Big like the ocean

The bloated full moon brooded over the water, illuminating the entire lagoon with its ethereal light.  Clarissa was a still, uneven dot on the pristine whiteness of the sand as the ocean began to swell with the coming tide.  A cold gust of salt-laden air caused her to wrap her cheap, but immaculately maintained church-going dress a little more snugly over her shoulders.  The distance between the water’s lapping edge and her bare feet slowly diminished; when it finally tickled her heels, she rose to her feet and closed her eyes.
Tonight.
The word, so calmly and unequivocally spoken, resounded in her heart. A serene tingle of joy coursed through her…an anticipation of destiny in culmination.  She walked a little way into the water, until it was washing around her ankles.  Instinctively, she lifted the hem of her dress to keep it dry, then thought of it and smiled an amused little smile.
Looking over her shoulder, Clarissa viewed the deserted beach and darkened village above the mouth of the lagoon.  There was not a soul in sight.  Looking back at the gently heaving ocean, she faced squarely the bright taper of moonlight on its surface and then pulled her dress over her shoulders.  She let it slip into the brine without a second thought, never taking her eyes off the rippling band of yellow before her.
Tonight.