Lucid Waking

Archive for May 28th, 2010

The Pond

        The water looked deep and inviting. Heat hung on the air along with thick clusters of flies and gnats. Though the sun was orange, the light was gray and becoming darker. Jason glanced at Carol, who smiled seductively. She dove beautifully into the pond and moments later came up with a gasp, flicking her hair backwards and flinging water in a perfect arc. The scene was almost too perfect and for once, Jason hesitated before jumping in next to her.
        Unsurprisingly, coldness shot up his limbs. He couldn’t see his feet for the thick sediment in the water. For all he knew, he had just jumped into a cholera and leech soup. Carol was swimming towards the center of the pond in perfect stream-line motion, but Jason stayed a bit at the edge pretending that he was watching her for enjoyment and not hesitating because of a growing feeling of fear.
        “The water gets warmer the longer you’re in it,” she yelled back to him from the center of the pond.
        “I think I’ll get out, anyway. I’m not much of a swimmer.”
        “Party pooper,” she said, laughing. She watched him pull himself out with genuine interest and then started to swim back. He heard her rhythm change as she made a large kick but when he turned to make sure she was all right, she was swimming towards the edge of the pond just as smoothly as she did traveling to the center.
        “That was weird,” she said, getting out. “I felt something grab my foot.”
        As she reported this to him, her leg began to throb and she pulled it forward to look closer. She screamed. Jason turned his head and caught a glimpse of her footless limb being consumed by a slithering purple blob of color making its way up her leg. Then, he blacked out.

        He wasn’t sure how long he was in the hospital or how he got there, but when he awoke, he was aware enough to notice the IV tubes, white walls, faded chairs, and antiseptic smell that reminded him of his short internship as a medical student.
        “Oh good, you’re awake,” the nurse said as she entered the room. “You can now swallow your pain medication.”
        “Where’s Carol?” he asked.
        “Honey, I don’t know. The hiker who found you brought you by yourself and if you’re talking about someone else entirely, I’m afraid I can’t help you.”
        “No. thank you,” Jason said quietly.
        So she was gone…somehow, Jason thought. If he was going to find out, it wasn’t going to be by himself or at night or from the hospital. Images of the purple…blob…ingesting her leg was the only clue he had and he knew if he was going to get anywhere he would need a lot more than a picnic basket and pair of towels. Whatever it was.

Comments on post 386: I don’t really have much to say about this. I haven’t done horror in a while, so this was a treat. Really, that’s about it.