100 Years of Water

by Giulietta Nardone

Lisbeth knelt on the smooth rock and peered into the lake. The face of an attractive young woman reflected back.

But it wasn’t her face.

“I’ve been down here for 100 years,” cried the reflection. “I long to breathe fresh air again. Would you please trade places for just one night?”

Lisbeth meekly said, “Maybe.”

“I can’t hear you.”

Lisbeth leaned closer, lost her balance and fell in.

The instant Lisbeth hit the water, the woman laughed from the rock.

Lisbeth could not penetrate the water’s surface.

“I was a sucker, too,” said the woman. “Good luck finding another one.”

Giulietta Nardone

Giulietta Nardone hails from Massachusetts where she writes flash stories with a darkly paranoid bent.