on golden pond | fillie

gone fishing

finn's p.o.v.

caleb fiddles with the fishing rod in his hand. "we're casting, right?"

i nod, putting on my black sunglasses and casting out my line.

i sit back in the boat, basking in the sunlight.

caleb lets out his line and sits down across from me.

"how are things with....you know...millie?" his eyes crinkle with laughter.

"alright, i guess."
i bite my tongue. the truth is, millie hasn't spoken a word to me in over a week.

the boat rocks back and forth in the light waves. the sun drenches us in warm air, soft wind wisping through my hair.

i feel a tug at my line. "grab the net!" i call to caleb, reeling up the fish.

an average sized northern pike flops into the small green fishing net.

"dinner for tonight?" caleb grins.

i smile lightly to my friend. the trees creates paintings of light across his sunkissed skin.

we pull the fish into the boat and i help him pull the hook from where it caught on the gills.

i hold the fish against our small measuring tape. the fish flops in my hands, covering them in slime. he measures around 23 inches. "it's a good size, poor guy, he'll have to be dinner."

i give the fish to caleb and swish my hands in the lake.

the sun soaks the lake in golden rays, hence the name; golden pond.

we drive the boat around the lake for a while, enjoying the warm summer day. july has been warmer than usual lately.

it makes me sad as i think of all the memories here, growing up on golden pond. damn nostalgia.

caleb laughs as i run my fingers through my overgrown hair, pushing it from my eyes. it tangles in the wind and water splashs up from the cool lake.

we speed around an island that blocks the entrance to our bay, he slows the boat as we coast through the small opening that reveals our cabins.

he pulls up to my dock and lets me off. i take the fish and attach it's chain to the end of the dock, letting it fall into the water. it swims mindlessly, unable to move farther than its body length from the dock.

"i'll see you tomorrow or something." caleb waves as he boats to his dock just a few away from mine.

i wave back at my friend and turn to head back up to the cabin.

my eyes drift around the bay, seeing the algae that skims the lake water. then my gaze falls to my neighboring dock.

i sigh.

millie sits at the edge, alone.
her feet dipped in the water, her pants rolled up.

she stares down at the everlasting blue hue of the lake. he hair falls in a crescendo around her chin.