"there's a thing to know."
I'd been encouraged by that, so much so in fact that I'd sat down next to her and told her everything I could remember about snakes. Looking back on it she must have thought I was the most boring kid in the world. Maybe that's why she kissed me, to shut me up. It worked. I was in shock as her face suddenly loomed at me, not really knowing what to do as she planted her lips on mine. Then her tongue pushed its way into my mouth and I thought of snakes again, tasting the air. I made to reciprocate but she'd already pulled back. "That's your prize for being a clever boy," she'd said, getting up and rustling her skirts again. "If you think of any better secrets I'll find you an even better prize." She gave me that scary smile again and ran off. I never dared talk to her again. I wanted the prizes she had to offer but was scared that I wouldn't know what to do with them when I got them.
"She was pretty enough," I told the man in the kiosk. He nodded and gave me a smile that reminded me of her. I wondered if he wanted to know anything about snakes.
"It's a nice memory?" he asked. "When you think about it do you get that mixture of excitement and discomfort? Regret but pleasure?"
I'd never thought about it that deeply but, now he'd come to mention it, I told him he was about right.
"Then that'll do."
He handed the ticket over.
"Oh, right then. Thanks."
I took the ticket and looked at it. In fancy writing it announced that I was entitled to pas sage on the Riverboat Clearsight.
"When's it due?" I asked, looking back up at him. He'd removed his cap to expose a ruptured cranium, like the split dome of an egg.
He scratched at the wet wound then looked at his hand, idly rubbing the dampness between his index and forefinger. "Who can ever tell? It shouldn't be long."
I decided not to comment on his exploration of his skull, just took my ticket and walked back over to where the old man was leaning against the boardwalk railings.
"Wasn't that difficult was it?" he said.
"No, he just wanted to know about a girl I used to know when I was a kid."
"Yes? What was special about her?"
I thought about that. "Couldn't tell you. I don't think I ever even talked to her."
He smiled. "It'll come back to you. A boat ticket is cheap, the payment doesn't last long." I had no idea what he was talking about at the time so just put the ticket in my pocket and looked out at the water. It was too dark to be able to see it clearly, it just looked like a thick black mass; there was the occasional slopping sound as something moved within it.
"What is it?" I asked. "It sure ain't water."
"You don't want to know. Boat's coming."
I looked up to see the huge shape of a paddle steamer cutting its way towards us. I was sure it hadn't been there before but that was no surprise, there was no point in expecting the expected here. The black smoke from its funnel pulled a fat line across the red sky, its paddles shining slightly in the pale light.
As it got closer the crowd on the boardwalk began to gather at the mouth of the jetty, pushing and shoving to be the first allowed onboard. The thing that was somewhere between a horse and a crab did its best to jostle against the crowds but someone fetched it a solid kick and it toppled off the jetty and into the water below.
"Rather you than me," I said, leaning over to watch as it fought to stay afloat in the thick liquid. Suddenly a pair of hands reached out from the water and latched onto it, pulling it down as it whinnied in fright.
"There's people in the water," I said.
"Ahuh," he agreed, "hungry people. But it ain't water."
As the paddleboat slowed to draw up alongside the jetty there was a dull cracking sound like lightning and I looked up to see a flash of white light in the sky. From this bright point a human figure appeared, tumbling through the crimson clouds and falling into the lake.
"Where's he come from?" I asked. "The lake is filled with souls who feel they deserve
I'd been encouraged by that, so much so in fact that I'd sat down next to her and told her everything I could remember about snakes. Looking back on it she must have thought I was the most boring kid in the world. Maybe that's why she kissed me, to shut me up. It worked. I was in shock as her face suddenly loomed at me, not really knowing what to do as she planted her lips on mine. Then her tongue pushed its way into my mouth and I thought of snakes again, tasting the air. I made to reciprocate but she'd already pulled back. "That's your prize for being a clever boy," she'd said, getting up and rustling her skirts again. "If you think of any better secrets I'll find you an even better prize." She gave me that scary smile again and ran off. I never dared talk to her again. I wanted the prizes she had to offer but was scared that I wouldn't know what to do with them when I got them.
"She was pretty enough," I told the man in the kiosk. He nodded and gave me a smile that reminded me of her. I wondered if he wanted to know anything about snakes.
"It's a nice memory?" he asked. "When you think about it do you get that mixture of excitement and discomfort? Regret but pleasure?"
I'd never thought about it that deeply but, now he'd come to mention it, I told him he was about right.
"Then that'll do."
He handed the ticket over.
"Oh, right then. Thanks."
I took the ticket and looked at it. In fancy writing it announced that I was entitled to pas sage on the Riverboat Clearsight.
"When's it due?" I asked, looking back up at him. He'd removed his cap to expose a ruptured cranium, like the split dome of an egg.
He scratched at the wet wound then looked at his hand, idly rubbing the dampness between his index and forefinger. "Who can ever tell? It shouldn't be long."
I decided not to comment on his exploration of his skull, just took my ticket and walked back over to where the old man was leaning against the boardwalk railings.
"Wasn't that difficult was it?" he said.
"No, he just wanted to know about a girl I used to know when I was a kid."
"Yes? What was special about her?"
I thought about that. "Couldn't tell you. I don't think I ever even talked to her."
He smiled. "It'll come back to you. A boat ticket is cheap, the payment doesn't last long." I had no idea what he was talking about at the time so just put the ticket in my pocket and looked out at the water. It was too dark to be able to see it clearly, it just looked like a thick black mass; there was the occasional slopping sound as something moved within it.
"What is it?" I asked. "It sure ain't water."
"You don't want to know. Boat's coming."
I looked up to see the huge shape of a paddle steamer cutting its way towards us. I was sure it hadn't been there before but that was no surprise, there was no point in expecting the expected here. The black smoke from its funnel pulled a fat line across the red sky, its paddles shining slightly in the pale light.
As it got closer the crowd on the boardwalk began to gather at the mouth of the jetty, pushing and shoving to be the first allowed onboard. The thing that was somewhere between a horse and a crab did its best to jostle against the crowds but someone fetched it a solid kick and it toppled off the jetty and into the water below.
"Rather you than me," I said, leaning over to watch as it fought to stay afloat in the thick liquid. Suddenly a pair of hands reached out from the water and latched onto it, pulling it down as it whinnied in fright.
"There's people in the water," I said.
"Ahuh," he agreed, "hungry people. But it ain't water."
As the paddleboat slowed to draw up alongside the jetty there was a dull cracking sound like lightning and I looked up to see a flash of white light in the sky. From this bright point a human figure appeared, tumbling through the crimson clouds and falling into the lake.
"Where's he come from?" I asked. "The lake is filled with souls who feel they deserve
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