The water was calm as she began her long descent into town. Not a peep could be heard in the forest on this day; something she found to be quite peculiar as she had grown accustomed to the many sounds of the jungle. The scattered chirping of exotic birds, the distinct cry of the warthog, the petrifying scream of the howler monkeys. As she took in her surroundings, she began to understand why the wildlife might be hiding away.
The sky was gray, and dismal, leaving behind an intense feeling of lethargy that was almost palpable. Normally, she would have curled up with a good book on days like this. Wrapped up like a burrito in her favorite blanket, snuggled up by the fire with not a care in the world. Well, as carefree as someone like her could be anyway.
The slight mist in the air tantalized her anxiety flushed cheeks, helping to soothe the heat she felt radiating off of her. Despite the atmosphere being cold and quiet, she was entirely the opposite. Her mind raced with the ferocity of a lion on the hunt. The already damaged flood gates had finally burst wide open as she recalled every memory she had futilely tried to suppress all these years. Vivid images of the aftermath began plaguing her rapid fire as she tried to keep up.
She recalled the posters of herself that had been plastered across town with the word 'MONSTER' written in red ink across her face. The way the town that she once loved had turned against her overnight.
"I heard she just snapped one day and killed her entire family. I knew she was crazy, just look at her!" the women would whisper loud enough for her to hear. The men would just stare, not even dignifying her presence with the breathe it would take to waste their words on her. Even the children would point there fingers and chant "monster lady, monster lady!" The merciless judgement never faltered even when the towns police found no evidence linking her to the triple murder of her family, but by then it was too late.
Only she knew the truth and she was determined to take it to the grave. And so, she was left to wonder how they would all react to her this many years later. Would they throw stones at her? Would the vicious whispers ignite again? Would they even remember her after all these years? She sighed and prayed that time had erased her existence.
While the rest of the world strived to be remembered, she longed to be forgotten...
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Her second hour on the water seemed to treat her slightly better than first as the fires of her mind worked to extinguish themselves. The less she focused on her thoughts, the more she noticed how beautiful everything around her was. The condensation in the air gave the soil a slight sparkle, shimmering like a thousand tiny diamonds on the forest floor. The delicate leaves on the trees swayed gracefully in the wind. While most people would call this day gloomy, she actually found solace in the stillness. There was a certain crispness in the air of days like this that simply could not be replicated; she liked that.
Without thinking, she reached over and let the tips of her fingers brush against the waters surface. It was ice cold, but oddly inviting. A sudden pang of sadness sucker punched her in the chest as she recalled when her and her father used to spend their days on the water. Every Sunday, he would take her out on the family boat-the same one she was in now-and try to teach her how to fish. They incessantly tried to coerce her mother and sister into coming, but they always stayed behind to cook and clean the house.
She remembered how the water always shone so brilliantly whenever she was with her father whether the sun was out or not. It was almost as if his energy was so pure that it brightened the world around them. She remembered watching in awe as he cast the fishing rod into the water with precision and grace. She always wondered how he did it so perfectly every time.
When it came time for her to try, she could never quite figure it out. She'd never forget the time she got a bit overzealous and accidentally threw the whole rod into the water. An embarrassed blush erupted across her face as they watched it float away. She wanted to bury her head in her hands and never come out, but her father-ever the gentle soul he was-began laughing. An infectious laugh that started as low rumble and heartily grew until, she too, was laughing.
They laughed and laughed until tears streaked their faces and their stomachs began to ache. They laughed until it felt like there wasn't enough air to breathe. That night, they were welcomed to a clean home and a fresh meal made only the way her mother and sister could, and they all laughed again as her father told them about the days events. A sad smile formed on her face as she wished she could relive that day. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed like that. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she had laughed at all.
Laughter seemed like a foreign concept to her now, as dead as her memories, and everything she had ever loved...
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Her third hour on the water was apathetic. She wasn't calm, but she wasn't nervous either, she was just kind of there. The crispness in the air she admired before had now turned into a hot, wet, sheet of humidity that made her want to jump overboard for a little relief. Her clothes were drenched in sweat, clinging to her like an apprehensive child clings to their mother on the first day of school. Her breathing had also gotten heavier, almost as if her body was hoping her breathe would somehow circle back like a boomerang and cool her off. Needless to say, it did not.
She started to regret dressing like an oven baked potato as she peeled the jacket off her skin like Velcro. The realization of just how ill-equipped she was for a trip like this began to sink as her stomach rumbled like a sudden crackle of thunder, making her painfully aware that she had made a rookie mistake. She hadn't brought any food or water. She grunted, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. How could she have forgotten food and water? She had been so caught up in her fish, and the fear of what others might think, that she had inevitably forgotten about herself. Sadly, this was not uncommon for her.
Before she even had time to dwell on this egregious oversight, the front of the boat took a swift nosedive, dousing her in freezing cold water. She looked on in horror as she realized the worst wasn't just yet to come, it was already here. Paralyzed in fear, she uttered the only word she could:
"Rapids"
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Things are starting to pick up now! :) I apologize for the long wait on this next chapter, writers block is no joke lol. Let me know what you think of this latest chapter and what you think will happen next! Don't forget to vote:)
