Lake Not Still

Down by the Water

Chapter 1 – The Stone Skipper

The surface of the lake was smooth, but not still. The entire mirror of its green expanse slowly undulated above fast moving contractions and expansions of water that seemed to have been displaced by something the size of a 16 year old girl.

Chapter 2 – A Gun and a Girl

“Never point the gun toward yourself or anyone else”

“Duh…”

Her father laughed, his broad red nose – like a wedge of cheese – bouncing above the spreading, rock-candy smile. He coughed a few times – bringing his fist to his lips – then he exhaled like a punctured tire, dropped his hand to chamois on the picnic table, picked it up, and continued to slowly rub the barrel of the rifle. He wasn’t being particularly thorough. In fact, he was hardly paying attention at all.

Chapter 3 – The Tree Falls

The crow called out as it lit down within the tree-shaded clearing; the dark, damp earth cool and moist beneath a winter’s worth of wind blown needles, leaves, bark, broken twigs, and a small silver ring on the slender white finger of a pale hand at the end of a pair of bones where another black bird pulled something passed it’s snapping beak and into his gullet.

Chapter 4 – The Ring of Mary Bell

Mary Bell stared at the sky with a gaze that had forgotten time. Time – also – had forgotten Mary Bell.

The End