{This is in response to a prompt from the blog, What Pegman Saw. It is a 150-word challenge based on Google Maps imagery.
The picture is from Alberta, Canada. It is a view from the bank of a pristine lake, near mountains. Thank you for the prompt and photo!}
The noonday sun reached down, through the tall pines, to etch a brilliant starburst on Rawson Lake.
Having escaped their campsite, the seven-year-old twins balanced, single-file, upon a narrow plank. It stretched from the shore, through water-buggy shallows, to the depths.
Their sparkly sandals scratched the fern-furred wood.
“Now, you pass me!” ordered Maisy, the elder.
“Fine. I’m a good swimmer!”
Maisy occupied the last man-made foothold. Beyond that, the lake spread out. Toward the mountains, sitting in judgment.
Mitzy sidled up, tentatively toeing between her sister’s feet.
“Good swimmer, huh?”
Maisy gave her sister a shove.
Her plop broke the cold tea-water into a thousand glittery diamonds. Gurgling with satisfaction, it enveloped her.
Maisy waited.
Reluctantly, the lake released its prey.
Laughter.
Mitzy crossly slogged back to the bank, to tell.
No bets had been laid, by the sun or the breeze, as to whether the girl could swim.
Love the under current in this, Andrea, that friendly sibling rivalry that so quickly can turn ugly. There are several stop off points in this where I thought something else might happen… great viewpoint for storytelling. And all your descriptions were just spot on.
Thank you Kelvin, so happy it met muster with you. Always good to hear it wasn’t too predictable. I looked long and hard at that picture!
Ah, the joy of sisters, eh? Very real and sweet story, though I suspect Maisy will be in deep trouble when they get back.
If I was their Mother, you’d be right. But, at least this time, no harm done.
Hope she can swim!
I think Mitzy passed the test, and made it back to shore, to tell on her sister. I hope the names weren’t too confusing. It’s just that, so often, people do choose similar sounding names for twins, so it sounded authentic, as well as endearing, to me. I can’t imagine why people choose names that sound alike. It’s hard enough to keep the names of siblings straight!
As is the way of flash fiction, I so feared you were going to drown one! Thank you for not doing that. I could so picture this scene. Wonderful
You’re welcome, Dale. I don’t have the heart for it on this one. Not in those sparkly shoes!
yikes – glad it worked out well – and nice choice of photo for this slice of time you vivily described
*vividly
🙂
Yes, didn’t mean to scare anyone. Nine times out of ten, all turns out well.
Yeah, I’m sure seven-year-old twins are just like that! Last week I watched my seven year old granddaughter balance across a branch over a stream – and fall in. And she did the same thing on the way back, too!
Fun take on the prompt.
SO glad you found it true to life, Penny. Sounds like a wonderful granddaughter!
So many lovely images in this. The sense of the world watching them is a thought-provoking one. Love how it’s even reflected(!) in the picture you chose.
Thank you for your reflections(!) on this piece! I’m so glad you picked up on that sense. I did intend for Nature’s subtle, and somewhat indifferent, consciousness to make a cameo appearance.