The River At Sunset

Unbenounced

It's what I love. Swimming in the river at sunset. Watching the sunlight reflect on the surface of the water, as the ripples make their way through. The thrill of swimming with my friends, doing what I love most. Daring to go out after dark, covered in the setting sun's warmth.

I take our old, rusted, beat-up truck and spin out of the drive. I fly down the open country road to pick up my two best friends. When I reach their house, I slow to a stop as they run down the porch steps, giggling and shoving each other for the prize that the front seat is.

I put it in reverse and gravel flies as I spin out of another driveway. Best friends, Kate in shotgun, and her sister, Bella in back. I zip down the country lanes, the truck bouncing beneath me. The old girl squeaking over every hill and, under every dip.

The forestry passes in a blur. Shades of greens, oranges and, browns seem to make a mirage of the forest. Here, Autumn is always beautiful. The scent of the leaves, and the trees makes me lift my nose. I feel my lungs, taking in the sweet aromas of nature, and then exhaling my breath.

To catch the beauties of nature and to smell the nature in the air, you have to look for them far away from society. This quiet place, is just the rapture every farm-girl, city-girl, or anyone needs to escape the pressures of everyday life.

My palms are sweaty, and slide down the steering wheel. I lock the steering wheel in my grip of iron, and itch to get to my destination. I turn, winding down the small road next to the water, and come up to the river bed.

Here, the bed is caked drier, so we get out, slam our doors, and hike to the waters edge. Now the ground is a lot damper, muddy even, so we take off our sandals, exposing our bare feet.

I take off my cotton t-shirt, and jean shorts that cling to my body like glue does to paper. I shake out my mass of brown curls, and run into the muddy water in my favorite swimsuit. The cool, murky water brings my teeth to chatter.

The two girls look at me for my affirmative and I sigh, nodding my head. I slide my hand across the moving surface, feeling the life vibrations from the water. My favorite night spot, as cold as ever. I look up as the others jump in and then rise back up gasping, and glaring at me. I shrug my shoulders and smirk.

They hate the cold, but I love it. It awakens your senses and allows you to completely delve yourself into nature and the task at hand. It smells of rain, fish, and dirt. There's always something, something more than meets the eye.

Logs, leaves, and parts of driftwood slowly float downwind. The water is vibrating slightly like it truly is alive, little ripples explode as little fish dart away from me.

I hear the scream before I see it. Bella is shrieking incoherently like a banshee, yelling at everyone to clear the water. I am about twenty feet in the river when I start to wade through the water. That's when I feel it.

Something slides across my back, then grazes my foot. The rough texture of scales touching me brings to my mind an image of a snake, which bounces around my head at that moment. I shiver, and start to swim faster, stronger, and harder than I've ever in my life.

My hands cut the water like knives, and the smoothly go in the water and back out. Pain shoots up and through my leg, a screaming message to go faster. Something has my leg, it would be an understatement to say it felt like pin pricks, this was way worse— like getting your leg run over by a car.

I get pulled under before I can think, before I can inhale more air. I can't see anything, can't tell which way is up or down, left or right. The pain felt as if someone lit my leg on fire, like it was being ripped off. I can feel as my hip dislocates and my leg goes limp.

I can feel my flesh tearing, shredding. Needle-like teeth working my skin as is commands. I scream even though underwater, and I reach down to my leg. I punch whatever has my leg, and I feel the pressure of it gone. I realize my leg is free, and I hurry to reach the surface.

I choke, and sputter when I finally pierce my lungs with the crispness of it. My chest feels like it could cave at any moment, and I feel nauseous.

The sun is blinding, and the river smells of blood. It smells because blood surrounds me, trapping me in it's puddle, it's my blood. It is on me, and it's on the river, painting the water red.

My eyes flicker open and closed as I take in the carnage, Kate is pulling me away from the water as I realize I made it to shore. Bella is on the phone crying, and screaming for help. She hangs up after nodding, and wretched in the sandy mud.

Kate rips my shirt and shorts as best she can, and lifting up my leg. I can't feel the pain anymore, and my vision is blurring. I lift my head up to look at my leg, and I gag. Kate thrusts my head back down, and puts a cloth over my eyes.

My leg! It looks like something that is only ever seen in a horror movie. A chunk of meat put through a blender and fed to a pack of wolves. My blood is warm, and gushing as fast as the current. The trees around me sway as Kate and Bella hoists me onto the bed of the pick-up.

The last thing I feel is the cold metal of my truck's bed. The last thing I remember is that, I used to love to swim.