Consequences: A Drama in Three Parts, Part 2

II

Shi Shi is epically beautiful. Rock formations, sandy beaches, a strangely diffused light similar to those scenes in movies when people think that they've died and they talk to a loved one for awhile who's all lit up and glowing and gives really great advice. We arrived, laden with heavy packs, to find real sunshine. This feels like a miracle on the Olympic Peninsula. We set up our camp, jumped in the ocean, and watched the sunset while some of Team Portland prepared dinner on an open fire.

I should probably explain how this worked. The Shi Shi Beach trip had its humble beginnings three years ago. I had been dreaming about checking out the Olympic Peninsula and brought it up with John-Robert (JR) who lives in Seattle. JR had been weaned on tales of his dad wandering around at Shi Shi Beach and we decided to follow through. The original group: Gabe, JR, Darci, Alexis and I, set out from Seattle and spent one night at Shi Shi. We loved it. We vowed to go back. Last year we expanded to two cars (one from Seattle and one from Portland) and spent two nights. Each of us were responsible for a shared meal for the group and we ate incredibly well all weekend and fell in love with food sharing. Fast forward to this year. Twenty-five people. Madness. Mayhem. We had a group coming from Portland and a group coming from Seattle, six cars, and still were attempting to plan shared meals in an organized fashion. Team Seattle did not seem as in to the idea of food sharing but this was only assumed on our part due to their lack of internet presence. There was talk of eating members of Team Seattle if things went awry.

Team Seattle had set up a camp a mile and half down the beach from where we settled. This worked out well, as there are various rules in place to preserve the pristine nature of Shi Shi. They came down to dinner and we sat around the campfire and told stories and talked. It was a modest fire. It was getting late and clouds were rolling in from the ocean when Jocelyn turned to me and said, "This makes me think of Bob."

The conversation turned to Jocelyn repeating, "Fire walk with meeeeee" in a creepy voice while I made various high-pitched noises of discomfort.

I hope you've seen Twin Peaks. It's great. Bob is basically evil incarnate and appears as this hideous grey-haired figure who appears in visions, nightmares, and mirrors. Lynch makes this character move incredibly, unnaturally fast, snapping his teeth and growling, and the whole effect is something straight out of a bad dream. Let's not make too little of this. David Lynch is the king of foreshadowing. Why this five second long still of the lacquered box on the mantle? Why close the scene with a zoom into her glassy eyes? Why would Jocelyn think of Bob? It always has meaning. You just have to pay attention.