"Maggie, you awake?" Skeeter asked.

She rolled over and squinted up at Daniel's digital clock. It was three a.m. She whispered, "Did you sixteen?" Sixteen was their code word for wetting the bed.

"No."

Maggie got up and followed Skeeter into the living room. "What's wrong?"

"I’m scared. Will you sleep with me?"

"Yeah, but go to the bathroom first."

"Gees Maggie, I haven't had a sixteen in two months."

"If you want me to sleep with you, you will go pee."

"Okay, but stand outside the door and wait for me." As they walked through the dark kitchen, Skeeter put his hand in hers. It was sweaty. She flipped on the bathroom light for him and then closed the door. He did too have to pee. A lot.

When they got back on the couch Skeeter snuggled up against her. It had been a long time since he had done that. He whispered, "Maggie, me and Don went to the cattle tank."

Unexpected fear tore through Maggie. She scolded, "You didn’t take Earl and Bee Bob did you?”

Skeeter shook his head. “Course not. They’re too little.”

“You know Daddy told us not to go anywhere near that place. Its’ dangerous. Don’t go there alone again."

“I wasn’t alone. I was with Don.”

“You know what I mean.” She paused then asked, “Did you see anything?”

"We saw a lot of footprints on the bank and tracks where the ambulance came. There was two dents in the mud that looked like two knees…and a place where it looked like a body had been laying." Skeeter started to shake.

Maggie was glad she hadn’t seen that. She wrapped one arm around Skeeter and asked, "How about I tell the flying mouse story?"

"Yeah, I like that one."

Maggie launched into a complicated tale about an ornery mouse with wings. Ten minutes into the story Skeeter fell asleep.

*

After breakfast Uncle Woody's boys came by for Skeeter. Don said, “Man you should see the branch. Its like Grand Canyon Rapids, the waters going so fast.”

Maggie followed the boys to the branch. She wanted to see the water too. The boys beat her to their swimming hole. When she got there they stood in a dejected half circle looking at their dam.

Earl shook his head. "Oh, man."

Bee Bob pulled his thumb out of his mouth and said, "The dam thing's busted."

"Uhmmmm.” Earl frowned at his little brother and wagged his finger. “You shouldn't say cuss words.”

"Well what else do you call a dam?" Bee Bob asked.

Don shouted, "The boy has a point."

Skeeter looked from the water to the broken dam. "We aren't going to be able to fix it today. The water is moving too fast." The others nodded in agreement.

Don looked at Skeeter, then he grinned. He yelled, "Geranimo!" and plunged into the branch. Water shot into the air and some splashed Maggie in the face. It was cold and hit her like a smack in the face.

*

After what she said to Skeeter earlier that morning, she shouldn’t be doing this, but she felt driven. She sat down on a rock and yanked off her shoes. Cautiously she looked up and down the drive. No one was in sight. She stepped into the cold stream. The water swirled around her bare feet. She headed up stream toward the tank. The water was muddy in some places, all stirred up by the storm. She turned down the dry bed. This morning it was filled with shallow rushing clear water. She crested the bank of the branch.

Like a clear glass plate the cattle tank reflected the afternoon sun. Not even a week ago, Daniel had stood here. Looked at this water, then dove into its depths. Slowly she approached the water’s edge. Last night's rain had obliterated all signs of struggle along the bank. What Skeeter had seen, was gone. The earth was soft, squishy and pliable. Something inside of her suddenly wanted to jump into the cold muddy water. She took a step closer.

A voice behind her asked, “What are you doing?”

Startled she turned. It was Billy. His entire body was taunt. His eyes dark and hard. “You need to get away from there Maggie. You shouldn’t be here alone.”

It was true. She shouldn’t be, but she was.

In a flat voice he said, “We best get back to the house.”

“Okay.”

Maggie stepped away from the bank, but Billy remained rooted. His eyes transfixed by the water. In words so low Maggie could barely hear them, he said, "When Daniel dove in he came up sputtering. I thought he was just fooling around. Hell, he taught me to swim. I yelled, 'Aw cut it out. You aren't drowning.' But he was Maggie." Billy reached for her hand. It was cold and she could feel his pulse beating in his palm.

With his eyes still on the tank, he continued, "I keep thinkin’ if only I'd dived in sooner. If only I'd gotten there quicker. Maybe. When I reached him he was crazy, thrashin’ around and pullin’ me down with him. I couldn't make him stop. He got away from me. I shot up for air. I went back down and he had disappeared. I dove and I dove but I couldn't find him."

