"Darling, won't you please come out of that dreadful water soon?
Darling, please?
Darling?
Darling!"
The water drowned out all foreign sounds. All I heard was the swishes and swashes of the current, hugging my every curve and freckle. My legs kicked gently beneath me as I floated in the middle of the lake, watching the clouds pass over me, darkening in shade and growing in height.
I closed my eyes, imagining I was back home with my brother, reading books out on the porch to him, with mother always nagging me about my future and how I should be planning it. Oh how I missed his tiny grins and soft head, his hands barely grasping my fingers.
The towering cumulonimbus cloud started to drizzle, and my eyes fluttered against the drops. I dipped underneath and watched it rain. The raindrops punched against the water surface, fighting to join the mass. Some hit harder than others. I could almost feel the ground. I felt the seaweed wrapping themselves around my arms and legs, but they knew I couldn't stay, and so their grip slipped away. I pushed off the floor of the lake and burst out for air, sinking down again until my ears were submerged.
"Darling, please it's not safe, do get out!"
I tiptoed along the shallower parts of the lake, watching the fluid emptiness. I swayed as the plants did. The fish were probably hiding away, like mother and my brother.
I walked out of the lake and father rushed over with a towel.
"Oh darling, the storm's here. Aren't you cold?"
"I'm not cold," I said, "only my body is."
(photo via Net-A-Porter.com)
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