Everything seemed fine. All participants were in their canoes and beginning to paddle out. It was mid summer, and the air was balmy and warm with a slight breeze, the perfect on-the-lake-picnic weather. It was late morning, and the sun was high in the sky. People were admiring each other’s silly looking flowery hats and sipping lemonade. Nobody had an inkling of how wrong they were to pick this particular lake.
Underwater, the atmosphere was very different. Strange fish darted through the gloom. Freshwater crabs scuttled along the dusky bottom, which quivered with the movement of the worms. The worms were very happy to be what they were, because it meant they would never be eaten by Big. Big was the lake’s apex predator. Big was big. To say he was big was an atrocious understatement. He was colossal, enormous, mammoth. He looked nightmarish, with rows of huge sharp teeth, and eyes that almost glowed orange. Since he had been in the lake for so long and things had started growing on him, his razor-sharp fins were a dark, loathsome green. And because the water was so thick with duckweed, algae and muck, you couldn’t know he was there until you were already in his mouth. For having such a large head, Big wasn’t much of a genius, but what he lacked in brains, he made up for in size and strength. And there he was, gliding steadily along the bottom. He smelled something.
Back on the surface, everyone was very cheerful. They chattered away, stuffing themselves with roast beef sandwiches, biscuits, fruits and cookies. There were no clouds, and the view of the shore was lovely. There were trees and wild roses and lots of birdsong. The emerald hills in the distance were dazzled with wildflowers, and larks and geese flew overhead.
The birds rarely ventured into the eastern area of the lake, which was where Big spent most of his time. Instead, they liked to paddle and dive about in the western side. The birds weren’t particularly scared of Big, just politely cautious.
Someone had made the mistake of accidentally dropping a small hunk of watermelon into the water, and if anyone could smell the sweet tang of watermelon from across a lake, it was Big. Big started to make his way to the collection of boats in the middle of the lake. He had been patrolling the perimeter, so he was a little far off. Maybe he would grab a snack on the way. Yes, that sounded like a good idea. Big had better eyes than the other fish, so he could see an impressive six inches through the muddiness. And there was a fish. It was small, but it looked tasty.
The fish was distracted. It was very vain and in the middle of admiring its algae-free scales, carefully making sure that they were properly lined up. Although hardly any light entered through the stringy green mats and into the water, it shined and polished itself in the hopes of one day feeling the glistening sun on its back. Snap.
Now Big was heading to the picnic, having only a fraction of his gluttony satisfied by the miniscule little creature. He was impatient, going faster and faster until he was slicing through the water, hurling into plants and tadpoles. He could just hear the splash of paddles in the water. Up on top, some people were squinting at the surface. They thought they saw a Big shadow moving towards them. It was probably just their imagination. Or maybe a clump of vegetation swaying about. Now Big could hear the sound of their voices. Closer. Closer. Aaaaaand . . .
Underwater, the atmosphere was very different. Strange fish darted through the gloom. Freshwater crabs scuttled along the dusky bottom, which quivered with the movement of the worms. The worms were very happy to be what they were, because it meant they would never be eaten by Big. Big was the lake’s apex predator. Big was big. To say he was big was an atrocious understatement. He was colossal, enormous, mammoth. He looked nightmarish, with rows of huge sharp teeth, and eyes that almost glowed orange. Since he had been in the lake for so long and things had started growing on him, his razor-sharp fins were a dark, loathsome green. And because the water was so thick with duckweed, algae and muck, you couldn’t know he was there until you were already in his mouth. For having such a large head, Big wasn’t much of a genius, but what he lacked in brains, he made up for in size and strength. And there he was, gliding steadily along the bottom. He smelled something.
Back on the surface, everyone was very cheerful. They chattered away, stuffing themselves with roast beef sandwiches, biscuits, fruits and cookies. There were no clouds, and the view of the shore was lovely. There were trees and wild roses and lots of birdsong. The emerald hills in the distance were dazzled with wildflowers, and larks and geese flew overhead.
The birds rarely ventured into the eastern area of the lake, which was where Big spent most of his time. Instead, they liked to paddle and dive about in the western side. The birds weren’t particularly scared of Big, just politely cautious.
Someone had made the mistake of accidentally dropping a small hunk of watermelon into the water, and if anyone could smell the sweet tang of watermelon from across a lake, it was Big. Big started to make his way to the collection of boats in the middle of the lake. He had been patrolling the perimeter, so he was a little far off. Maybe he would grab a snack on the way. Yes, that sounded like a good idea. Big had better eyes than the other fish, so he could see an impressive six inches through the muddiness. And there was a fish. It was small, but it looked tasty.
The fish was distracted. It was very vain and in the middle of admiring its algae-free scales, carefully making sure that they were properly lined up. Although hardly any light entered through the stringy green mats and into the water, it shined and polished itself in the hopes of one day feeling the glistening sun on its back. Snap.
Now Big was heading to the picnic, having only a fraction of his gluttony satisfied by the miniscule little creature. He was impatient, going faster and faster until he was slicing through the water, hurling into plants and tadpoles. He could just hear the splash of paddles in the water. Up on top, some people were squinting at the surface. They thought they saw a Big shadow moving towards them. It was probably just their imagination. Or maybe a clump of vegetation swaying about. Now Big could hear the sound of their voices. Closer. Closer. Aaaaaand . . .