Water Lily

The flowers of the water lily give off a delightful fragrance. Their appearance, too, is pleasant. Even the leaves have an attractive form. Their rounded shield shape has a strong and waxy surface that makes it suitable for small animals, such as frogs, to sit on them. They are very distinct from the small, slimy algae and various plants such as watercress, that grow riotously and choke streams and ponds with their incessant reproduction and propagation.

I was beneath the surface, looking towards the edge of the pond and admiring the fact that even the stems of the water lilies were sturdy and well-formed without being overly thick or ungainly. I let out a stream of air from my mouthpiece, and the bubbles jostled upwards, scattering on the surface and disappearing into the air above the water. From below, it seemed like the bubbles were merely bouncing out and would return soon enough.

I swam forward, towards the shallows where the lilies grew by the edge of the water. I clicked the safety off of my pistol, holding it close to my chest, barrel pointed down and away from my body. There was a dark shape up above the lilies that cast a shadow into the water. I was about 20 feet away now, and I could clearly see the outline of a man shimmering in the underside of the water.

I got my feet under me, peering through my goggles towards the man. I couldn’t tell which way he was facing. I was sure he was there, but all I could make out was his silhouette. I had to take the risk. Gun forward, I pressed into the soggy mud of the pond floor and stood up out of the water. He was facing away. I watched the water pour out from the revolver, then pulled the trigger. Headshot. I was under the surface before his falling body rolled into the water. I watched as the lilies closed back over the spot where he had fallen.