Rachelle Burk Kopel Burk I’d give it a seven I said between bites More salt less dill The smoked salmon made me think again about fishing I’m going down to the lake I announced pushing my self from the table I grabbed my fishing gear on my way to the back door Dad eyed the fishing pole In spite of your apparent op timism about catching fish for supper we’ll be having spaghetti tonight Not spaghetti Fred Mom huffed Linguini Car bonara I’m just going to practice my casting I said The screen door creaked as I pushed it open Why the net then Dad asked Frogs You are not going to create Frog City on the porch again this year Mom yelled The screen door banged shut as I raced from the cabin 6
The Walking Fish 7 chapter 2 I barely recognized our own yard as I darted across the field The heavy spring rains the month before had dramatically changed the familiar rocky shoreline Now two ponds created when the lake overflowed took up a large area about twenty yards from the edge of Glacial Lake I figured that in another two or three weeks the pond water would likely evaporate leaving the grass and stones high and dry and the shoreline back to its usual state I kicked off my shoes and waded along the rocky edge of the lake Clouds had rolled in making the water appear dark and flat For a few minutes I cast my fishing line out as far as I could but I quickly grew tired of it The new ponds behind me between the lake and the cabin looked like they could be fun spots to prac tice my casting technique The larger one was about the size of a tennis court and from one edge I tried a couple of my favorite lures A white rock peeked up from the water at the far end like a miniature iceberg I aimed and flicked my pole Zzzzzzzzz plop The lure made a dainty splash within a yard of my target Darshan would be impressed A ripple appeared in the water near a cluster of boulders only inches from where my hook had landed I retrieved the net and made my way around the pond to inspect the site Again a tiny splash A raindrop I examined the hazy sky now streaked with pink near the horizon No those weren’t rain clouds Standing motionless I strained to see beneath the surface of the water my net poised to scoop up the turtle or frog the first moment it made itself visible
Rachelle Burk Kopel Burk The next movement occurred near the first one beneath a slab of gray rock I stepped closer and squinted The angle of the setting sun made it difficult to see beneath the water There it was again Something definitely crept beneath the boulder I set down the net lowered myself onto my belly and shaded my eyes The water here was only about a foot and a half deep and as long as I didn’t stir up the mud I could make out the bottom of the pond Swiping my fingertips across the surface to brush away some floating leaves I was surprised at the coldness of the wa ter Shouldn’t the afternoon sun have warmed this shallow water Even the lake felt warmer than the pond Splish-splash There it was again When the water settled once more my eyes gradually focused on the creature causing the disturbance It wasn’t a frog It wasn’t a turtle It was a creature like nothing I had ever seen A fish And it appeared to be standing on little legs and waving up at me 8
The Walking Fish 9 chapter 3 Oh oh oh I gasped The critter seemed to have become aware of me but instead of swimming away it began to burrow into the mud under the flat rock I scrambled to my feet grabbed the net and scooped wildly beneath the surface stirring up the silt on the bottom The net came up empty Stupid stupid I scolded myself The water was now as brown and murky as chocolate milk I held my breath and scooped blindly this time aiming for the spot where the fish had been Unsuccessful I stepped into the frigid water crouched low and groped around A cool current flowed against my ankles which I suspected was caused by the fish’s thrashing tail Again I scraped the net along the bottom Once twice three times I hauled up the net each time dumping out mud and small stones gathered from the bottom of the pond On my fourth scoop something flip flopped in the mesh I caught it Panting I waded from the pond dragging the netting just deep enough beneath the water to keep the fish im mersed My soaked capris clung to my legs and hips I glanced around the shore and groaned No bucket Oh well I’d call Mom or Dad and ask them to bring one down for me I reached into a pocket and drew out my cell phone The screen was blank My soggy pants had shorted the cir cuit Oops Another ruined phone My parents were going to kill me I sighed and slipped it back into my pocket Gathering stones with my free hand I piled them onto the handle of the net to anchor it on the shore while the fish remained
