He treated her likehis little princess always. She couldn't wait to see the look on hisface when he came home this evening and found that she had come... for asurprise visit.She went to her room to freshen up from her trip and upon entering wastaken a little bit aback. Things were out of order. Why were some of herundergarments, bras, panties and nighties laying on the bed, she hadn'tbeen home in months and she knew that she had put everything away on herlast visit. She quickly did some inventory. Worse still, I could gage no measure of emotion or intent in its eye, just a soulless black abyss staring back at me.Then it was there, right on top of us.I lost all concept of time and space. My universe became an impossible slow-motion, each nanosecond an eternity.The shark’s pointed nose inched past my face, the huge nostrils undoubtedly inhaling the slick of adrenalin gushing from every pore. Its tapered head filled my field of vision. Ripples of silver shimmered across its skin from the. Anything on land that stings or bites?”“There is a small scurrying thing with eight legs, that has a stinger in its tail, then there are crabs that have strong bites, but it is easy to keep away from them.”John grinned. “The first sounds like a scorpion to me. Crabs are not a bother to anyone, really. Any stinging plants?”“There are nettles. They grow in places where people have peed. They seem to regard urine as a fertilizer.”“Yes, I know about nettles,” said John. “Anything else?”“The only. I was mainly spending time visiting with people, good friends I hadn't seen in too long and reconnecting with family instead of the usual emails and phone calls. I was staying in a hotel in West Hollywood. Why there? Well it was about halfway between my family and my friends (I didn't stay with the family though they had room as I like to have my own space and time) and I knew the area.I'd been out for a nice meal in a small Italian place just down the road. There is little that is as relaxing.