Hank Ferman went to step forward but couldn't. Odd, he thought. He had always been so good at moving forward. Oh well, he decided, it was probably for the best. Though if he had the choice he would've picked a better place to stop moving, like maybe some place with pizza, or even hot wings. He checked his pockets for hot wings but there weren't any. He decided right then that he should definitely always carry around extra hot wings just in case.
	“Get off my property you nutball, or I'll call la policia.” It was a familiar voice, definitely not his own. Ah yes, it was Carol. She could talk. He went to turn to the voice and remembered his condition.
	“I cant move Carol, I think I'm paralyzed or something, could you bring me some chips?”
	“You're drunk Hank. And you've been staring out at the ocean for a half hour now. The waves have buried your feet in the sand. I'm not a doctor, but I think you'll live long enough to walk your ass to the corner-mart for a bag of Doritos. Though on second thought maybe not. I am a much better shot when the target can't move.”
	Drunk. That sounded familiar. Hank glanced down  to see his feet and sure enough, they weren't there. Just two shins sticking out of the sand as the surf slid around them, drifting back into the next crashing wave. He also noticed a bottle of whiskey in his hand. He liked whiskey. How convenient. He took a big swig for himself, and remembered Carol. 
	“Hey, I found this whiskey, want some?” Having already forgotten about his feet, his arms flailed in a gesture to offer her the bottle, nearly making him fall over.
	“That's a great idea Hank,” her voice was getting closer, “better pour an extra, I'm drinking for two now”. Ahhh yes, now Hank remembered. Carol was pregnant. He could picture her in his head now with her belly poking out. Looked kind of funny, especially how here belly button bulged out. He let out a giggle.
	“Beautiful night eh?” He turned to see Carol standing beside him, her sandy blond ponytail dancing in the wind.
	“CARUUUL!” He opened his arms to embrace her. 
	“Oh no.” She said as she pulled away. “Hugs from drunk guys, sorry Hank.That boat sailed after college. I only have to put up with that from one man now. And I may put up with  his drunk friends in my back yard, but drunk hugs, nuh uh.” 
	“How about helping me out of the sand then?”
	“Actually I think your safest that way, to both yourself and others.” She let out a wry smile, pulled her skirt tight under her knees and sat down on the beach next to him. She patted the sand next to her, behind where he stood. “You can fall can't you, I've seen you pull that off before, even when drunk.” The words still had sarcasm but her tone had turned soft and comforting. Hank concentrated on falling and felt his back slam into the sand. Carol let out a laugh. At first he was confused, but then decided that if Carol was laughing it was a good thing, and he let out a smile. Something about this set her off even more and she let out a series of soft giggles. “How no girl has taken you in is beyond me,” she said as she continued to laugh, but shortly after she said it her face grew serious, and she dropped her smile. Mary.
	The thought of her raced through Hanks mind and he felt like he was on a roller coaster gone wrong. She was gone. She had left him. He was drunk, again.
	“I'm sorry,” Carol said. “I didn't mean to bring that up.”
	“No that's ok, I have a funny feeling I was thinking about her earlier.” He smiled as he gestured with the bottle of whiskey. “It's for the best, she's better off without me,” he said in his most longing voice, forgetting in his drunken state how obvious he was when fishing for compliments.
	“Yeah, I know,” Carol said with a smile. “She's a stupid girl Hank, and you're a stupid guy. Not a good combination. You need a REALLY stupid girl, Hank, like me. Look at how well Gus made out. I put up with all his stupid shit, just can't help but love the lug.” She was smiling with her full on adorable smile now, and there was just no way not to respond in kind. Hank smiled.
	“REALLY stupid girls huh, where do I find me one of them?” he asked.
	“Ohio I guess. I'll let out our honing call next time I go back and see if I can pick one up for you.”
	“In the meantime do prostitutes work?”
	“As long as you don't fuck them in my back yard... No you dolt!” She wacked him on the shoulder with her sandals. “Now go home and watch some porn or something constructive” she said as she got up and began to walk back to her house. “And I'm counting this time against you, Gus gets a half hour less of 'but we never hang out with Hank' time this week.”
	Hank smiled and got to his feet, loosing some whiskey to the sand in the process since he used the hand with the bottle in it to brace himself. He wiped the sand of the top and took one more swig. Then looked around slightly confused.
	“The blue one.” Carol cried out as she shut the screen door behind her. Right, Hank thought, mine is the blue one.