The Night

She couldn't sleep. The strange bed, the strange sounds. Knowing he was in the next room. She crept to the door and silently moved down the hall. Trying not to wake him, she opened the back door and went outside. It was a beautiful night. The moon was a bright white, and there were millions of stars. She never got to see them living in such a big city. But out here, in the middle of nowhere, they filled the sky.

She sat on the porch steps for a while, but the lake beckoned. She walked across the lawn to the dock, then climbed down the stairs. She took off her shirt, draped it across the top step, and slipped into the water. It was cold at first. She swam out to the middle then floated on her back. She looked at the sky and let her mind wander. Ten minutes, twenty. As she headed back to the dock, she saw a movement.

He had heard her leave the bedroom. He couldn't sleep either. When she didn't return right away he looked for her. He stepped outside just in time to see her climb down into the lake. He waited on the dock, watching this strange woman whom he had invited to his home. Why had he done it? He had never done anything crazy like this in his life. But she was different.

As she got closer to the dock he stood up. He knew he should look away, let her grab her shirt, but he couldn’t. She thought too about what to do. He had never even hinted at anything between them, they were friends, that was all. She never hesitated, but slowly climbed the stairs, lifting the shirt on the way. She held it in front of her and moved closer to him.