The Merge Necklace

Rebekah let out an annoyed sigh from the back of the van.

"How much freak'n longer?!?" She spouted up to the front.

Rebekah was on her way to a popular beach with her family. The car ride had been several hours and she was having second thoughts about it before even departing. Her boyfriend back home wasn't too happy about her going without him. It didn't help she was stuck in the backseat with the family dog, Ranger.

"Just a couple more minutes, sweetie!" Nicole lovingly yelled back.

Nicole wanted out of the van just as much as her kids did, but she did her best to hold back any hint of it from her voice. Nicole had been planning this vacation all year and she wasn't about to let it turn sour before it even started. With her youngest daughter, Emily about to graduate high school and then with Rebekah and Scott well into college, this family trip might be one of their last together.

"GPS says about 20 minutes." Daniel glanced up from his phone and back at his step kids.

They were all showing varying degrees of fatigue. He knew this trip meant a lot to his wife Nicole and truth be told, he wanted it to go well too. Maybe it was a chance to get closer to his step kids, seeing how he had none of his own. Rebekah, the oldest, was especially distant despite his best efforts to be there when she needed him. Scott and Emily were a bit more friendly toward him. Daniel had always been involved in sports in his younger years, so him and Emily had the most in common. He went out of his way to make sure Emily always had a ride to Volleyball practice, and he was pretty proud of her for becoming the star of the team in her senior year. Scott wasn't into sports so Daniel found it difficult to relate as much with him.

Emily noticed her step dad looking back and smiled at him, trying to cover any sign her wanting out of this nasty hot van. She had been looking forward to this trip ever since she found out about it. This was her chance to land a boyfriend. She had tried and failed all through high school to get a one. Most boys ignored Emily despite her best efforts. She glanced down at her flat chest and her heart sank. Her mother and sister were both very well endowed, why did she have to pull the short straw?

Beside Emily, Scott was slumped over in his seat dead asleep. He had stayed up all night playing the latest FPS with his college buddies. Scott was by far the most laid back of the family and despite his mother reminding him of the trip several times, he forgot entirely about it.

"We're here!" shouted Nicole. The van came to a halt. "Let's get everything unpacked, okay?"

This beach was one of the most popular vacation spots in their area. Right now, it was moderately busy today, probably due to the streak of beautiful weather they had been having.

"Thank God!" shouted Rebekah as the family jumped from the van relieved to get out.

Scott groggily stepped out of the van last, carrying his own thrown-together-at-the-last-minute travel bag.

Ranger ran ahead of the family with a surge of energy. Daniel grabbed an umbrella, a couple towels and followed suit doing his best to keep up with the zooming dog.

Emily giggled and followed.

Rebekah helped her mother grab the remaining beach bags and started toward the beach.

Scott squinted his eyes up at the horizon. He hated being outside let alone hot and sweaty at the beach.

"Here goes nothing" Scott sighed as he sleepily followed his family down to the beach.

Meanwhile, a treasure was being uncovered by the gentle endlessly repeating waves. Wave after wave washed away the sand covering a golden necklace, exposing it once again to the gleaming sunlight.