The Fringes

The Boats a Bit Slippery- Quinn

(Quinn Pictured above)

I placed some extra pillows under my blanket, slipped my phone in my pocket, and jumped out the window. A gust of cold wind hit my back as I closed it, sending a shiver up my spine.

I made my way towards the garage, making sure not to wake my parents in the process. Near its entrance, a large potted plant rustled against the wind. I lifted the pot, and a small key lay there, a thin layer of dirt blanketing the metal. I grabbed it and ran across the lawn, the forest on either side dancing gently with my hair.

I cursed as my fingers lost hold of the boat keys, the metal falling against the wet grass. Why was I always so clumsy? I felt the ground for the key. This was my last chance at a good photo. My fingers ran over the small lump, and I grabbed it and took off.

The crisp air made my lungs sting, but the feeling was refreshing, stimulating. Once I reached the boat my hands went straight to the motor, its soft purr slicing the silence. Waves licked at its sides as I drove. A light sprinkle was starting to come down, the soft spray tickled my skin. I took a quick glance back at my house, no lights were on, no one outside either. Just my lonely home and the surrounding forest.

I sighed, everything seemed so quiet out here. No neighbors, no cars, no people. Just me, my mom and step-dad. I'd never moved before, so this home was mine of seventeen years. My mom had come here in her early twenties, had me, and then got married to James. My mom never told me much about my father, just hints here and there about what he was like. It seemed sort of cliche now that I think about it. My mom having a kid, father disappearing and leaving their child with little information about the events before they were born.

The boat stopped in the center of the lake, my lungs taking in the damp metallic air. I grabbed my phone and opened a slow shutter camera extension app. Thunder rumbled in the distance. I waited. A flash went off in the sky, and I started taking photos as fast as I could, trying to time the photo a few seconds before the lightning struck.

Not as easy as it sounds.

I took a break from the sky and got some shots of the water and the dark forest. The rain poured as the waves rocked the boat dangerously, the sky's array of lights shattering the darkness in return.

Clothes soaked, I looked through the photos and found a few that seemed pretty nice, placement could be possible with some editing. My fingers reached for the motor, but the storm didn't agree with my actions. The water shook the boat, the gentle lap biting at its edges. Stepping back, I tried to regain my balance, but my feet failed me. I slipped on the wet metal, the back of my legs hitting the edge of the boat. I screamed as I fell backward into the almost pitch-black water.

The cold water stung my skin, and as I inhaled, my insides turned into fire. I tried to grab onto something, anything, but there was nothing there. Black dots danced in my vision, blocking my view from the surrounding murk. The burning in my chest dulled down to an ache as my body began to shut down.

"It wasn't her fault," a voice said, the sound coming from every direction, reverberating throughout the water.

"But they will question if she lives." Said another, deeper voice.

Wait. Did he just say if I live?

"But she's so young!" the first voice responded, clearly distraught.

"Fine," the second voice said, "but she cannot return."

"I understand your concerns. I will handle this."

The voices stopped, and a sweeping cold flooded throughout my body. The feeling found its way towards my head, and my mind faded as black consumed my vision.