Tainted Waters

Chapter One "Daddy, I love you." "I love you too, punkin." He touched the tip of her nose. She squealed in delight and touched his too. He smiled at her. "Shall we go see the baby birds?" She jumped up and down clapping her hands. "Oh yes. But we have to be quiet. Right, Daddy?" "Yes, sweetheart. And we don't touch." "I won't. I won't. I promise." He squatted down in front of her. "Okay then, hop on and I'll piggyback you. We have to walk through the water and over to the marsh area. I think it's still a little deep for you." She climbed onto his back, bouncing up and down, bobbing from one shoulder to the other, so she could watch where they were going. Her dad had on his waist-high rubber boots. He took her to neat places when he wore those. He carefully stepped into the calm water. Then everything changed. He was lying face down in the lake. She touched him. "Daddy. Daddy," she called, but he didn't move. She tickled him under the chin like she always did but still he laid there. She grabbed his hand and tried to pull him, but she couldn't move him. Her tiny arms weren't strong enough. "Help! Daddy! Help!" She screamed and screamed but nobody came. And she couldn't leave him. Then the lake started to churn. To spin. To suck them both into its swirling vortex. Shaking with fear, she held on tight to him. The water started pulling them apart. One minute she was clinging to him, the next she was flung aside … tossed out … lying on the grass. With shaking arms, she struggled to get up. She could see him, but he was now far away … slowly disappearing … vanishing from her life. "No, Daddy. No. Please don't leave me. Please don't leave." She stretched her arms out to him like she had many times when she'd asked him to pick her up. "Daddddddddyyyyyyyyyyyyy."