bird, but not life-threatening. She couldn’t help wondering what had spooked it.
Lila looked out over the pond and wondered how deep it was. There was a darkness, suggesting that it was fairly deep in the middle, but she doubted that a little pond like this could be very deep. As she stared, she thought she saw the darkness shift, as if it were alive.
Her own voice broke through the silence, and it was comforting to hear something real and sensible. “If you’re going to get spooked at every little thing, you might as well call it a day.”
Lila had turned to go back, when the water churned around her. Bubbles tickled her legs and popped at the surface, as if some great creature had just exhaled from the depths of the pond. Then something wrapped around her ankle and pulled her off her feet. As her body hit the water she screamed, this time loud and hysterical. The sound that echoed around her was nearly unrecognizable; it seemed neither real, nor sensible.
She had only waded up to her knees, so her head was still well above water, but the thing wouldn't let go. She grabbed at her ankle, but she couldn’t feel what held her. It began dragging her toward the center of the pond.
She flailed her arms and her free leg. Water splashed into her throat, gurgling her screams. Panic seized her chest, and time seemed to slow. The force that held her began pulling her down. She had barely a second to suck in air before she was completely submerged in the water.
Lila finally struggled to the surface to gulp in air before she was pulled down again. She fought hard, but couldn’t make it to the surface again. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold her breath. Her heart thumped hard against her ribs.
An image flashed through her mind. Although she couldn’t place it, she knew the face. It was accompanied by a curious burst of anger that started in her chest and crept outward like ice in her veins. The animosity wasn’t coming from her, but felt as if it was. The hate swelled inside of her, heavy and black. She stopped fighting.
Suddenly something poked at her side. She jerked away, then her mind became hers again. She wrapped her hands around the object and hoisted herself out. Whatever had been pulling her must have released its hold. As Lila's head emerged from the water, there was a splash at the edge of the pond.
Gasping and coughing, she clamored toward the edge of the pond. With bleary eyes she saw a small figure pull itself up. It stood watching her, delicate and still.
As soon as she reached dry ground, Lila bent and wretched. Her stomach clenched as it emptied its contents into the grass. Then she rolled onto her side, gasping as she blinked the water from her eyes, trying to focus on the small person standing a few feet away.
Finally, she recognized the impish brown eyes of the girl from the grocery store. She was dripping wet, but curiously calm.
“ I’m Juniper,” she said. “We don’t swim here.” Her face was expressionless, her tone matter-of-fact.
Lila tried to calm down enough to form her thoughts into words. What was that thing in the water? Did the girl know what had happened to her just now? Before the questions could swim their way from her murky mind to her lips there was a rustle in the bushes and the girl’s father broke through.
“Juniper,” he shouted, crouching down to her level. “What are you doing back here?” His brows were lowered, like the first time she'd seen him, but when he wrapped his arms around his daughter they pulled together, reshaping beautifully into a concerned expression she couldn't help but wish she was on the other end of.
“ Are you okay? You’re all wet.” He stroked her hair, pulling it away from her face. She nodded. His eyes followed her gaze to where Lila lay on the ground. He stumbled over to her, and Lila pushed herself up.
“
Lila looked out over the pond and wondered how deep it was. There was a darkness, suggesting that it was fairly deep in the middle, but she doubted that a little pond like this could be very deep. As she stared, she thought she saw the darkness shift, as if it were alive.
Her own voice broke through the silence, and it was comforting to hear something real and sensible. “If you’re going to get spooked at every little thing, you might as well call it a day.”
Lila had turned to go back, when the water churned around her. Bubbles tickled her legs and popped at the surface, as if some great creature had just exhaled from the depths of the pond. Then something wrapped around her ankle and pulled her off her feet. As her body hit the water she screamed, this time loud and hysterical. The sound that echoed around her was nearly unrecognizable; it seemed neither real, nor sensible.
She had only waded up to her knees, so her head was still well above water, but the thing wouldn't let go. She grabbed at her ankle, but she couldn’t feel what held her. It began dragging her toward the center of the pond.
She flailed her arms and her free leg. Water splashed into her throat, gurgling her screams. Panic seized her chest, and time seemed to slow. The force that held her began pulling her down. She had barely a second to suck in air before she was completely submerged in the water.
Lila finally struggled to the surface to gulp in air before she was pulled down again. She fought hard, but couldn’t make it to the surface again. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold her breath. Her heart thumped hard against her ribs.
An image flashed through her mind. Although she couldn’t place it, she knew the face. It was accompanied by a curious burst of anger that started in her chest and crept outward like ice in her veins. The animosity wasn’t coming from her, but felt as if it was. The hate swelled inside of her, heavy and black. She stopped fighting.
Suddenly something poked at her side. She jerked away, then her mind became hers again. She wrapped her hands around the object and hoisted herself out. Whatever had been pulling her must have released its hold. As Lila's head emerged from the water, there was a splash at the edge of the pond.
Gasping and coughing, she clamored toward the edge of the pond. With bleary eyes she saw a small figure pull itself up. It stood watching her, delicate and still.
As soon as she reached dry ground, Lila bent and wretched. Her stomach clenched as it emptied its contents into the grass. Then she rolled onto her side, gasping as she blinked the water from her eyes, trying to focus on the small person standing a few feet away.
Finally, she recognized the impish brown eyes of the girl from the grocery store. She was dripping wet, but curiously calm.
“ I’m Juniper,” she said. “We don’t swim here.” Her face was expressionless, her tone matter-of-fact.
Lila tried to calm down enough to form her thoughts into words. What was that thing in the water? Did the girl know what had happened to her just now? Before the questions could swim their way from her murky mind to her lips there was a rustle in the bushes and the girl’s father broke through.
“Juniper,” he shouted, crouching down to her level. “What are you doing back here?” His brows were lowered, like the first time she'd seen him, but when he wrapped his arms around his daughter they pulled together, reshaping beautifully into a concerned expression she couldn't help but wish she was on the other end of.
“ Are you okay? You’re all wet.” He stroked her hair, pulling it away from her face. She nodded. His eyes followed her gaze to where Lila lay on the ground. He stumbled over to her, and Lila pushed herself up.
“
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