he heard her words. "A surprise?"
"Mhm. We know that you've been asking to go to the beach for a while and have been talking a lot about competing in the sand castle competition. Well…you're mother and I rented a beach house for the weekend so we could enjoy a family getaway together." His father said proudly.
The younger male's eyes grew wider as his tail wagged behind him more noticeably. "Really? Thanks, Mom and Dad."
Nelson exploded out of his chair, hugging each one of them one after the other. The look of anticipation on his face was all too obvious. Smiles grew on both of his parents' faces, knowing they had made the right choice. Besides, it would be good for them to get away from work and take a few days to disconnect entirely. No work responsibilities and a chance to spend time with the ones they loved.
The family soon returned to eating, the conversation returning to focus on each of their days. More time focusing on their son, who shared his most recent interest in a new club at school. An anime group focused on some of the more popular Shonen shows that had been airing dubbed locally. The hottest of which had been My Hero Academia, a cartoon that the boy had liked more for its over-the-top combat than its story.
The conversation soon turned to work, quickly disinteresting the younger boy. Staying silent so his parents could catch up. After all, he'd been taught to show good manners, and this was no different. He quietly ate but acted as if he was attentive, even if he had little clue what they were talking about. He knew what his parents did for a living, but had very little understanding of what they did from day to day.
The rest of his night was pretty low-key, only having to finish up a small school assignment before turning in. It had been a long day, and he was tired despite being excited about the upcoming weekend. It was only a day before they would go to the beach. Already in his mind, he was planning the sand castle he would build. Fully anticipating winning whatever prize it offered, even dreaming about it.
The next day passed rather quickly. Friday was a blur of activity for the young boy. His classes had tacked on the work today, making them go by much quicker than they would have otherwise. Even in his favorite class, History, the teacher gave them busy work. Nelson was none too happy about it, but grinned and bore through it all the same. By the time the day came to a close, he was mentally exhausted and ready to get home and get ready for their upcoming trip.
The bus ride home seemed to take way longer than usual. Nelson was feeling unusually antsy and couldn't keep still. Already in his mind, he was thinking about the beach. What he would do besides build sand castles. Trying to do the only piece of homework he'd been given, he couldn't quite focus. Instead of wasting time, daydreaming about the beach. Envisioning himself atop the podium, winning whatever prize they handed out at the competition.
Coming to a stop, the bus driver had to snap him out of it. The Dalmation always sat in the front seat just behind her, so she just nudged him. Thanking her, he quickly sprang out of his seat and jetted to the community where he lived. Going through a singular gate that led him to the interior part of it. Seeing his house just in the distance made him run toward it, recognizing his mother's car in the parking bay out front.
After arriving at the house, he found his mother already packing things for their trip. Two beach chairs, an umbrella, and a picnic basket lay near the front door. His mother urged him to help her, and of course, he was all too keen to participate. Grabbing some towels, sunscreen, and a few toys from his collection. The woman chuckled at him as he jostled with the oversized load, but allowed it all the same.
"Don't forget your sand castle tools." She reminded him with a smile on her face.
Nelson slapped his head and immediately sprinted back to his room. Pulling out a pail and a shovel, not thinking that he needed anything else. Bringing it back to the front room, the older woman was no longer there. So he just stashed it in the pile so it could be packed up. The boy decided to finish his homework so he wouldn't have to worry about it over the weekend. After all, he just wanted to enjoy himself and have fun.
Grabbing his bag from where he left it, he returned to his room to work on the assignment he'd been given. A small reading passage that he just couldn't get into. It seemed to be about a fictional folk legend of the Chupacabra, something he had never heard about. Still slightly distracted, it took him a bit longer than normal to finish it. Managing to do so just a few minutes before both his parents called him for dinner. Sighing in relief, he got up from his chair and headed into the closet.
Both of his parents were already waiting for them. His father was still in his usual work attire, fixing the glasses on his snout. The cub joined them, and they got to eating. A hearty meal of pasta, fresh vegetables, and potatoes. Soon, starting a conversation about their days, focusing on none in particular. As they finished, Nelson made sure to volunteer to clean up in hopes they would give him a bigger dessert.
Of course, his parents knew the ruse. Rarely did their son volunteer for such things. His father nodded at his wife. The woman got up, fetching a small candy bar from the fridge. The brand was one of the boys' favorites, and it was a full-size one at that. Turning around, the dalamation boy couldn't help but notice. His eyes grew wide, but before he could swipe it, his mother stopped him.
"Not until you finish your chores and your homework." The older woman said in a commanding tone.
The younger boy nodded. "Okay, thanks, Mom and Dad."
