Muddied Waters

In the end, there had been no final confrontational scene, no somber good-bye, no cheesy excuses or explosive altercation. He supposed they had simply grown dissatisfied and that the dissolve set in long before either of them was aware of the biting resentment it would later bring. It seemed that as quickly as it had all began (as quick as a kiss, he mused) it was over. She was seeing other people, many others it appeared and he was standing in front of this darkening pool his reflection coldly staring him down.

                The pool had been special long before her. In a city which at times could drain the very lifeblood of ones soul with its mundane monotony the pool had always been a place of solace. A simple, circular pool with a grey concrete lip surrounding it and wooden benches all around, it was often a focal point for his deepest thoughts or quietest escapes from the pressures of the disillusioning noise surrounding him. It was the simplicity of it that brought him here. In a world that was sometimes far too complex for his liking, everything seemed to stop at this quaint oasis. With the wind through the poplar trees at his back, his every care disappeared into these clear waters and even the people passing by seemed to notice and respect his quiet, almost religious meditation here. He tried very hard to think that nothing had changed, that this was still his comfort, his haven but even now the waters seemed to ripple and turn in a very unfamiliar way as his reflection rolled with every breath of wind. His identity, his very face was uprooted by the invisible shift in the fate-like hand which stroked his water of understanding. And try as he might to think about anything else, his mind floated back to the day that he had first brought her there.

                They had seen an afternoon movie and then had eaten at some greasy spoon place with fattening delightful food and slightly overweight middle-aged waitresses and laughing and discussing the plot points of the film with obnoxious pseudo-intellectual banter, they walked to the pool. He had told her about his many long nights enjoying the cool wind off of this wishing well, studying his reflection. And she had said that she liked it very much as well and they had shared a long kiss. But even as he looked into her eyes that night, the water’s shimmering glint under the moon had caught his eye and he had seen them as he though only possible in his dreams, their energies flowing together like two dancing leaves flirting their way downstream on the surface of some meandering current.

                And now that he had seen them together in that perfect picture printed on the surface of the water, his own solitary image just did not look the same.

                As the sun began to paint the water a faded purple and washed out yellow, he heard voiced behind him, faint at first and then growing as a strolling couple found themselves in his company, gazing at themselves in the pool, holding hands and quietly murmuring with smiles and respectful giggles. He took note but almost forgot about them within a matter of minutes and so it was a bit of a surprise when they spoke to him.

                “Excuse me, could you take a picture of us?” the man was asking.

                He nodded and took the camera as they took their places in front of the water. He gave them count of one two three but as he moved to take the picture the faint glint of the setting sun caught his eye and he dropped his concentration for a brief moment to stare at the reflection he left on the surface of the water. The wind dropped for a few seconds and the water, like a sheet pulled taught shone back an image as clear as day, A man alone but not broken.

                “Thanks.” He heard a voice say and saw the man walking towards him as he looked down to the camera at an image so blurry the two persons morphed into a single multi colored, faceless blob.

 

               

Author's Note

Very rough draft. Could possibly be expanded.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

The good description held my attention. I wanted to know more. I like location and the conversation. The ending left a wide open ending for more story. Thank you for sharing the excellent story.
Coyote

[MOON]

Lovely write introspective , well written good style .

[Pencrafter]

Your story is well told. I really like the way you made the pool the focal point, pivoting the character's issues and backgrounds around it. I look forward to the revised version after your proofread and rewrite. It's an absorbing story.