BFFs Never Die

In these parts, the water was mostly always calm and without any waves or ripples stray from the occasional animal.  Today was a particularly quiet evening though terrors lurked underneath the surface.  Right now, only Clio’s old, small single engine vessel, that could at best only crawl around at a snail's pace, caused a faint disturbance.  It was a sad sight.  The wood of its hull was worn; once bright red lettering faded into indecipherability.  But, it had been all she could afford for her once desperate search and had served her well beyond its presumed worth.  As Clio reached the end of this fork of the tiny river, she cut off the boat’s engine.  Momentum carried the pair into the center of a quiet, remote section that she often visited; save from the buzzing of insects and the occasional splash, silence became the dominant sound.  

Gently floating like this within the far removed recesses of nature was everything.  It often felt more like home than her actual home.  It wasn’t that she particularly liked the outdoors, but another reason for why she still braved these cursed waters.  Although Clio could never put the feeling into words, it sometimes felt to her as though Nadine was still with her.  Only out here in these waters, did she have that feeling.  It made no sense.  And yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Nadine was somewhere in the treeline or beneath the surface of the water, hiding just out of view and watching.  It was a comforting thought.  But the reality was that there wasn’t any possibility that she was still alive.  It had been too long.  Ten years to the day.  All that time and yet, not a day had gone by without thoughts of the best friend that she had lost.  Lost to the wilds was the consensus, but it had never quite sat right with her.  

Emotions stirring within, what was once peacefulness, quickly became replaced with a growing, deep sense of loneliness.  Soon, it would be time to leave once again empty handed as the sun began to descend below the treeline. 

The passage of time flowed onward, no matter if you were paying it any mind.  Danger awaited within the night.  These marshes were known to steal lives, but she had been teasing herself with an unsafe thought.  What if she didn’t leave this time?  It was an idea she somehow knew would end badly.  And yet, she remained and watched the sky slowly darken because maybe, just maybe… This was the only way to find the answers that had eluded her.

A sound caught her off guard, nearly sending her tumbling overboard.  It sounded as if something had jumped out of the water.  Concern rising within her, her mind conjured up bad scenarios, further fueling her rising fear.  Nervously scanning this way and that, her eyes eventually spotted two distant glints of light, sparkling just above the surface of the river.  Focusing, recognition set in as they began to move.  Eyes.  A pair of eyes and behind them was another pair.  Rapidly multiplying sparkles surrounded her.  But before the closest pair came into view, all of them submerged below the surface.

Nothing but silence for a long while; a delicate force not even insects dared to disturb.  

And then suddenly, something slammed against the bottom of her boat, causing it to rock dangerously back and forth.  Shivers radiated out as she clung on for dear life while her old boat was struck a second time.  Then a third final slam, but this time the force was a push followed by a short screech, sending the boat spinning in the direction from which she had arrived.  Her old boat creaked and moaned as it slowly settled down.  Clio sat frozen, arms spread out, bracing for the presumably next incoming impact.  But none came, though more horrible screeching echoed out from behind.  Still feeling eyes upon her, Clio collected herself and reached for the motor’s pull chain.  Two quick pulls and it started.  After a moment's hesitation, she guided it forward.

Where earlier the sluggish speed of her boat had felt calming, now it was anything but as she fled from whatever had been beneath the water's calm surface.  It felt as if an eternity passed before she reached the path toward home.  Cutting the engine, Clio once again hesitated.

Unsure of what she had seen or felt, Clio felt conflicted.  A tiny flame of hope within her still remained.  Answers still eluded her.  But just as she considered returning once again, something slammed against the bottom of her boat.  Sharp and sudden, it forced a scream out of Clio.  A quick series of violent blows followed at an increasingly fast pace against the bottom of her boat.  With each strike, Clio felt the desperation radiating from her attacker.  Whatever was underneath was using every ounce of its strength to claw away her boat.  

“Stop!  Stop!”  Clio desperately pleaded through a torrent of tears.  

Her words had no effect.  

“No, don’t… Please!  Don’t, I need to…”  Her voice trailed off as nothing she could say seemed capable of stopping the incoming onslaught as cracks grew with each forceful slam.  Water rushing in, her boat sank.  Forced to abandon it and swim to shore, Clio watched as it slowly disappeared from view.  At the edge of her vision, motion caught her attention before then it too followed suit down into the depths.  Brief proof of a fate Clio had long denied herself to accept.  A final goodbye.