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The Lake.
It was night..
The full moon hung low in the blue black sky, and the stars twinkled in that heavenly curtain, as if signalling to one another.
A low mist slowly drifted across the lake as the breeze stirred the water, causing ripples to surround the rocky islands that were scattered about the vast expanse.
I should have been marvelling at the beauty of the night, instead, I was thinking about death.
I was wondering just how it would feel when I waded into that cool welcoming water. How long would it take, I pondered, until I could feel no more hurt, no more pain. Would I know anything afterwards, or would it just be silence... peace at last.
I said my silent farewell to the universe, and stepped forward to the waters edge.
A stray cloud blocked the moonlight when out of the darkness came a voice...
“Don’t believe what it tells you”
Startled I spun round
“Wh..what? Wh..who's there?” and, as an afterthought, “What was that you said?”
I looked towards the owner of the soft deep voice questioningly.
As the cloud drifted away he became visible. He smiled.
“I know you can hear it whispering to you, beckoning you, drawing you to it. It promises to give you all you want. To make everything right again, just don’t believe it.” He turned and started to walk away. “It won’t change anything, it won’t bring him back.”
Stunned by his last remark, I stared at the stranger as he slowly walked away from the lake. I decided to follow him.
Taking a step, I lost my footing on a moss covered rock and plunged backwards into the cold dark water. It was deep, even this close to the edge, and I struggled to free myself from its embrace.
Deep inside my mind I heard a strange ethereal voice whispering to me. “Why struggle.... this is what you wanted, we can bring you peace... relax... let us welcome you...”
As I felt my body succumbing to the tantalising suggestion, I was pulled free of the water, coughing and spluttering, by the mysterious man. As he lifted me to my feet, blackness overcame me and I fell unconscious into his arms.
When I opened my eyes I was lay in front of a large log fire.
Orange- yellow flames danced over the logs and I felt the warmth seep through my wet clothes into my chilled bones.
Shivering I sat up as the man came into the room holding several large towels and some dry clothes. He sat on the floor in front of me and threw a warm soft towel around my shoulders rubbing gently.
“We have to get you dry” he said, “don’t want you catching pneumonia”.
We looked at one another and laughed. Taking the towel from his hands, I looked deep into his dark blue eyes and, leaning forwards I placed a soft tender kiss on his lips “thank you” I said. He smiled, “I’ll get you some hot tea”.
I watched him stand and walk away, in that blink of an eye, I was asleep...
....“See” said the whispering voice in my head. “Didn’t we tell you we would make it all better.
We will have such times together, weave such wonderful happy tales. We will never leave you”.
As I felt the arms of the water enfold me once more, the vision of the man stood by the side of the lake drifted into blackness...
© KarenWood
The full moon hung low in the blue black sky, and the stars twinkled in that heavenly curtain, as if signalling to one another.
A low mist slowly drifted across the lake as the breeze stirred the water, causing ripples to surround the rocky islands that were scattered about the vast expanse.
I should have been marvelling at the beauty of the night, instead, I was thinking about death.
I was wondering just how it would feel when I waded into that cool welcoming water. How long would it take, I pondered, until I could feel no more hurt, no more pain. Would I know anything afterwards, or would it just be silence... peace at last.
I said my silent farewell to the universe, and stepped forward to the waters edge.
A stray cloud blocked the moonlight when out of the darkness came a voice...
“Don’t believe what it tells you”
Startled I spun round
“Wh..what? Wh..who's there?” and, as an afterthought, “What was that you said?”
I looked towards the owner of the soft deep voice questioningly.
As the cloud drifted away he became visible. He smiled.
“I know you can hear it whispering to you, beckoning you, drawing you to it. It promises to give you all you want. To make everything right again, just don’t believe it.” He turned and started to walk away. “It won’t change anything, it won’t bring him back.”
Stunned by his last remark, I stared at the stranger as he slowly walked away from the lake. I decided to follow him.
Taking a step, I lost my footing on a moss covered rock and plunged backwards into the cold dark water. It was deep, even this close to the edge, and I struggled to free myself from its embrace.
Deep inside my mind I heard a strange ethereal voice whispering to me. “Why struggle.... this is what you wanted, we can bring you peace... relax... let us welcome you...”
As I felt my body succumbing to the tantalising suggestion, I was pulled free of the water, coughing and spluttering, by the mysterious man. As he lifted me to my feet, blackness overcame me and I fell unconscious into his arms.
When I opened my eyes I was lay in front of a large log fire.
Orange- yellow flames danced over the logs and I felt the warmth seep through my wet clothes into my chilled bones.
Shivering I sat up as the man came into the room holding several large towels and some dry clothes. He sat on the floor in front of me and threw a warm soft towel around my shoulders rubbing gently.
“We have to get you dry” he said, “don’t want you catching pneumonia”.
We looked at one another and laughed. Taking the towel from his hands, I looked deep into his dark blue eyes and, leaning forwards I placed a soft tender kiss on his lips “thank you” I said. He smiled, “I’ll get you some hot tea”.
I watched him stand and walk away, in that blink of an eye, I was asleep...
....“See” said the whispering voice in my head. “Didn’t we tell you we would make it all better.
We will have such times together, weave such wonderful happy tales. We will never leave you”.
As I felt the arms of the water enfold me once more, the vision of the man stood by the side of the lake drifted into blackness...
© KarenWood
