🥽 The haunted Buoy 🌊

“There is a buoy in the middle of Lake Misty. Like its name, there’s lots of fog and is misty. The buoy in the middle of Lake Misty is a mystery. Boats that are docked there disappear overnight. Legend has it there’s a cave underneath this buoy, and a magical alligator eats all the boats docked at the buoy. We know this alligator isn’t logically possible, right Ralph?” My teacher told. 

“Uh… no, it’s not possible,” I answered, waking up from my daydream. 

“Stop daydreaming Ralph, I know this class isn’t your strong suit, but please pay attention,” she said.

“Yes ma’am,” I replied. 

I was daydreaming about swimming. It’s my favorite sport and pastime. Swimming makes me feel magical like I’m floating in the air. It also comforts me, because out of water I always feel like there’s a skeleton right behind me about to kill me. While I swim I feel the water on my back like it’s a protective wall, so my fears are banished for the time being. 

Once I found out I loved swimming, I swam every day in Lake Misty, my family owns a house on the lake. There are good and bad things about swimming and loving it. The bad thing is that everyone at school makes fun of me because of it, the good thing is I enjoy it and it provides exercise. 

I was thinking of going into the Olympics one day if I ever got good enough, and if my so-called ‘friends’ let me. You see, my friends are actually my bullies. They’re good people once you get to know them, however whenever they or I talk about my swimming they get into bully mode. 

“Hey, little shark, did you know sharks kill and fight each other? You’re killing me with your swimming, fish,” they said one day. 

Where we live, we eat a lot of fish. Therefore being called a fish is the most offensive thing someone can say to someone else. It’s almost like a curse or a bad word. 

The next morning after I daydreamed, the most surprising thing happened. My ‘friends’, the bullies, asked me if I wanted to go to their party. I was never invited to parties, so naturally, I went. 

At first, it was normal, the boat was rocking, music was blasting, and people were dancing. Then suddenly, everything and everyone got quiet, except for the sound of waves lashing agenst the boat. 

I turned from staring at the lake to see everyone looking at me with mischievous smiles. 

“What?” I asked. 

“We would like to see your swimming skills,” one of my ‘friends’ asked. 

“Oh, um… I didn’t bring my swim gear, so…” I trailed off. 

“Oh, you don’t need your swim gear, we want to see how you would fend for yourself if we shoved you off,” he said. 

“Wait, what!” I shouted before he did the unthinkable. 

He shoved me off the boat like he said, he wasn’t bluffing! Before I hit the water, I thought, “I cannot go back there, they might push me off again.” I also noticed we were only a few feet away from the ‘Haunted Bouy’. That’s not reassuring.

When I finally hit the water, I immediately went back up to the surface for air, not that I couldn’t stay under for longer. 

Looking up at the boat, I saw the person who pushed me looking down at me, smiling and chuckling. 

“Oh look, you’re with your real family. We’ll leave you alone if you dare show up at school tomorrow, if not, well, we all know what might’ve happened. I’ll say bye to your Mommy for you,” his speech was followed by the laughing of the boat’s occupants, and the sound of the boat’s engine. 

“I won’t be coming back anyway!” I shouted, before taking a huge breath of air before going underwater. 

The water was cold, freezing actually. I swam downward, on a mission. I’m not going up back to the surface, I can hold my breath for a few minutes. I want to see if the legend of the Haunted Bouy is true, while I’m here. 

Looking downward while taking care not to sink, I saw what I thought I would see. It was the cave with the chain of the buoy tied to a rock on top of the cave. The cave entrance was black, however, there was a faint light deep inside. 

I wonder what that light is from, there’s only one way to find out. 

I went back to the surface for another gulp of fresh air, then went under. While at the surface, I saw the party boat docking at my ‘friends’ house. They’re leaving me here, why? I knew they were mean, but never this mean. They must really trust that I could swim well. Somehow, that thought warmed my heart a little.

Swimming back down underwater, I passed tons of fish. Colorful ones, small ones, big ones, scarred ones, baby ones, injured ones. I even saw a few places where seaweed grouped to make a home for all these fish. 

I’m not used to this cold of water, I usually swim close-ish to shore, not in twenty or so feet deep water. I’m guessing this lake is deeper than that, especially since there’s a huge cave in here. 

I swam into the cave as I counted two minutes, I should go back, however, I just got into the cave, and the light is getting closer and closer, why go back now? 

I swam as fast as I could further and further into the cave, the cave walls had carvings on them, I can’t exactly tell what they are of, but I can guess it is some type of mythical creature. 

There was no fish or seaweed down here, I could touch the sticky sand. On the sand were swirls from snails. 

