The Tide Rolls In

Daddy said we were going to the lake, he said it would be fun.

Oh the irony of the statement, for it was fun for us but not for him.

No, he never told us the lake we traveled to was the home of his oldest rival.

Turmoil was born in the water, and I clung to my father as the boat rocked.

A hand reached up and grabbed his leg, I screamed in fear and woe.

None other than his neighbor Billy, drowned in the water, was the owner of the hand.

Sand clogged his eyes, his head, he was dead.

We sceamed in fear, who’d want to kill us here?

Even my dad looked stony cold, at the sight of the tragedy he had behold

Red water pooled around us now.

The culprit was an evil fellow,

He came up to us holding a yellow lifevest.

Even from afar, the choice was clear, either me or my dad would leave here.

Pissed, my dad threw a verbal rock, “We’ll get out of here alive, you stuck up cock!”

He looked madder than I’d ever seen him. The man at the shore laughed in delight.

Obviously he got some joy out of our plight.

No one could forsee what happened next

Everyone on the boat was too busy being vexed.

The man threw the lifevest into the sea

His laughter echoed maniacally.

Eagerly, my dad jumped off the boat, desperate for something to keep him afloat.

My body was the only one left on the boat, without my dad I had no one to row.

A chaotc buzz filled the air, a sound I’d never heard anywhere

No more games, that much was clear. The man hopped into a boat and began to steer.

I had seen enough, I was ready to be done, but the man on the boat was having fun.

Sliding the boat of of the docks, it roared towards my father, away from the rocks

Now I was so scared I could hardly breathe. Who was this man, what did he want?

Over my father his little boat rolled, crushing his skull into the waters below.

Then I screamed, I was so done. My father is dead, this man had won.

My father’s body had sunk underwater,

Evermore a lamb to the slaughter.

I threw a rock at the man, he slumped underwater,

The man fell victim to his victim’s daughter.

So I had won, after all in the end

He was dead, now the only problem was who? Who was this man?

A question that, it seems, will

Remain unanswered forever.

Ready to go, I swim over to the live vest and shrug it on.

I feel free at last.

Swimming to shore was easy.

Over and over, my arms moved in a repetitive motion.

No one could stop me now.

Though the water was cold, I did not shiver.

However, I had just killed, and my father was dead.

Expectedly, I began to cry.

Maybe I had done the wrong thing.

A feeling crept into me, that I recognized that man. He came from my youth.

No memory was strong enough to give me his name, however.

Who could it be?

How on earth did I know him?

On television? That didn't seem likely.

Hate rushed through me as I waded to his body

And looked at his face.

The first thing I notice is a familiar scar

Even though I don't know how it happened

So I look closer

Opal rings adorn his face, decorating his nose, lip, ear

Usually my family stayed away from those people.

Ready to turn and leave, I catch sight of a symbol in his jacket. How

Funny that I didn't recognize him before now

A strange sense of pity washed through me

My father had given him that scar.

I could barely remember it, it was so long ago

Lee, that was his name. He worked for my father.

Yet I thought he drowned when my father pushed him off a cliff. Guess not.

The recognition shocked me

How had he survived?

A miracle for him, or a curse upon us.

The answer I doubt we'll ever know.

Doom had spelled my father

And also this man.

Defeat had killed them both, so which one had won?

Killers, me and this man.

I and him are the same.

Leaving behind his memory,

Leaving behind my father's boat

Exiting the water, I retreated to the shore.

Done, was this game of life, that he and my father shall play no more.

He was dead, and I had killed him. Father was dead, and he had killed him.

Every thought I thought led back to that.

I am a murderer

So what to do?

A thought came to me,

Like a shooting star that crashed into my brain.

I didn't need to hide them. The water would hide them for me.

Very quietly, I crawled into the cabin

Except now I was gasping and crying.

Anything that happened today didn’t matter.

No matter what, I could just move on.

Doesn’t that seem like it should be easy?

Well, it’s not.

At least, not for me.

No matter what, I’ll remember today forever.

The day that I killed a killer.

Somehow, I managed to get to the hotel alive.

The white beds were soft and smelled like bleach. The

Only decoration is a painting of a doorway.

Knowing full well that I could be killed,

I leave the room.

Loneliness envelopes me as I step outside.

Little did I know, I wouldn’t be alone for long.

Under a roof sat the Olympic sized pool.

Seeing some kids, I joined them in the water.

Epilogue:

I met a little girl. Her mother looked at me and motioned for me to talk to her. I walked over to her.

“What do you want?” I asked the mom.

“Where’s your dad?”

“Out at the lake.” I tried to maintain eye contact.

“Oh. Well if you need anything, contact me.” Confused, I take the slip of paper from her.

I know about your dad and that man. If you ever reconsider needing help with the man, call me. 835-775-4566

P.S. he’s not dead just yet. :)

I responded with a note of my own.

(To find out what the note said, take the first letter of every line.)