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"

Where was he?" Maggie asked.

"A paramedic found him down on the bottom in the mud. The thing that puzzles me most is that the water he first dove into is only six feet deep. If he stood on his tip toes he could've breathed." Billy looked at Maggie. There weren't any tears in his eyes, but they were red and wide. His pupils were large.

She whispered, "Billy you did your best. I'm sure Daniel knows that."

"It don't matter none. I still failed him"

"I'm sure he doesn't think that," she said.

"

How do you know what he thinks?" His eyes narrowed.

Maggie looked at her muddy feet. "I don't, but I know Daniel. He loves you. He wouldn't be mad at you. You tried."

Billy didn't respond.

She tugged at his hand. "Let's get away from here."

*

*

Maggie sighed and sat down on the front step beside Patches. She had come outside for a few minutes to herself before Mama and Garnet went into town. Garnet had asked her to watch the Terror while she was gone. Corey Jean was making Maggie crazy. The child never shut up.

A motor roared in the drive. It was John Carl's truck. She hadn't expected him home. Warmth spread through her body and she realized she was smiling. As he neared the house, Maggie saw Brenda was with him. Warmth and smile, gone. Patches stood up and wagged his tail. Maggie started stroking him as if she were oblivious to John Carl and Brenda. She pretended not to hear the truck stop. Maggie kept her eyes on Patches, but she knew they were coming toward her. Why? John Carl always went in the back door. Why change now?

"Hi, Maggie," John Carl said smiling down at her.

“Hi," she mumbled looking up. Brenda was dressed in tight faded jeans and a powder blue T-shirt. Her cleavage showed.

"Brenda this is Maggie," John Carl said. "Maggie, Brenda."

"Hi," they said in unison. Brenda wrinkled her nose at Patches.

Maggie got up so they could pass. After the screen door slammed she looked ruefully at her own chest and sighed.

Corey Jean came bounding out of the house and crashed into the screen door. "I been looking for you," she said as she slammed the screen door with vengeance. "That old Brenda is here." She plopped down beside Maggie. "She comes over here and hogs John Carl. He don't pay no attention to me. And every time I say something she says, 'Such a funny child.' I'm not funny. John Carl and her babysitted me once. It was awful. She kept saying, 'Stop, don't do that.’ John Carl kept telling me to shut up because he couldn't hear the TV. I forgived John Carl but I'm never gonna forgive old Brenda. She's such a funny child." Corey Jean rolled her eyes.

Garnet called from the front door, "Corey Jean it's nap time."

Corey Jean spun around and looked defiantly at her mother. "I'm not taking no nap." She placed her pink hands on her hips. "I heard you say you was going shopping when I took my nap. Well, I'm not taking no nap and I am going with you."

"No you are not."

"Yes I am," she yelled back.

Garnet strode across the porch, banged open the screen door and snatched up Corey Jean. Maggie followed them inside.

From Garnet’s bedroom Corey Jean yelled, "I told you I ain’t taking no nap."

Garnet came out of her room. Her smile was weary. She kissed Maggie on the forehead. “I’m sorry. Sit with her a while and maybe she will go to sleep.”

Maggie nodded. She went into the bedroom. Corey Jean lay on her cot next to the wall. Her little face was twisted into an ugly grimace.

Maggie flopped down on Garnet and Bill's double bed.

Corey Jean shouted, "God, I hope John Carl don't marry Brenda."

"Shh, Corey Jean not so loud. They’ll hear you. Besides, you know your Mama don't like you to swear."

Corey Jean scowled at the ceiling. "Oh, poot. I’m not swearing. I’m praying. I want Brenda to hear me too. Sides, saying God isn't swearing. And anyways, why can't I say swear words? Daddy, Billy and John Carl says them all the time and they don't get spanked. I say one thing and I get popped. Isn't fair. Seems to me big peoples spend all their time trying to get us little peoples not to do what they do. I think that's stupid.” Corey Jean rolled over and looked at Maggie. In a loud voice she said, “If John Carl does marry that old girl, I'm going to be real mean to their kids."

"Corey Jean, hush up and go to sleep." Maggie wanted to get out of there. She wanted to know what John Carl and Brenda were doing. She wanted to see how John Carl looked at Brenda.

The four year old yawned and said, "I'm not sleepy. I hate naps. When I go to school I won't have to take naps no more. Earl says you don't take naps in first grade. When I get kids I won't never make them take naps. And I'll take them shopping ever time I go."

If Corey Jean's kids were like her, Maggie doubted they would get to go anywhere.