As a child, he looked forward to the family reunion that was held every August at Castine Cove, the remote coastal state park. It wasn't so much the older family he looked forward to seeing, but he loved the ocean and what fun it was to slip out onto the seaside trails with his cousins, darting in out and of the pine forest, onto the rocky beach and back again playing childish games of tag and follow the leader.431Please respect copyright.PENANAMYlOWM4Ipc
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It had been a year since he had spent any time in the state of his birth, and several years since he had seen any of his cousins. The last summer they were together, it was less games of follow the leader and more of sneaking off with a few bottles of beer and talking about what their plans were for the fall. It had been talk of colleges and trade schools with the eagerness of sheltered young adults about to experience their first true taste of freedom. Parties, potential joining of sororities and fraternities, first cars, times and love had been the focus of their goals.431Please respect copyright.PENANAgXmy0K4PbW
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He slammed the door to his station wagon shut. It was not the vehicle he had boasted about returning to the next reunion in. Far from it, but it was the vehicle that brought him to this gathering, a gathering he hadn't wanted to attend. As he aimed the stick on his power wheelchair towards the path for handicapped access to the park he couldn't help but wonder if any of his family would greet him with happy smiles yet sorrowful and pity filled eyes, while proclaiming that he hadn't changed a bit.431Please respect copyright.PENANA4rgX9UZMcP
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