Supa Short Story #5

The moon gazed down in anticipation with its Cheshire cat grin as her bare feet padded across the cement. Crickets chirred against the deeper reverberations of the tree frogs in a din that covered the soft swoosh of the beach towel sliding from her shoulders.

Toes curled over the edge of the pool, getting a feel for the chill of the water by the breeze lapping off its surface. The summer day, in all its languid complacency, had nearly suffocated her. She was rarely up for dawn, but still sensed the length of the day in the perfunctory motions of the wildlife, luxuriating in siestas come midday. Also in the anxiety of the night creatures, waiting for their short shift to start.

Her body slid beneath the surface of the water like a sword sliding home to the hilt in its scabbard with only a whisper of power. Ripples danced in the moonlight, a private disco for fireflies to commune over.

Halfway across the pool, she surfaced, gleaming and pure from the chlorine baptism. Her hair spread around her in the almost complete circle shape of a lillypad, the smooth brown appearing black against her pale skin.

The moon paints her as she swims, adding sparkle to her eyes, emphasizing to smooth curves and dark hollows. Her nipples are hard beads in the cool water. A turn reveals the curve of a bottom, a stroke the size of a breast.

This is her world, swimming laps past midnight. Alone with her thoughts, serenaded by frogs and crickets, even bats sing to her, although she can't hear them as they spin their aerobics above her. The day and her life wash away in the pale blue chemicals. All that matters is her stroke, keeping the rhythm, floating on her back while the stars peek in, her far away voyeurs.

The world can wait, with the big fluffy towel for both comfort and protection. The little night songs others call silence are soothing her, and the moon is grinning like a knowing friend. Hair flowing around her, spreadeagle on her back, naked to the world as though she's nothing to hide - she smiled back.