Image from Unsplash (lost track of the original source, sorry)
The sound came again, Trixie and he looked over, wondering what it was. Not a bull lowing across the way, nor a farmer running a combine or tractor. Something like when he lands a fish, only bigger. Jeb checked his watch. Another five hours before he could go home, may as well look. Trixie kept close by his side … only occasionally sprinting a few steps to investigate a scent or movement … but circling back quickly, keeping the both of them safe like always, as they climbed the rise.
When Jeb topped the hill, the mid-day fog made more sense. The river wasn’t high, but the fog lay thick over its surface, something normal when after a day of sun and a cool air rolls in, or first thing in the morning when the water is cold, but the sun warms it. But this, at two when the sun is high and the air and water were both warm, made no sense, other than the sense of the fog rolling away from whatever is happening to the barn where they had been passing the day.
After scooting and sliding down the embankment to get closer, Jeb two-stepped over to the muddy edge of the creek.
Metal shone there. Flat, below the surface. It looked like it cross the entire water to the other bank.
He squatted down to examine it closer. Beside him Trixie whined, keeping somewhat back from the water. “Good girl,” he assured her. Dogs do the protect, humans do the stupid. Together they do the things.
He had done a lot of stupid growing up and his dogs got him back every time. Now Trixie had inherited the duty, keeping him company when he needed to stay away when the women-folk got their tempers up. Jeb touched his still puffy eye. While Trixie was part of the woman-folk in her own bitch way, she did a good protect against everyone but the woman-folk of their family.
Closing his bad eye, Jeb tried to figure out what the underwater thing might be. A net? An old car part? Maybe the crossbeam to a house dropped here by a tornado. Just looking wasn’t gonna cut it.
He reached his hand into the water.
(words 376; first published 11/22/2023)
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE MOMENT – Which way should I go – Sword & Sorcery Portal Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction, or Horror? Maybe a Mystery, Romance, or Thriller? A mashup of two or more? Let me know in comments. If you want, you can fanfic what happens next and make me pick it up at the next scene.