“Sunscreen, everybody!”
Grace’s mother smiled widely, passing around the oily bottle. The family settled into their respective positions. It was almost as if they hadn’t come together. This was not atypical, as Family Day usually revolved around an activity they could do separately under the pretense that they were doing it together. The sky seemed to reflect their moods, growing grayer every hour. Grace sat facing the water, watching the lake’s moldy surface, listening to her sister complain about the diminishing chance to get a tan. This wasn’t how she wanted to spend her Sunday afternoon.
“Dad, can we jump off the rocks now? You’re practically done with that book.”
“Yes, Benji, I’m practically done. Keep your head on, we’ll go in a moment.” Benji looked exasperated and turned to his mother.
“Mom, can you go with me? You can watch me jump.” She peered from behind her own book and didn’t seem very excited at the prospect.
“Not right at this very moment, Benji. Just relax, wait for the sun to come out.”
“What sun?” grumbled Jen. This trip was not going to get any better, Grace thought. Maybe she could push Benji off the rocks, watch him belly-flop onto the murky water. That would be fun. Grace smiled.
“Benji, I’ll take you.” He squinted at Grace, not trusting the easy look on his sister’s face.
“Yes, that’s a wonderful idea! Go on, take your brother, you know the way up.” Grace’s mother nodded encouragingly, then sank behind her book once more. Benji sighed and looked again at his parents, hoping for a last-minute parade up the rocks. When both avoided his gaze, he got up and walked dolefully to the path, motioning to Grace. The sky was now at its darkest, looking pregnant with heavy rain. The siblings scrambled up the towering mossy rocks, looking for the best place to jump off. To the right, the empty beach extended around the entire lake, but directly in front of them, it was a stretch of dark water. Grace had always thought it was a nauseating place, but nevertheless had partaken in the tradition of jumping into the lake. One had to pick the right spot, though, in order to plummet straight into the water. There were low, almost hidden, smaller rocks clustered around the base of some of the cliffs. No lifeguard would encourage jumping off them, but the kids did it anyway, as kids do. Grace and Benji stood at the edge of one of the tallest bluffs, their eyes sweeping the surroundings.
“You going to jump or not?” Grace asked impatiently. She had no energy for this childish endeavor and wanted to get down as quickly as possible. Something about the sky and the lake were making her uneasy. Benji turned to her, pale.
“You first.”
“No way! I just escorted you up here. You’re jumping.” The wind was strong so high up, and both kids were shivering. Grace glanced at her family, little ants on the faraway beach. No one was watching them.
“C’mon Benji, just get it over with.” Benji looked scared, his usual bravado vanishing rapidly. He turned to his sister, jaw clenched.
“You have to do it, too,” he whined. “Don’t be a chicken.”
God, Grace thought, he was like a toddler. She rolled her eyes and said nothing.
“Chicken!” Benji shrieked, looking nervous. The wind whipped the words out of his mouth. It was becoming stronger. Grace was cold and getting annoyed.
“Jesus, Benji, just go — ”
“Chick chick CHICKEN!” he screamed, making Grace jump. She almost slipped, and dug her heels into the gritty rock to balance. Furious, she turned to him.
“Do you need me to push you or something?” Grace lunged towards Benji, the wind almost propelling her body.
“Grace, wait — ” Benji’s eyes bulged as Grace’s fingertips gave him a shove. He slipped almost comically and careened over the edge. Time seemed to slow as Grace watched Benji’s body slam into a low jutting lip of rock that was invisible from where they were standing. His chest and head made a sick thunk when they collided with the ragged slab. The sound of his body splashing into the lake shook Grace out of her stunned silence. She let out a long scream as her brother’s body sank below the scum on the water’s surface.
Grace’s mother smiled widely, passing around the oily bottle. The family settled into their respective positions. It was almost as if they hadn’t come together. This was not atypical, as Family Day usually revolved around an activity they could do separately under the pretense that they were doing it together. The sky seemed to reflect their moods, growing grayer every hour. Grace sat facing the water, watching the lake’s moldy surface, listening to her sister complain about the diminishing chance to get a tan. This wasn’t how she wanted to spend her Sunday afternoon.
“Dad, can we jump off the rocks now? You’re practically done with that book.”
“Yes, Benji, I’m practically done. Keep your head on, we’ll go in a moment.” Benji looked exasperated and turned to his mother.
“Mom, can you go with me? You can watch me jump.” She peered from behind her own book and didn’t seem very excited at the prospect.
“Not right at this very moment, Benji. Just relax, wait for the sun to come out.”
“What sun?” grumbled Jen. This trip was not going to get any better, Grace thought. Maybe she could push Benji off the rocks, watch him belly-flop onto the murky water. That would be fun. Grace smiled.
“Benji, I’ll take you.” He squinted at Grace, not trusting the easy look on his sister’s face.
“Yes, that’s a wonderful idea! Go on, take your brother, you know the way up.” Grace’s mother nodded encouragingly, then sank behind her book once more. Benji sighed and looked again at his parents, hoping for a last-minute parade up the rocks. When both avoided his gaze, he got up and walked dolefully to the path, motioning to Grace. The sky was now at its darkest, looking pregnant with heavy rain. The siblings scrambled up the towering mossy rocks, looking for the best place to jump off. To the right, the empty beach extended around the entire lake, but directly in front of them, it was a stretch of dark water. Grace had always thought it was a nauseating place, but nevertheless had partaken in the tradition of jumping into the lake. One had to pick the right spot, though, in order to plummet straight into the water. There were low, almost hidden, smaller rocks clustered around the base of some of the cliffs. No lifeguard would encourage jumping off them, but the kids did it anyway, as kids do. Grace and Benji stood at the edge of one of the tallest bluffs, their eyes sweeping the surroundings.
“You going to jump or not?” Grace asked impatiently. She had no energy for this childish endeavor and wanted to get down as quickly as possible. Something about the sky and the lake were making her uneasy. Benji turned to her, pale.
“You first.”
“No way! I just escorted you up here. You’re jumping.” The wind was strong so high up, and both kids were shivering. Grace glanced at her family, little ants on the faraway beach. No one was watching them.
“C’mon Benji, just get it over with.” Benji looked scared, his usual bravado vanishing rapidly. He turned to his sister, jaw clenched.
“You have to do it, too,” he whined. “Don’t be a chicken.”
God, Grace thought, he was like a toddler. She rolled her eyes and said nothing.
“Chicken!” Benji shrieked, looking nervous. The wind whipped the words out of his mouth. It was becoming stronger. Grace was cold and getting annoyed.
“Jesus, Benji, just go — ”
“Chick chick CHICKEN!” he screamed, making Grace jump. She almost slipped, and dug her heels into the gritty rock to balance. Furious, she turned to him.
“Do you need me to push you or something?” Grace lunged towards Benji, the wind almost propelling her body.
“Grace, wait — ” Benji’s eyes bulged as Grace’s fingertips gave him a shove. He slipped almost comically and careened over the edge. Time seemed to slow as Grace watched Benji’s body slam into a low jutting lip of rock that was invisible from where they were standing. His chest and head made a sick thunk when they collided with the ragged slab. The sound of his body splashing into the lake shook Grace out of her stunned silence. She let out a long scream as her brother’s body sank below the scum on the water’s surface.