Photo Challenge-148

They stood at the edge of the lake.  She looked down to see that the moonlight cast their shadows on the water.  She looked bigger there, downcast as she was, she couldn’t stop looking at it.  This was a mess, she never intended to leave, especially with help from him.  He was such an undesirable little man, but she had no choice.  He had the answer.  The only answer she could use, especially now, with the baby.  Yes, she was running away.  It was the only viable decision.  Taking a chance with this man was her only recourse.  Turning away from the lake, she wrapped the baby tighter.  Waiting for the boat was taking longer than expected and the early hour was chilling.

He took another smelly puff on the cigar.  “This little cutie will pay off well”, he thought.  “‘Course I feel sorry for her, but I can’t think about that.  This is what I do, for a price, a big price.”  He adjusted his hat as he gazed upon his shadow in the water.  “She’ll be okay, and I like the money”.  He looked up to scan the lake for the boat.  It would drift in to shore silently.  No need to raise suspicion among the lakeside residents.  He didn’t want any complications.

The baby started to squirm.  He was hungry and tried to move towards his mother’s breast.  “You’ll have to wait till we’re on our way”, whispering to the infant as if he could understand.  She wrapped him tighter.  If only the boat wasn’t so late, she would have been gone by now.  She looked around.  It seemed no one was awake, all quiet, and then a faint motor hummed.

The man took a few more puffs on that odorous cigar.  “That’ll be him.  Ready?”  As soon as the boat neared shore, she handed the old man the money.  It was everything she had, except enough to take care of her son till she could find work.  Stepping into the boat, she looked back at the place she loved, once upon a time.  It seemed  forever since she was an innocent teenager, though only a year and a half had passed. She sat down and looked only to the lake.  That life was over.  She hugged her son, hoping they would survive on their own.

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