Original | Watching
Fire and water existed within each other for a few fleeting seconds as a drop of rainwater fell from the spring leaves into the clear pond. The spray it threw up mingled with the waterfall's mist and the ripples ran over and into the ones caused by the falls and the lithe blue body that floated on top of the water.
Long legs kicked half-heartedly as the sun flared down from the clear blue sky, little rainbows darting frantically around in the humid air. A noise from the forest trail caused the body to sit up in alarm, a tumble of arms and legs until a thin blue arm hooked over a rock at the edge, and large sea-green eyes, the white a pale blue, looked over the side at the approaching humans.
"Wow, mum, this is perfect!" A shrill child's voice snapped the tranquillity that had been holding on with a spider's thread. The eyes took in the rolled-up blanket, the large wicker basket, swimming costumes and narrowed angrily. The tall woman opened the blanket, a brightly checked and tasselled one, and spread it on the ground, smoothing it out, and smothering the wildlife and plants under it. The green eyes closed for a moment in disgusted mourning and the body sank under the ledge to brood.
The words, "Shall we go for a swim?" jolted the nimble figure out of its reverie and hiding place to see the humans shedding their outer clothes. Quicker than lightning a blue streak darted under the water to peer out from under the waterfall's enveloping curtain.
The ripples splashed some water out of the pond as the woman and man lowered themselves indelicately into the water. The boy was less restrained, jumping, like a fish hawk diving for its prey into the crystal clear water. Watching, the figure occasionally flicked water towards them in frustration, making them halt their laughter in puzzlement.
Up till then, the blue body had resigned itself to their presence. Then appearance of bottles, tins and clear film that shone in the sunlight from the depths of the basket made it screw up its eyes in fury, and long to do something about the destruction the family were unwittingly causing.
The sun was setting in a fiery sky as the blanket was rolled up, the blades of grass limply raising themselves to half-mast, and put away in the basket as clothes were donned. The green eyes peered once again over the bank as the merry laugh of the waterfall mingled, then overtook, the crash of footsteps through the forest. The blue body sighed, floating upright it the water as it flowed around him, bird calls reasserting themselves, the gentle pit-pat of the water dropping into the clear water once again audible, and interrupted rainbows once again gleamed in the burnished gold of the sunlight. The rubbish a stark human wound in the tranquillity of the nymph's glade.
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© Clare Selley 2009
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