His mother remained behind after another soft nod to her husband. Allowing him to do his thing since he hadn't yet had a chance to tone it down after work. She watched her son finish the chores, only stopping him once more when he finished to confirm he'd done his homework. Nelson happily nodded to her, wagging his tail behind him. Finally relenting, she handed it over. Nelson tore the thing open and finished it in just a few bites.
The rest of the night was a quiet one for the Dalmation family. Nelson's parents continued to work to get ready. Everything was still last-minute since they only had so much time off they'd been given. Yet, neither of them complained as they were grateful for what they had. Both of them worked well into the night, making sure that everything was ready and that they weren't missing anything. After all, they didn't want to have to waste time and turn around to get something.
Despite trying to help them, Nelson had been shrugged off and told to get to bed. Neither of his parents saw anything else he could help with and instead told him to get ready for bed. Whining, he only gave in after his mother caught him yawning. Insisting that the boy needed his sleep, as they would be getting up early the next day. Finally relenting, the cub slowly padded his way back to his room.
The frantic pace of the day had gotten to him, and despite eating chocolate, he was tired. Grabbing a change of pajamas, he headed to the bathroom to wash up. Going through his usual hygiene routine, but at a somewhat slower pace than usual. Yawning again, he rubbed his eyes, trying to fight the fatigue that was now winning him over. The warmth of the shower water only made it worse for him, but he hated cold water too much to change it.
By the time he got out, the boy was almost completely relaxed. Another yawn escaped from his mouth as he continued to fight with fatigue. Slowly drying himself before just as lethargically changing into his pajamas. Padding back into his room, he flopped on his bed. Rolling over on his side and letting sleep take over his mind. No dreams visited him that night, at least not one that he could remember.
The next morning, he awoke to a raucous knock on his door. His father yelled to him through it, telling him to get up so they could head out. Nelson burst out of bed, almost forgetting to change into his beach stuff before seeing his reflection in the mirror behind his door. Grabbing a pair of swim trunks and a graphic t-shirt with his favorite anime character on it. Leaving his pajamas in a pile on his bed, he ran to the front room to find his parents getting ready.
Both his mother and father were frantically running around putting stuff into the car. The pile of stuff they had collected was now much smaller. His father motioned for their son to help them, surprised to see him already in his beach garb. Helping them with the smaller stuff, the dalamation boy delivered a few items to the back trunk of the car. Working together, it didn't take them long before they finished transferring it all.
"Nice work, let's go eat breakfast and head out." His mother said before leading them to the kitchen.
Inside the kitchen, the cub found it smelling stronger than usual. The aroma of raspberry pancakes, fresh fruit, and decadent syrup was thick in the air. A small stream of hot air could be seen steaming from the pancake press. His mother went over to turn it off, delivering a few for each of them onto some plates. The woman's husband helped by cutting the fruit into smaller bits and handing some to each of them.
Nelson ate much quicker than normal; his parents were barely halfway done by the time he cleaned his plate. Telling him to pack his bags while they finished up and loaded the car. The cub returned to his room and emptied his book bag of his school stuff, throwing it onto the bed without much thought. Going through his wardrobe and fishing out the first things he found. He never got to choose things on his own, and this was one of the reasons why.
His mother popped in to check on him, replacing much of what he had put in it. Nelson didn't complain much except when she took out his favorite shirt. A well-worn garment that had long since seen better days and no longer fit him. She made sure his bag was packed with sufficient changes of clothes before handing it back to him. Motioning for him to follow her, it seemed it was finally time to head out.
They headed out the front door, and the cub saw his father already in the driver's seat. The engine was already going, and the man waved to them to hurry them along. Pushing her son along, the woman brought both of them to the car. Nelson filed into the back seat with his mother right in front of him. It wasn't much longer before they got underway, heading out from the parking lot and exiting their community.
The trip to the beach was a longer one. Nelson was already complaining about an hour through it. His mother allowed him to play on her phone, silencing him for a bit longer. Even taking the highway, it was expected to take a few hours. Fortunately, traffic wasn't bad that weekend, and the main roads were mostly barren. Only coming across a small construction delay that slowed things down, but they were through it pretty quickly.
Some time later, they arrived at the beachfront property. A condo on stilts, situated among the sandy shores. Pulling just in front of it, they could already see the beach from where they were.
"We're here, honey." The boy's mother said.
Instantly, the cub put down the phone. "Finally…"
The moment the car came to a stop, he exploded out the door. Going as fast as he could to the fence that separated the property from the beach. Just beyond it, he could see a lifeguard station as well as a few families set up on blankets with one of them having a picnic. Right next to them was the event area where some people could be seen preparing for the sandcastle competition. The banner behind them made it obvious what it was for.
