The first sensation is the acrid sting of salty air against my nose and mouth. I open my eyes and see the ocean, black and bilious, surging within arm's reach. The beach under me is rocky and slick. Gradually I recover a sense of balance, and I stand and look east. The sun is barely beginning to conquer the range of mountains which rise up in that direction.

I seem to be wearing some fine dress clothes - a tuxedo, in fact, although barely recognizable given its tattered state. I wonder if I might be some kind of castaway - shipwrecked off an ocean liner - perhaps even coming from my own wedding! There are no rings on my fingers, however, nor anything else to suggest my origins, or my destination. I brush the harsh sand off my body.

Over the craggy rocks of the beach, I can hear a strange sound. Apparently, there are others nearby. I rub my throat, slack with thirst, and hope that they are friendly. ..