It's Just a Lake

It was dark out, but the moon was bright and full peaking up on the horizon. She decided to go for a quick swim since the lake was calm and serene. It’s just a lake.

After a short swim, she grew tired and stopped. She noticed that the moon had gotten higher in the sky. She had been swimming longer than she had thought. The shore was so far away. She could barely make out the lights at the lake house.

The lake house had been in her family for several generations. They loved to visit it and swim in the beautiful lake. She has spent many of her summers there swimming with her family.

Deciding to go back to the house, she swam lazily towards the shore. Something touched her foot. Startled, she yelped in surprise. Before she began to panic, she reminded herself, it’s just a lake — nothing here to bother her.

She swam until she began to tire. She looked toward the shore. It was so far away. The light of the lake house was just barely visible. She must have swum farther out into the lake than she thought.

Something bumped her leg. Again, before she could panic, she reminded herself, it’s just a lake. She had swum in it many times before. She knew there was debris floating in the water. The moon had moved so far up into the sky; it was now overhead.

Now she put more effort into getting back to the shore. She knew she would make it. She learned to swim in this lake. She swam until her lungs started to hurt, and her body was sore.

She stopped — the shore, the shore was so far away, and the lake house lights were barely visible. She looked up, and the moon had crossed over to the horizon. She started to panic. Why was it taking so long to get back? She couldn’t have swum that far out. It’s just a lake.

Something touched her thigh. She splashed about and screamed in fear. No, she thought, no. It’s just a lake. Don’t let fear overcome her senses. She knew there was nothing there, only fish and turtles. It’s just a lake.

She swam, she swam as hard and as fast as she could. She swam until her lungs burned, and her body screamed in pain for her to stop.

When she could take no more, she stopped to rest. The moon was setting, and the sun was peeking over the horizon. The shore! The shore was so far away! She almost couldn’t see the lake house lights. So far away.

Something touched her foot. It’s just a lake. She screamed in fear. It’s just a lake. It grabbed her leg. It’s just a lake. She flailed, banging the water with her hands. It’s just a lake. She tried to swim, but couldn’t. It’s just a lake. Something held her leg. It’s just a LAKE!

She slipped below the water. Down, down into the cold darkness. The lake was calm and serene. It’s just a lake.

Revised: 20200826