I watch it rise, the bottom seemingly dropping away. It’s a semitransparent blue, deceiving in its deadliness. Its apparent transparency is a trick of nature to draw in unsuspecting prey because although you can see the immediate area before you the vastness of its reach is extraordinary. The immensity allows undetectable threats to surface or swarm. But it calls to you, a siren song promising cool refreshingness. And it can provide either fun or relaxation depending on your need. Your subconscious whispers, the tide is rising. Don’t go deeper! Heedless, you jump with both feet into the high water.

By Shari Marshall – 2023

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Written in response to Carrot Ranch Literary Community 99-word challenge: write a story about high water.