He Better Learn How to Swim
Harmony Platt
The wave of water pushed her head back down into its murky depth, and the last of the air in her lungs rushed out of her mouth. She pushed her body to the surface of the icy lake, but as she went to breath water filled her lungs. Black spots started to appear in her vision, and she kicked her way out of the water's claws. She popped back up above the surface and started coughing up all the water filling her lungs. A quick glance around for her brother showed that he had left her drifting in the middle of the lake.
After a minute, she got back her senses and kicked towards the sandy shore and out of the lake’s waves. With one last stroke she reached the line of sand along the water. She pulled herself out of the cold water and stood up with shaky legs. She looked at her surroundings and found that she was only a half an hour walk from the lake house her brother had rented for the summer. She begrudgingly started walking home. As she shuffled home, she cursed her brother for pushing her out of the canoe and vowed to return the favor. The house finally came into view just as the air became colder, and she ran through the front door into the warm entry way.
She found her brother in the kitchen making mac and cheese, which was the only meal he was smart enough to not burn. He watched her with a sense of dread as she slowly filled herself a cup of water, walked up to him, and unceremoniously dumped it over his head. He gasped in horror as he felt the cold water race down his back, and then they both fell over in a fit of laughter. After they picked themselves up, she ran up to her room and changed into shorts and a t-shirt.
At the dinner table, the two siblings sat down for their meal not saying a word until she suggested to her brother that they go out on the river for a night time canoe ride. With a weary glance outside and a glare from his sister he agreed, only because he felt guilty for pushing her in earlier. He made one request for her not to push him into the water. She crossed her fingers behind her back and swore she wouldn’t push him in. They finished eating, washed the dishes, and went out to the lake in their rented canoe. They paddled out in the dark looking up at the star filled sky. He took off his life vest, because the one he grabbed in the dark was ten sizes to small. They stared up at the stars that they always gazed at when they were kids. The talk for hours about their childhood jumping from one town to another, and living on the streets after their parents died. She pointed at a barn owl perched on a tree, and as he turned his head she pushed him over the edge. He let out a yelp of fear as he hit the ice-cold water, and she laughed as she paddled away. “He better learn how to swim fast,” she giggled, but by the time she reached the house the screams had died away.
After a minute, she got back her senses and kicked towards the sandy shore and out of the lake’s waves. With one last stroke she reached the line of sand along the water. She pulled herself out of the cold water and stood up with shaky legs. She looked at her surroundings and found that she was only a half an hour walk from the lake house her brother had rented for the summer. She begrudgingly started walking home. As she shuffled home, she cursed her brother for pushing her out of the canoe and vowed to return the favor. The house finally came into view just as the air became colder, and she ran through the front door into the warm entry way.
She found her brother in the kitchen making mac and cheese, which was the only meal he was smart enough to not burn. He watched her with a sense of dread as she slowly filled herself a cup of water, walked up to him, and unceremoniously dumped it over his head. He gasped in horror as he felt the cold water race down his back, and then they both fell over in a fit of laughter. After they picked themselves up, she ran up to her room and changed into shorts and a t-shirt.
At the dinner table, the two siblings sat down for their meal not saying a word until she suggested to her brother that they go out on the river for a night time canoe ride. With a weary glance outside and a glare from his sister he agreed, only because he felt guilty for pushing her in earlier. He made one request for her not to push him into the water. She crossed her fingers behind her back and swore she wouldn’t push him in. They finished eating, washed the dishes, and went out to the lake in their rented canoe. They paddled out in the dark looking up at the star filled sky. He took off his life vest, because the one he grabbed in the dark was ten sizes to small. They stared up at the stars that they always gazed at when they were kids. The talk for hours about their childhood jumping from one town to another, and living on the streets after their parents died. She pointed at a barn owl perched on a tree, and as he turned his head she pushed him over the edge. He let out a yelp of fear as he hit the ice-cold water, and she laughed as she paddled away. “He better learn how to swim fast,” she giggled, but by the time she reached the house the screams had died away.
My name is Harmony Platt, and I am a freshman in high school. I like to play Monopoly and do competitive swimming. I live in New Mexico and dislike the heat.