I have a pet pond skater who relies on the exploitation of extreme tension to get by. Negotiating the borderline legalities between this world and that, between the fluidity of thought and solid little pincers, she hones her antennae and takes aim. Nothing across the pond’s dim surface escapes her notice, as she races and skims passed objections, passed doubts. Wiry limbs paddling, she focuses on the frantic rippling of soaked prey. The trial of strength is swift, business-like and wrapped in silence; her suction-feeding mouth only pausing to peddle the sole, secret motto of the pond – “never secure anywhere.”
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This piece of flash fiction was written for Friday Fictioneers: a story in 100 words prompted by a picture that Rochelle Wisoff-Fields posts every Wednesday. Here’s the link to the stories and this week’s picture is below, copyright Dawn Landau.
Sweet FA by Blake 
Sue, Good story with great descriptive metaphors. Well written. 🙂 —Susan
Hey Susan, yes, insects provide a wealth of metaphors. Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Dear Sue,
I had to look up pond skater. A bug I wasn’t familiar with. Nice descriptions. I’m wondering if you might mean ‘skimmed past objections, past doubts’?
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks Rochelle. Yes, I had to read up on pond skaters, too. An interesting bunch!
As for passed and past – they’re words I often have to double-check to decide which one I want, and so here I initially had past and then changed it to passed instead 😉
Powerful, conclusive and… ineffable 😛
Nice one, Blake. All the best to you, always, Aquileana 😀
Thanks, Aquieana! Ineffable… such a good word! 😉
And all the best to you, too. I look forward to seeing which gods and goddesses you have in store next…
Oh, now this is brilliant — really love the contrasts and the way you’ve made her seem so efficient and businesslike. (Which, I guess, she is.) Very nice indeed.
Ah well the business-like element comes from the dual meaning of “bugs.” Glad you like this, I must say, since I think it definitely owes a debt to all of the haiku I’ve been reading lately (which means your haiku, really) – what with the critter being centre-stage and a hidden meaning.
Pond skaters are now one of my favourite critters btw – fascinating to research. And I even learned a bit about the physics of air meeting water 🙂
I am very honored to have inspired you 🙂
They really are fascinating… Doing the impossible almost!
I really like your story and the metaphors are brilliant. I’ve seen spiders skimming across a pond and they are very interesting to watch. Great job!
Nan 🙂
Thanks, Nan. I haven’t seen any pond skating creatures for a long time – will have to remember to pay more attention next time I’m around a pond 🙂