The Lake

Prologue--The Lake's Demise

The Lake lay dormant. Slowly, its water that yesterday rippled with life, was now depressed and still. If it remained unmoved much longer, its inaction would bring about what it did not want--death.

But it didn't matter what the waterway wished. It didn't hold the key to its future--Amanda Colberg did.

Bugs, snails, and fish began to slow because of what was happening to The Lake. Their crippled bodies then floated atop it in despair.

Such flying creatures as red robins and blue jays, The Lake was aware, searched out other refuge. But the remaining ducks, geese, flamingos, swans, egrets, cranes, and other creatures of color were all falling ill as The Lake's beautiful shoreline adornments began weeping.

Wilting lilacs, lilies, roses, daisies, and dandelions saddened The Lake. The stems of such flourished buds, from where bumblebees and yellow jackets earlier collected nectar, began to droop toward the earth's surface.

Everything around The Lake was dying because of what was happening to it. But the ground from which it evolved eight years ago wanted it back again. The earth didn't care that Amanda's visit to the barren site, when she was ten years old, had brought The Lake to life. It only cared about getting back its waterway that belong with it in the underground, despite what The Lake wanted.

Amanda!

The clear water of The Lake was now turning murky. Water plants began sinking beneath the water's edge as The Lake's temperature--ordinarily seventy-eight degrees--began to plummet. The coldness was what The Lake hadn't experienced since having been locked in bedrock for more than a century, long before Amanda had rescued it years ago.

The Lake knew now that its circumference was two inches less than yesterday, and as it cramped in pain, it knew that only Amanda could save it. Where was she? The Lake didn't want to die--not after having tasted life.

But The Lake could not blame Amanda for its present demise. She was the one who had saved it from the perils and darkness of earth below that would have kept it housed and dead forever. No. The Lake would not denounce its only human savior, its only continuous visitor, its only true love, and its only crucial ingredient for life as it knew it.

Where are you, Amanda?

The Lake's water edge began to stir.

Please...visit.

An uneasiness started building deep within The Lake. It knew that an undesirable sensation of further dying was about to come forth, and prepared by focusing on not feeling the pain of losing more of its mass.

But despite its desire, The Lake felt its life ceasing.

Then the violent swirling of an inner tornado rocked the consciousness of The Lake. Its waters crushed in, screaming in excruciating agony, as more of its life sucked into the tornado's funnel and disappeared deep into the earth.

Nooooooo!

The ground far beneath The Lake's surface began to rumble, as the descending cyclone spun out of control, continuing to mercilessly whip at the boundaries of The Lake.

Down! Down! Down!

The Lake was disappearing. It knew that this inner cyclone was a part of it, but it was not fond of its assignment to bring about its nonexistence.

Prepare for the worst.

Gussssssssh!

Water sprayed fifty feet above The Lake's surface. Then it crashed down in a deafening, hurtful splash.

Ahhhhhhhh!

The Lake's surface bounced in an uncontrolled wave. Frenzied ripples caused droplets of water to spray out and onto the surrounding ground. The Lake whimpered through its bleeding. It knew that every drop lost added to its demise.

Then, to The Lake's surprise, its inner storm had stopped--just as quickly as it had started.

Although puzzled, The Lake welcomed this sudden tranquility. Life for it would continue...for now.

But The Lake knew that time was running out for it. Its sensors indicated that its boundaries were five feet shorter--in every direction. Its circumference was now only thirty feet. It had lost half of its size with just one inner storm, and it feared the next one would eradicate it.

AMANDA!

The only insight The Lake had was that today was the day when Amanda was to travel to its banks. She had always journeyed to it at least once a week--to fill its desperate need for survival.

A simple brush of Amanda's fingers to its water's edge was all The Lake required from its true love; a caress from her foot to its lukewarm water; a passing of her face to reflect her image.

Those were all the crucially important ingredients that Amanda held for The Lake's survival, and although brooding, it had to believe that she would soon arrive--because it couldn't last much longer without her.