"Pelican Lake" by Kayli Scammahorn

I stumble across the burning sand. My feet are going to feel this later. I slow down when I get closer to the calm water, soothing water. My feet feel like they’re on fire. I edge forward. I test the water with my toes. Medium warm, just the way I like it. I move even closer to the water. First, I put my feet in. Ankle deep, knee deep, waist deep. I can walk out to the very last buoys. I look back. I can barely see where we put our stuff. My brother’s wading up by me. He is smiling from ear to ear. He may be younger, but he sure is tall.

I go out even farther. I can’t touch the ground any more. The water is even colder. I must be getting even closer to the 40 foot drop off, I think to myself. I’m getting very close to the last buoys. Closer, closer. The water is making goose bumps jump out from under my skin. I’m so close to the last buoys. I look around me. The trees surrounding the beach are swaying. I suddenly feel the cool breeze. I go underwater. The breeze is making whitecaps on the surface. I surface. After wiping the water away from my eyes, I look down. The weeds in the 40-foot drop-off are like ghosts. They are forgotten and spooky. You never know what’s beneath them. Yuck.

I meet my brother back by the second buoys. We race each other back to the shore. I look down. The minnows are scurrying away from my giant feet. The sand is billowing up in clouds under water. I come splashing up on shore, my brother right behind me. I quickly wrap up in a towel. We pack up our stuff, and walk up the wood boardwalk. The sand is drying and cracking off my feet. I get into the car. It’s so hot and uncomfortable. Boy that was so fun. Tired and hungry we head home.