500 Word Short Story
The Lakeside Cabin
Scott A. Gese

500 Word Short Story

Neal and Eileen had rented the lakeside cabin for the weekend. It was a chance for the two of them to get away from the city. No electronics allowed. The plan was to just relax, unwind and reconnect with each other.

Neal was a Prosecuting Attorney. For the past two months, he was under a lot of pressure to convict a high profile mob figure. The trial wasn't easy. The first jury was dismissed due to jury tampering accusations. His life had been threatened twice and his land line was found to be tapped. In the end, he had won the case. He knew there would be blowback. It was something he would worry about on Monday.

Eileen was an emergency room nurse. Her job was rewarding but very stressful. In the ER, cool heads prevailed and for the past five years, she was the one who never lost control of a situation. She always prevailed. Her plan was to do nothing but relax this weekend.

Saturday evening was warm. There was a full moon and Neal had planned a relaxing and romantic candlelit dinner on the the lake at the end of the dock. No phones, no laptops, just relaxing conversation about anything but work.

At the end of the evening, when the wine was gone, the candles had burned out and the moon was sinking low, Neal suggested a starry night cruise on the lake. There was a small rowboat tied to the dock, beckoning them to continue the evening. Eileen thought it was a great idea as long as they took the dessert. She grabbed a knife and the cake and climbed in. They paddled out to the center and sat quietly looking up at the stars.

Suddenly, something came up out of the water near the boat. It was someone in a scuba suit. They grabbed the side of the boat and tried to tip it. Neal picked up one of the oars but before he could swing it, the diver disappeared under the water.

“What in the hell was that,” Exclaimed Eileen.

Before Neal could reply the diver came up again. A spear from a speargun grazed Neal's shoulder knocking him to the edge of the boat. In a flash, the diver grabbed Neal and pulled him over. Eileen's ER training kicked into full gear. She made a quick assessment of the situation, grabbed the knife and jumped in after them.

It was dark, but she knew there was a struggle going on right next to her. She reached out and grabbed hold of whatever she could get her hands on. It happened to be the divers air hose. Not wanting to stab the wrong person, she cut the hose. The struggle suddenly stopped. She grabbed Neal and helped him to the surface.

Once on shore she tended to his wound, helped him into the car and headed for town.

Again Eileen insisted. “What the hell was that?

“Blowback,” was Neal's only reply.

© Copyright 2018 by Scott A. Gese All Rights Reserved.
