Water the Enemy

Lifting her long blond hair up off her neck, Lisa shifted in the lounge chair, her blue eyes searching the water. She had fallen asleep reading, her husband, Brandon, and their ten year old daughter, Kaylie, were out there somewhere. Lisa didn't feel comfortable in the water and had never learned to swim.

Brandon loved the water, he had been raised in a house on the shores of Lake Huron. His love for the lake was transferred to Kaylie.  Lisa insisted that her daughter take swimming lessons before, allowing her to swim in the lake.  So, Kaylie began weekly lessons at the community pool in town at the age of three, accompanied by her father.  Kaylie spent so much time in the water, Lisa was surprised she didn't have fins.

She couldn't see them at first and felt a moment of apprehension. Then she heard a shout and her head turned to the sound. Kaylie was yelling and waving her arms. Brandon was a short distance away and making his way to her.

Griped in fear, she jumped to her feet and shaded her eyes with her hand. She could do nothing, but watch.  There were no lifeguards to help out on this private stretch of beach.  She watched frantically as Brandon neared Kaylie.

At last, he made it to her and Lisa started to relax. Suddenly, both of them went under. She had never been so terrified in her life. She waited for them to resurface, but the seconds just ticked by turning into minutes. Sobbing, as she rushed to call 911, Lisa knew it was too late. Her beloved family was gone!

She put the lake house up for sale, the day after the funeral. She moved in with her friend, Isabelle, who lived miles from the water. She couldn't live in such close proximity to the lake that had taken her loved ones.

After the house sold, she moved into an apartment, then moved again two months later. The apartment building had a pool. She couldn't stand the sound of the children's laughter as they frolicked in the pool.

She found herself driving miles out of her way as she drove to and from work everyday. She subconsciously avoided crossing a bridge over a river.

She stopped taking baths. Soaking in a scented tub after a long day at work, surrounded by candles, use to feel so luxurious to her. Now it made her feel anxious, so she opted for a quick shower.

When even quick showers started to terrify her, Lisa started bathing with a washcloth from the sink. Soon, just turning on the faucet frightened her, so she started bathing with wet wipes. Even the thought of brushing her teeth was more than she could take. Instead, she opted to chew gum.

As the second year anniversary of her loved ones death approached, friends hardly recognized her if they happened to meet. Her once beautiful hair, now dirty, hung limply around her emaciated face and an odor emanated from her. Her friends had urged her to get counseling, but she refused.

She could no longer drink water, or anything made from water. Milkshakes, nice thick ones, were the most she could handle.

She lost her job, no one could stand to work next to her. With no income, it wasn't long before she found herself among the homeless. That summer she slept in the park on a picnic table under a pavilion. Now, former friends pretended they didn't see her, turning away quickly when she approached.

One morning upon waking, Lisa noticed the dew covering the picnic tables and grass. She started screaming, frantic because the dew - the water - was coming to get her! A man, eating his breakfast from his car in the parking lot, rushed to help and dialed 911. Lisa had to be sedated before transporting her the hospital.

Lisa woke in the psychiatric ward of the hospital. Wearing restraints, she was receiving fluids intravenously. She was told that she had Ablutophobia,the fear of bathing, washing, and/or cleaning.  She did well for a time, receiving cognitive-behavioral therapy. Her therapy involved taking baby steps - first sitting in a bathroom with the water running. After several months, she was able to take quick showers. Lisa was released to a halfway house.  After about a month, she left and never came back.

She was back to wandering the streets, one of the homeless again. Eventually she just stopped drinking, even her thick shakes. Lisa died one night, alone, heart broken and afraid - a victim of Ablutophobia.

Reviews

[Ink Angel]

such a sad story, very tense and full of emotions and such heartfelt fear. Makes me realise we should never judge anyone, we have not walked in their shoes. She is almost like a puddle dimishing before our very eyes on a hot day. We are all one, as it were.

[Ink Angel]

Your writing improves day by day. Well done.

[Wendy Seames Garner]

Thanks so very much Ink Angel!

[MOON]

Poignant write Wendy, the downward spiral with loss , the fear of the thing that took the family . Water is life and the absence of it death. Interesting story.

[Wendy Seames Garner]

Thanks so much, Moon, for reviewing my story. I appreciate your comments.

[Samuel Dickens]

Such a sad tale of despair and downward spiral. It would be easy to criticise Lisa, slap her and yell, "Snap ot of it!" but who's to say how any of us would react should we be subjected to such tragedy. Very well done, Wendy.

[Wendy Seames Garner]

Thank you so much, Sam. There seems to be too much tragedy in the world these days.

[kingblaq]

A very tragic ending!
A well written piece, gave me a stone in the throat

[Wendy Seames Garner]

Thank you so much for your comments.

[emmajoy]

What an incredible story, it's so finely written! The actual accident and how it immediately effects Lisa is utterly horrific; but you've told how it was in - yes, an acutely aware style, yet gently and slowly display that poor woman's stress and eventual state of mind without melodrama or a need to shove the reader's horror into some farcical place.

Ablutophobia .. a new word for me, and, such a tragic one.

I so admire your writing.

[Wendy Seames Garner]

Thanks so much for your comments, Emma, they mean so much coming from you - I consider you to be an amazing writer.

[NoelleRash]

Ahhh but the symbolic water,the lovable character, the flowing plot. I felt like i was getting cut short of everything. What you have is great but every so often you summarize, "she was back to wandering the streets" how? Why? please show. And i would love if the interaction between the therapist and Lisa was shown. Water is symbol of change and life, two very scary things. What makes this character brave enough to accept them, even for a short period of time?

[moonbeam40]

this is a heart wrenching story, very sad if it a true life story, it has made me feel sad, a warning to all, learn to swim! :)) regards Moonbeam.

[Wendy Seames Garner]

Thankfully, this wasn't a true story, but it could be. I wrote this for a group writing prompt - we were given the subject to write about. Thanks for the review!

[moonbeam40]

you are welcome:))Moonbeam

[Tina Kline]

An amazing story and very intense. You did an outstanding job describing Lisa's tragic and dark descent into madness and eventual death.

[Black Cat Fever]

Amazing story! Has quite the impact. I feel for this victim. Too bad she couldn't recover from the loss of her family and move on.

[Wendy Seames Garner]

Recovering from the loss of a loved one is hard - I know that from experience. Thanks so much for your comments Black Cat Fever!

[Black Cat Fever]

You're very welcome.