Free Thirteen Days By Sunset Beach by Ramsey Campbell

even you can do that for me, William. Maybe I'll brave the water in a while."
    The boy dashed into the shallow waves as though to demonstrate how it was done and threw himself flat as soon as the sea grew deeper. As Jonquil set about racing him to their mother, Julian said "If you'll excuse me I'll join them."
    "Do you mind if I go out too, Ray?"
    "How could I mind?" Ray said and clasped Sandra's hand, barely refraining from squeezing too hard. "You enjoy everything you can."
    As Julian strode into the water she limped after him. Ray was watching her venture deeper when she stumbled, falling full length. He lurched helplessly to his feet and was about to yell to somebody to go to her—Tim was closest, and had left his awkwardness behind the moment he'd immersed himself—when she regained her old grace and surged forward through the water. He could have thought she'd grown almost as fluid as the waves. He mustn't panic just because he couldn't follow, not when she had the family around her, but he was dismayed to think she was out of his reach.
    He did his best to relish the pleasure she was taking in the swim, but found he couldn't bear to watch her growing more remote. There wasn't much to distract him on the beach. Apart from clothes and backpacks abandoned on towels he was alone except for the figure made of sand. Most of both the holes it had for eyes had gone, and the nose had collapsed, while the mouth dwindled as he watched. As it vanished from the left side of the face he heard William call "Please may I go in the cave?"
    "Just give me a few minutes," Julian said, "and I'll see if it's safe for you."
    Ray saw how he could be some use to everyone. "I'll go and look," he shouted.
    "Will you be all right by yourself, dad?" Doug called.
    "I'm not past it quite yet. I'll be fine," Ray told anyone who was concerned, and sat forward with a groan he hoped nobody heard. At least the arthritic twinge that made him flinch distracted him from taking his son's words as an omen. Once he'd fastened the straps of his sandals he had to kneel in order to struggle to his feet and plod along the beach.
    The pale sand gave way to ribbed slabs of rock a few hundred yards from the cave. At first Ray was able to stride across the grey rock, but then waves rose to meet him. He had to take so much care on the increasingly slippery surface that he felt barely competent to walk. He wished he'd worn his trainers, which would have lent him more confidence. He inched across the rock to plant a hand against the stony cliff, and hoped none of the swimmers noticed his difficulties. The support of the cliff let him feel not quite so vulnerable, capable of moving less like a geriatric. When he reached the cave he leaned on a projecting rock beside the mouth and peered in.
    While the mouth was wide and high enough for a ferry to enter, the clear water was so shallow that he could see the stony floor. From this side of the entrance it looked possible for even Ray to clamber along the rocks above the water to a bend in the cave. He'd undertaken to look out for William, and perhaps he'd meant to give Julian a break. He let go of the handhold and grabbed the next one, and stepped into the cave.
    A stony chill closed around him at once, and so did the sound of water. A hollow echo multiplied the lapping of ripples, which sent up light to drift over the ridges of the walls and roof. The seaweed that bordered the rocks underfoot was borrowing restlessness from the waves. The slimy growths gave him yet another reason to take his time, along with the need to keep waiting for his vision to catch up with the dimness so that he could search for footholds on the uneven narrow ridge. He had only started to make headway around the bend when the ridge sloped downwards, vanishing underwater a few yards ahead.
    Ray was clutching at the wall with both hands by the time he reached the last unsubmerged inches of the ridge. Water slopped over his sandals to drench his