Thursday, April 29, 2010

Fishy 55


A scream flew across the water with dire emergency.
“He’s fallen in,” screeched a frantic voice.
“Help. Please.”
An empty inner tube
floats down the river
as many searched beneath the rushing surface.
“Found him,” yelled a rescuer.
On the shore
a teary mother’s eyes
gazed down
as a little voice said,
“I saw fishies.”
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This is a Flash Fiction Friday 55.
If you want to know what the hell that means visit g-man.
The challenge is on.
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Or if you want yet another challenge write a Sunday 160.
Like a text message, the Sunday 160 only uses 160 characters (including spaces)
Keep on schedule - post Sunday
Let me know you have posted via a comment on my site
Visit at least one other Sunday 160
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This is a true story. When I was about three years old, my mother and father took us kids to the Molalla River. While neither of them could swim, My father took me out on an inner tube in shallow water. He slipped on the algae covered rock and I fell into the rushing water. A family friend who was at the river with us found me in three feet of water and brought me to shore. To this day I remember what I saw while laying on the bottom of that river. Small trout fry, smooth river rock and sand. My mother told me that after coughing up the water I had swallowed, I excitedly told her that I saw fish under the water. I have heard of people who developed life long fears after an experience like this, but I love the water and feel very natural in it. I scuba dive and love to "look at the fishies".

35 comments:

Stan Ski said...

It's not just cats that curiosity kills. At least this one had a happy ending.
Great 55.

Changnoi said...

This happened to someone I knew. Without the happy ending.

Janna said...

Glad you were ok!!
This reminds me of a story my mother tells sometimes.
When she was much younger (waaay before I was born), she used to go water-skiing.

One day she wiped out and fell.
She went to the bottom of the lake (I guess the water wasn't very deep), and saw a HUGE fish (really huge for this area at least... maybe 4 or 5 feet long) sitting there minding its own business, looking at her.
It freaked her out really bad and she never went water-skiing ever again.

Green-Eyed Momster said...

I was caught in a rip current a few times at the beach when I was little. I still love the beach and the ocean.

Glad you weren't afraid of water for life. Glad you were found safe.

Enchanted Oak said...

And a fine tale it was. Gives new meaning to the term "Swimming with the fishes."
After midnight Pacific time Here’s my 55

Yvonne Osborne said...

Nice fishy 55. It can be pretty scary down there with the fishies!

Anonymous said...

That might be a little too close.

g-man said...

And you waited all these years to tell the story?
Just for the Friday Funfest?
You Rock MM!!!
Loved your tale my friend...Thanks
Thanks for visiting, and thanks for your support of others as well, and have a Kick Ass Week-End.

Maha said...

that was fantastic! It literally took my breath away.

Unknown said...

WOW..I wish my youngest felt that way about water..
but she is pretty good as long as I am in it with her...
a real tender 55! thank you!
so cute too!
Mine is here
I have three 55 to offer.
Hope you like them.
Have you a blessed weekend!
hugs
shakira

Sheri said...

hey monkey man, what a good read, even funnier when i understood that it was based on your own boyhood splashings! glad to see your experience didn't ground you :) a great 55!

Brian Miller said...

whew MM....one of my greatest fears...losing a child to drowning...i did get a chuckle at seeing the fishes, but....tight 55.

John (@bookdreamer) said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
John (@bookdreamer) said...

oops wrong link Our dog got knocked over by a wave so now will not go swimming in the sea but loves any lake or pond she can find. Gone for a poem this week based on the Etheree form created about twenty years ago by an Arkansas poet named Etheree Taylor Armstrong It normally consists of ten lines of unmetered and unrhymed verse, the first line having one syllable, each succeeding line adding a syllable. I added an extra row for the word count and the punch line. See what I mean here.

Hootin Anni said...

Oh boy....a mother's nightmare.

Mine this week is DOUBLE STANDARD As always, scroll down a bit, below my Friday's Show n Tell.

Have a super weekend fellow 55'r!!

Farmers Wifey said...

Glad you survived to tell the tale...it's good that you love the water after this experience.

Caty said...

Great post...that's terrific you're not afraid of water...had the opposite effect!

Deb said...

Oof, yes, I "remember". I had a couple of experiences like that. I remember I was 10 yrs old vacationing in the Bahamas. My mom gave me a snorkel and off I went into the ocean. I remember as I was swimming underwater that I saw a hammerhead shark! It was a baby but I remember every single detail! I sucked in the water by accident and almost drowned because I was so scared but no one believed me. I STILL remember it so vividly. I also fell into the deep end of the pool while my family had this huge party. I totally remember seeing my cousin dive in to come and get me. I was thinking, "Wow it's blurry under here..." I remember everything I was thinking---weird huh?

Totally related to this! :) Glad you were saved!!!

Claudya Martinez said...

Oh, I'm so happy you were okay! I think I would have fainted if I was your mother.

Unknown said...

Wow, what a story! I'm so glad it had a happy ending.

The Turning Point said...

Great story-great 55
thanks for your comment
Jim

Unknown said...

I love this story. Thank you for sharing. Thank God you are here to share it!

Felicitas said...

That has to be one of the worst nightmares of any parent. And I can only imagine how helpless and terrified your mom must have felt. But it's really cool that you don't remember it as a bad experience.

SandyCarlson said...

I had a similar experience when I was in second grade. Wow. That was a great read. Oddly, the near-drowning I think contributed to my love for the ocean.

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

smart 55,
it reminds human how cruel it could be when a child is drowned...
Happy Friday!

C.M. Jackson said...

somehow I knew without reading that the fishies were your experience--hence your perspective and your power in everything you write ---great post!

Katherine said...

A great 55 Monkey and even greater because you were able to tell this story to us yourself! So pleased you survived ... Hope your having a lovely weekend!

moondustwriter said...

yeah- glad you got to retell the story. From a child's viewpoint- it's wonderful. From a mother's vantage point-horrific!

thanks for the 55

might just try the 160 - what the...

moondustwriter

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

http://itistimetothinkformyself.blogspot.com/2010/05/sunday-160-fun-no-ends.html

My Sunday 160 is up!
Happy May!

Me said...

That story gives me *chills*, and probably gave your mother nightmares for months.

A lot can happen in one small moment in time...you captured it wonderfully with only 55 words.

-C

Evalinn said...

That´s a good story! Nice 55. :-)

Lulda Casadaga said...

Loved this little fishy tale...sorry, came by late...Love water too...what do you expect I am a Pisces! :0

KB said...

So glad you were Ok and lived to tell the tale.

A Daft Scots Lass said...

A positive outcome of an otherwise near-trageic experience.

Marla said...

I love this, especially with the true story.