Priya tipped open her welding visor and stepped back to admire her creation. Two iron rods bent to form muscular legs. The armature looked more like a metal skeleton than a monster, but once she applied the skin, the wicked beast would stand three times her height. Tyrannosaurus rex would rise again, the Lizard King of Loon Lake University.

She wiped beads of sweat from her upper lip as sunshine streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, tempting her to walk out to the shore. The cool lake beckoned, but she hated wasting studio time. First, we work. Then we play.

Unbelievable.

Staying on at school in June was supposed to release her from Papa’s lectures. So why did she hear his favorite sayings in her head? A successful real estate broker, he expected his children to excel in respectable professions. Reluctantly, he had financed Priya’s art courses, but she needed to show him it wasn’t a mistake. When her creation made headlines back in Toronto, the family would understand the fine arts were legit.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Time to stop woolgathering.

Really? That was another of his expressions. How could she concentrate if she couldn’t get Papa’s voice out of her head? He was right, though. Studio time was wasting.

Priya turned from the window, just missing a dome of bubbles roiling on the lake’s surface.

Later, engrossed in soldering, Priya didn’t notice the diving platform floating fifteen feet from shore, or the swimmer balancing there like a twig waiting to be snapped. He waved, unnoticed by the students tossing a Frisbee on the shore, then ran three steps and dove in.

Minutes passed … too many minutes. A careful observer might have noticed a long stream of bubbles leading deep into the lake but, unfortunately, no one was watching.

Not until the next morning, when the swimmer failed to return, would his roommate suspect something was wrong.