Here’s the creative perspective others took on the below image:
Yvette Calleiro: LINK
Sandra Cox: LINK
My turn:
WILLIE (1000 words)
With a heavy heart, Samuel made his final nightly round as the head of the lake’s security force. The moonlight reflected off the murky, but still water. He was relieved no one was breaking the curfew. It was never a pleasant exchange if he encountered anyone wandering by the lake.
Only four years ago, this job had been a blessing following being shot after chasing a robbery suspect. Leaving the city and that job behind, he moved his wife and two young daughters to the lake where he’d enjoyed many childhood vacations. His family settled in and loved the peace of lakeside living. Unfortunately, everything changed one July afternoon when a huge green creature attacked a boat and a family of four. Their bodies never recovered.
Officials quickly evacuated people and there were many attempts to kill the creature. First, they dropped bombs into the still waters but never hit the creature. Bullets bounced off its green scales and the last attempt was poison delivered by a crop-dusting plane. The creature jumped high enough to snatch the plane in its large, heavily toothed jaw. The plane was spit out like a watermelon seed. The pilot was never recovered. The creature kept its snake-like eyes above water for days, watching. It was during this time they learned it could breathe air as well as water.
Competing theories emerged that included dinosaurs and aliens. The one thing everyone agreed on was the demise of its food source might force it to venture out of the lake.
“After confirming with local experts, we are restocking the lake with fish. From observation, it only wants to survive and eat,” Mayor Warner announced.
With great fanfare, it was done, and all was quiet.
Six months later, the Mayor made another announcement. “Welcome home Williams Lake residents! Willie, as he has been named, had only been defending himself. Although we won’t be fishing, boating, or swimming, I see a prosperous future with tourism. People want to see our unique lake creature.”
For three years, Mayor Warner was right. People visited from all parts of the world to see the giant monster. Locals grew rich. Willie seemed to know his part in this with frequent sightings and high-pitched cries. But the calm wasn’t forever.
Samuel sighed and turned away from the lake. “I wish they would have listened to me.”
In the last several weeks, Samuel had found dead deer, bears, and other animals’ bones by the lake. The mayor, council, and residents shrugged it off.
A rabbit, mirroring the other animal’s state, rested near the dock. Its life had drained away like a vampire had feasted. He shook his head as the crickets and frogs’ songs serenaded him. He climbed into his red pickup and turned on the radio.
“There’s been another sighting of a Willie creature in Oregon. This is the sixth one in the last week. All in natural lakes with no dams. Authorities are warning people to stay off natural lakes in the western states until they can investigate. Experts are suggesting they be mutated reptiles that had been pets at one point. Their hatching could be due to many factors but be assured they mean no harm if you don’t go into their territory. There is no reason to panic.”
Samuel shut the radio off. “Yeah, right. That’s no one’s pet. Maybe these experts should look one in the eye. They’d see they aren’t just lizards. We are under attack and people want to take pictures and buy tee-shirts.”
He signed out and left his resignation for the Mayor. Soon he was home. The rental with four bedrooms and a lake view deck had seemed to be too good to be true.
He walked through the door and pushed past the packed bags and boxes.
“You got everything, Selina?”
“Yes. All the things we came here with. Are you sure we should go? I mean, we are set back from the lake.”
“Something is coming. I can feel it. You’ve seen the intelligence in Willie’s gaze. It has been leaving the lake, and it’s only a matter of time before we are on its menu. I’ve found the perfect place, I promise. You’ll see. It has a well, a small creek, and no lakes or big bodies of water anywhere near it. Plus, it has a bunker. The man I bought it from was prepared for anything, including war.”
“You think we are going to war with those things, don’t you?”
“I do. I’ve been watching for years. I can feel the shift. I know it sounds crazy but…”
“No buts…I know you aren’t crazy Samuel, but I worry about money.”
“We’d be fine on our savings for a couple of years, but at the beginning of my shift, I got an offer to work security at a warehouse only a half hour from the house.”
“That’s good news. As long as we are together, I don’t care where we live.” Selina said added. “The girls are asleep. They think we are going on vacation.”
“Good, I’ll explain it to them later. We’ll leave first thing in the morning.”
“Let’s get some sleep.”
“After I pack the pick-up.”
Selina nodded and headed upstairs.
The next morning, they were three hours away from the lake and pulling into the driveway of their new concrete steel-fortified cabin. Selina and the girls jumped out of the car to explore. Relief flooded over him and he took the first deep breath in days.
Two weeks later, he was driving home with a truckload of supplies for their bunker when his favorite song was interrupted. “The State of California has issued a warning to those who live near the lakes where the Willie creatures have been spotted. Please leave the area immediately. I repeat evacuate now. Go to your nearest city. There have been several reported attacks outside of the lakes this morning. The National Guard has been called in. Please…”
Samuel turned off the radio. “It has begun.”
He sighed and climbed out of the truck, determined to keep his family safe.
The next Creative Perspective Challenge coming June 10th.