I swam to a huge opening in the cave, it was an underwater grotto. 

That’s when my lungs burst with pain, three minutes were up. I forced myself not to open my mouth to get air, because, well I’m underwater. 

I swam toward the ceiling of the grotto, where there seemed to be air. I burst out of the water like a dolphin, sucking in air like a pump. My heart started pounding faster and faster with every glorious breath of air I got. 

Rocks were poking out of the water so, I sat on one to regain my energy. 

So, the legend is true, there is a cave under the buoy. What’s more, there’s a grotto with air, which means an alligator could be living here. So far there are no signs of it yet, however, I could’ve sworn before I burst into the air I saw something green, and I don’t think it was moss or seaweed. 

After a minute, my heart calmed down, I was able to think clearly, and decide on my next move. 

Should I stay here for a little while? Or should I get back home? I’m sure I won’t get another chance at going here again, however, my parents and siblings would be very worried. 

I did tell them I was going to that party, but it’s over now, and I’m sure there are going to be pictures of the party someone posted, and possibly ones of me falling into the water. 

However, I would like to take something home to prove I’ve been in the cave underneath the haunted buoy, but what? 

I looked around the cave, but there was nothing. The water was still, no fish were around, that’s when I noticed two things. 

One, where the light came from, two the other half of the legend is true. 

The carvings on the walls glowed a greenish light, highlighting the magical-looking creatures carved into the wall. 

At that moment, as soon as I noticed the glowing carvings, I also noticed something in the water stirred. 

Looking closer, proved there was a green, long, mass coming toward me. It was the magical alligator! Or, at least an alligator. It’s abnormal to see one in these waters, I wonder if this guy is alone, or if he has a family.

I went as far away from the alligator the rock would allow, and it started coming out of the water. 

Once its head was fully out, it stopped and stared at me, I stared back. 

At first, I felt scared, but quickly relaxed my muscles, and stopped being scared. This alligator doesn’t want to hurt me, does it? I mean, I would be dead by now if it did. 

“You’re different,” The alligator said. 

I fell off the rock in surprise, getting back on the rock, I said, “You can talk?” 

“You can hear me? Yes, I can talk. I’m the only animal, as you call us, who can. You see, I was born with magical powers,” it said. 

“So it’s true, you’re magical. Are you the one who eats all the boats that dock here?” I asked. 

“Oh heck no. That was my cousin Brandy, he did that until he got very sick one day and died. Now I’m the only alligator in the lake,” it said. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I said. 

“It’s alright, I’ve lived for hundreds of years, if anyone knows dying is part of the life cycle and accepts it, that’s me,” it said. 

“Oh, um… okay,” I said. 

“So, what brings you here?” he asked. 

“Well, my sorta friends are my bullies, they make fun of my swimming a lot, anyways they shoved me off a boat and left me here. I stayed down here to see if the legend of the haunted buoy is true, looks like it is,” I said. 

“Oh, why don’t you just move to get away from these ‘bullies’” he asked. 

“It’s not that simple,” I replied. 

“I’ve been watching over you whenever you swim, I’m not afraid to say you’re the best swimmer I’ve seen, and I’ve seen some clever Indians invent things to help them swim, so that’s saying something,” he said.

“Thanks. So… you’re not going to eat me?” I asked. 

“Nope, I only eat people who threaten me by screaming in my face. Seriously, what’s wrong with people?” he asked.

“Right?” I chuckled. 

A moment of silence. 

“Hey, do you want to be friends? I have none,” he asked. 

“Sure, I have none too, so…” I trailed off. 

“You should get going before it’s night,” he said. 

“Okay, what happens at night?” I asked. 

“The eels come out,” he said. 

“Oh, okay,” I said before diving into the water. 

“Here, let me help, hold onto my spikes,” he said. 

I held onto his spikes while he swam toward my house and out of the cave. In two minutes, I saw thousands of fish and seaweed on our way to my house. In two minutes we made it, just before I lost air. 

“There you go, much faster, isn’t it?” he asked. 

“Yeah, same time tomorrow?” I asked. 

“Sure, I have nothing going on. I don’t have anything going on for the next 100 years,” he said. 

“Alright… bye!” I said. 

“Bye!” he called before going back into the water. 

My mother of course wondered where I was, I told her and she didn’t believe me, naturally. 

My ‘friends’ became real friends at school and stopped bullying me once I told them about my story. Eventually, I became an Olympic swimmer, thanks to the alligator giving me support and tips. 

The alligator and I were friends until the end of my days, he says he’ll be my daughter’s friend as well when I finish the circle of life. 

It turns out bullies aren’t too mean after all. I mean, they did help me make the best friend in the world.