"Come help your mother and me unpack. Then you can go play. Your competition doesn't start until tonight." His old man said, reminding him so his son didn't get ahead of himself.
Sighing, the boy turned around, knowing he didn't have much choice. After all, he didn't want to risk either of his parents' wraiths while on vacation. He began to help them move the smaller items from the trunk into the villa. Impatiently tapping his paws on the wooden patio, as he was the first one up there. His parents chuckled at the boy's excitement before his mother finally let him in.
The townhome was a smaller property with but a single floor. The living room had a fairly large television with a surround sound system installed. No lighting was turned on in the place, but it was very well illuminated by the sunlight outside. On the balcony, a swing chair lay inside a screened-in zone. To the rear of it, the condo was split into two rooms, with the larger one having a king-size bed and the smaller one having a bunk-style one.
Nelson didn't say much about it and simply threw his stuff into the room without a second thought. Rushing through as quickly as he could to help his family. They were able to move things quickly enough, and his parents didn't unpack much as they transferred them. Though his mother did spend some time taking the stuff out of the cooler to put it into the fridge. After all, she didn't want things to spoil as she was unsure where the closest store was.
After helping his parents for a while, the young dalmation was allowed to do what he wanted. Only having to promise his parents that he wouldn't swim. Yet, Nelson had no interest in it. He wanted to get ready for the competition. Grabbing his pail and bucket, he immediately sprinted outside to the beach. Shuffling off his sandals just as he left the property. The warm sand feeling good with a balmy sense of comfort against his feet.
His parents would join him in short order, only keeping an eye on him from the porch until finally joining him on the beach. It wouldn't be until later that the event finally started. A hype-otter began drumming down the start time with a conga. Each time, following by an announcement of how many hours until it started. Time was quickly frittering away, and before Nelson knew it, he was whisked away to the entry booth.
The boy's mother signed him up for the youth group, since he was too young for the pre-teen ones. The group in question would be for 7-10-year-olds and would be the second one to go after the youngest one. Nelson watched with anticipation as some of the youngest boys and girls engaged in making castles of all sorts. Most of them shambled into piles of sand, but a few of them stood against the occasional gust of wind. A winner was found and announced all the same.
It was now Nelson's turn, and the boy's name was called along with many others. His age group of 9-10-year-olds was assigned the left plot of sand. Despite bringing his own tools, he found the place had provided its own. Handing it to his mother, he took his spot and waited for directions. The hype-otter began explaining things and went over more of the rules. It was to be more strict than the one for the younger cubs, but it was still pretty lax.
A whistle was blown soon after, and each of the cubs began building their sand castles. Nelson's parents watched as their son began to construct his empire of sand. The cub had imagined a grand chateau of glorious heights. One with a grand moat, palisades, and towering walls. He started with the towers, even trying to carve out small windows in each of them. Connecting them with a rampart with indentations to represent battlements.
Nelson had been very interested in the subject since it was first presented to him in History class. His attention to detail, adding even a drawbridge and portcullis. Drawing small arrow loops into his towers as lookouts. Making sure to flatten out a baily before trying his hand on the keep at the center of it. At the pinnacle of the keep, he planted a toothpick to represent the flag of whoever lived there.
The whistle was soon blown again. Time was now up, and the cubs were told to stop working. The young dalmation felt proud of what he had done and waited with bated breath to see if he would win. The same otter went around with some other adults to judge each of the entries. Finally getting to the young dogs, keeping a straight face, which made it even more anxiety-inducing for Nelson. Yet he remained silent all the same.
An announcement soon followed with the hype otter going and thanking all the participants. Rolling through a few of the runner-ups before getting to the placements. Third place went to the girl just across from Nelson. Her parents hugged her as she was given a blue ribbon. The second-place prize was handed to the boy himself: a red ribbon and a small trophy to take home with him. Nelson gleefully jumped up and down as he was handed it. Happy that at least he won something.
His parents congratulated him with hugs and kisses, taking a picture of his work with the happy cub alongside it. Surely a picture they would share with their distant family sometime in the future. The winner that day did not matter to them. Nelson's happy face and wagging tail had made it all too apparent that he'd enjoyed himself. Making it even more worth it that they came all the way out here to spend time together.
The rest of their trip was one of rest and relaxation. Nelson's prizes remaining at the villa and forgotten. Even making a friend with the boy who beat him. The two happily prodding along on the beach and building even more sand castles. Already in their mind, they were planning for next time. Looking forward to when they could come back and enjoy the feeling of sun-soaked rays once again and truly enjoy what mattered most…each other!
