Nights of Summer

This summer started like any other. There were parties on every street as the local high school students celebrated the end of the school year. I refused to join them. I had my own party to be at. Every summer my family went to the lake. It was a large lake that glistened in the moonlight and a place I loved. I sat on the dock one night listening to the tree frogs sing and watching the lightning bugs float all around me. It was a bittersweet moment knowing that the following day I would be leaving the serene woods and back to civilization.

“Mary,” my mother called from the cabin, “Time to come inside!”

Slowly and unwillingly I rose to my feet and headed for the house. Once indoors, I saw my little brother sprawled out on the couch playing with a few of his action figures. My mom was finishing up the dishes with my dad lending her a helping hand.

“Could you take Ben to bed, Mary? Please. Thank you,” she said as I nodded.

Later that night I lay wide awake in my bed too upset to sleep. Why was I wasting my time with something like rest when the whole wood was out there for me to explore. A small creaking came from across the room where I brother slept, or so I thought. My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I watched my Ben’s shadow move from the room. When I heard the screen door open and close I decided to follow him. No seven year old should be outside at night by himself, right? I kept my distance so he could have his privacy. Ben walked to the end of the dock and stopped. He stared down at the water, looking at his reflection. Ben then sat down letting his legs dangle off the side. Slowly, I crept closer to him. I watched helplessly as he reached down to let his fingers skim the water, but instead he lost his balance and fell into the cold lake.

“Ben!” I screamed, running toward him as fast as my legs would take me.

I skidded to a stop at the end of the pier. Lights were beginning to turn on in my house and soon my parents had made their way outside.

Before I had a chance to think, I dove after my brother. The cold liquid pierced my skin like knives. What once had been a refreshing thing to do on a hot summer day was now a frigid deadly trap. My eyes stung as I opened them under the surface. I could hear my mother’s voice from above me crying out for her children. There was another splash and I saw my father swim past me after Ben who was kicking and struggling to reach air. I swam back to the dock where my mother was standing with red eyes and a phone to her ear pleading with 911 to send help. I knew right away even if she did get a hold of them it would be at least a half hour before they would arrive.

Every few minutes my dad’s head would rise to the surface, bob for a few seconds, and then go back down again. When he would come up he would shout at us updates.
“It’s so dark down there!”

“I can’t see a thing!”

“Don’t worry, honey! I’ll get him!”

He did get him, eventually. After 15 minutes of searching, he came up again, this time he had his arms wrapped tightly around a small body limp in his arms. We helped get him onto the dock. Another fifteen minutes later, red and blue lights along with sirens surrounded us. The paramedics took Ben from us trying to resuscitate him, but I knew it was no use. Tears poured from my eyes. Ben had been under the water without air for a good twenty minutes. He was gone. My mind replays the night everyday in my head. There was nothing worse than watching a doctor pull a pearly white sheet over my brother’s face. This summer started like any other, but ended like no one expected.