swallowed. “How about, ‘Brrrr, this water is rather cold on my bum’?’”
Will laughed. “Not bad.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “Really, Mr. Godwin. You think you can do so much better?”
In response, he snorted.
“Then you try.” Lucy chewed on a piece of cheese.
He tilted his head, as though listening. “Okay, see the one that keeps dunking his head under the water?”
She nodded.
“Let’s call him Gus.”
“Gus?”
“Yes, Gus. And he’s saying, ‘There are hundreds of fish down here. They are swimming in small schools. One of them is huge. I hope he isn’t hungry. I don’t want to be some big, dumb fish’s dinner.’ The other one is Nell and she’s kind of uppity, likes to speak with a strong English accent. She’s saying, ‘Oh, pleeeeease, Gus. Fish do not eat ducks. We are far too fluffy and gorgeous. Besides their teeth are too small to do any damage.’ And Gus is like, ‘Well, Nell there’s a first time for everything. Remember Uncle Rob. He went swimming in the Flaming Gorge and never returned. I bet a fish ate him.’”
The ducks took to the air and flew away.
“‘Fine, Gus. We will go find another pond, one with smaller fish and warmer water,’” Will continued, in his uppity English accent.
Lucy giggled.
“‘Yeah, there’s a huge body of water this way. I’ll take you.’” Will stood and tried to bow, causing the boat to rock. “And that’s how it’s done.”
“Very good. I do believe those two ducks were Gus and Nell.”
He glanced up at the sky. “Looks like rain. Should we head in?”
The clouds were rolling in fast. “Definitely.” She packed up the basket while Will rowed.
They didn’t get very far before the rain started. Big droplets burst from the sky and drenched them within seconds. The lake began to roil and gurgle like a boiling pot. Water splashed inside the boat.
“What’s happening?” Lucy shouted.
“I’m not sure. Hang on. Stay in the center of the boat.”
She scooted over, doing what he said, but the waves got bigger and bigger. Will lost one of his oars. A large wave came at them, slamming into the boat, capsizing it. Before Lucy realized what was happening, she was in the water. Her riding habit had many layers and now soaked in water, they dragged her down. Frantically she clawed toward the surface. She hadn’t been prepared when the boat capsized so her lungs were already in desperate need of air. She looked for the way up, but under the murky water couldn’t tell which way to go.
Will, her heart cried.
Finally she broke free of the watery depths and took a deep breath. If possible, it was raining even harder. Immediately, a swell of water pushed her back under the water. She surfaced in time to be pushed down once again. She was tiring rather rapidly under the extra weight of her clothes and realized she wouldn’t be able to keep fighting the waves much longer.
When she came to the surface again, she took a deep breath, ready to be pummeled again, but the waves were gone. The rain was gone. And the clouds moved on as swiftly as they’d come. “Will!” She turned in the water, looking for him or the boat. She saw the boat floating back near the middle of the pond, but no Will. She called him again, heading toward the pier, hoping he’d made it to shore.
She’d gone only a few feet when something tugged on her leg, pulling her back underwater. She tried to see what it was, but the pond was too muddy. She used her other foot to kick at it, but it wouldn’t let go. And she was getting deeper by the second. It was a pond though. How deep could it be? she thought, even as spots began to appear before her eyes. She knew that meant she would pass out soon and that would be it. How sad that she would die, not by the gods, or because she and Will broke the rules of the time travelling amulet, but by drowning. The commonality of her fate angered her, and she kicked at the thing that held her.
A blast of light shot through
Will laughed. “Not bad.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “Really, Mr. Godwin. You think you can do so much better?”
In response, he snorted.
“Then you try.” Lucy chewed on a piece of cheese.
He tilted his head, as though listening. “Okay, see the one that keeps dunking his head under the water?”
She nodded.
“Let’s call him Gus.”
“Gus?”
“Yes, Gus. And he’s saying, ‘There are hundreds of fish down here. They are swimming in small schools. One of them is huge. I hope he isn’t hungry. I don’t want to be some big, dumb fish’s dinner.’ The other one is Nell and she’s kind of uppity, likes to speak with a strong English accent. She’s saying, ‘Oh, pleeeeease, Gus. Fish do not eat ducks. We are far too fluffy and gorgeous. Besides their teeth are too small to do any damage.’ And Gus is like, ‘Well, Nell there’s a first time for everything. Remember Uncle Rob. He went swimming in the Flaming Gorge and never returned. I bet a fish ate him.’”
The ducks took to the air and flew away.
“‘Fine, Gus. We will go find another pond, one with smaller fish and warmer water,’” Will continued, in his uppity English accent.
Lucy giggled.
“‘Yeah, there’s a huge body of water this way. I’ll take you.’” Will stood and tried to bow, causing the boat to rock. “And that’s how it’s done.”
“Very good. I do believe those two ducks were Gus and Nell.”
He glanced up at the sky. “Looks like rain. Should we head in?”
The clouds were rolling in fast. “Definitely.” She packed up the basket while Will rowed.
They didn’t get very far before the rain started. Big droplets burst from the sky and drenched them within seconds. The lake began to roil and gurgle like a boiling pot. Water splashed inside the boat.
“What’s happening?” Lucy shouted.
“I’m not sure. Hang on. Stay in the center of the boat.”
She scooted over, doing what he said, but the waves got bigger and bigger. Will lost one of his oars. A large wave came at them, slamming into the boat, capsizing it. Before Lucy realized what was happening, she was in the water. Her riding habit had many layers and now soaked in water, they dragged her down. Frantically she clawed toward the surface. She hadn’t been prepared when the boat capsized so her lungs were already in desperate need of air. She looked for the way up, but under the murky water couldn’t tell which way to go.
Will, her heart cried.
Finally she broke free of the watery depths and took a deep breath. If possible, it was raining even harder. Immediately, a swell of water pushed her back under the water. She surfaced in time to be pushed down once again. She was tiring rather rapidly under the extra weight of her clothes and realized she wouldn’t be able to keep fighting the waves much longer.
When she came to the surface again, she took a deep breath, ready to be pummeled again, but the waves were gone. The rain was gone. And the clouds moved on as swiftly as they’d come. “Will!” She turned in the water, looking for him or the boat. She saw the boat floating back near the middle of the pond, but no Will. She called him again, heading toward the pier, hoping he’d made it to shore.
She’d gone only a few feet when something tugged on her leg, pulling her back underwater. She tried to see what it was, but the pond was too muddy. She used her other foot to kick at it, but it wouldn’t let go. And she was getting deeper by the second. It was a pond though. How deep could it be? she thought, even as spots began to appear before her eyes. She knew that meant she would pass out soon and that would be it. How sad that she would die, not by the gods, or because she and Will broke the rules of the time travelling amulet, but by drowning. The commonality of her fate angered her, and she kicked at the thing that held her.
A blast of light shot through
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