Dark Water

Feb 9, 2016

Writing Prompt: Darkness- Write a story inspired by what you can’t see. 
20 minutes.

The temperature had to be at least 32 degrees and after three hours of gardening, Beth found herself staring down into the shadowy depths at the dock.  

Beth hated even putting her toes in the lake for fear of what might take a quick nibble.  What if someone had dumped their pet pirana?  Could it survive under the ice in the winter?  What if it was lurking there just under the boards waiting to grab her toes?  Jake would laugh and tell her she was ridiculous if she spoke her fear out loud.  Perhaps it was due to the shark week marathons Jake had lost himself to binge watching last week.  He, the self-proclaimed shark aficionado, swore up and down they lived on a land locked lake.  Nothing large and carnivorous could eek itself in through underground springs.

Joining her at the water side and elbowed Beth in the ribs.  “There are no bull sharks,” he teased.  “Why wouldn’t you jump right in, are you afraid of the biddy minnows?”

Beth knew she was being silly, but staring into the dark water, she saw something.  A dash of silver, the flick of a fin, something living and that something likely had teeth.  Big ones.  Do pike bite?

Maybe it was the way the slimy seaweed, as she passionately called it, and the way it waved over the hidden knee deep discustingly squishy muck in a tempting momentary reveal of any creepy crawly creatures just waiting to bite the unwary wader.  Nope, the water would feel wonderful, but Beth couldn’t do it.  She lost her nerve.  

After a minute or two of taunting and tugging at her hand, Jake wriggled out of his t-shirt, threw off his sneakers and socks and leapt with a shout of glee into the lake alone.  Beth watched as he set off across the lake, smooth strokes carrying him out to the middle in a couple of minutes.  He paused for a moment to look back at her with a big grin and waved.  

            Sweat ran down Beth's face.  It was so bloody hot!  She sunk down in her purple Muskoka chair, sulking, prepared to bake in the sun and watch Jake swim laps only to leap up after the chair roasted her seat. 

Forget it.  It was do or die, Beth plummeted into the blue embrace with a sploosh.  

That was when she heard Jake screech!