Doctor Samuel Beckett felt the last remaining energy flux flow through his limbs and down through his body. He took a steadying breath... and realized he could smell the distinct smell of fish. He could hear water lapping the edges of the lake, and that prompted him to look around.
In the distance before him, a nice panoramic view of soft, low mountains with green trees rimming the lake edge he was standing before. A soft breeze played with his hair and tossed it slightly in front of his eyes. It was a hot day (now Sam could actually feel how uncomfortably hot it was), and the breeze brought little comfort. Doctor Beckett was standing on a wooden deck, painfully small, and an idling boat with the words "Lake Of The Ozarks Marina, Camdenton, MO - Boat Rentals/Houseboats" along with a corresponding registration number floated in front of him. Sam's vision doubled a moment as his perpective adjusted.
Attached to the boat and in front of him was a long rope, and it had a wooden handle secured to it's end, which was firmly grasped in his hands. Sam opened his palms to see the grooves on the handle, showing it to be a well-worn handle at that. He frowned slightly as he heard the boat's motor start up a higher tempo. A big meaty hand descended onto Sam's right shoulder with a thump. Doctor Beckett looked at it and then looked at the well-tanned visage of a grinning young man.
This young man adjusted his specs slightly, and Sam briefly caught a glimpse of a woman in a bikini reflected back in both lenses of the dark sunglasses. The man continued to grin a loopy grin, chomping on a piece of gum.
"You ready, darlin'?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Wha?" Sam started to ask back, and his expression turned to one of horror and shock. He looked forward and took one of his hands off the rope to wave at the boat. "Noooo!"
"That's it," Sam heard a voice say on the boat. "She's going for it!"
Then the engine's vibrato escalated exponentially as the boat began to move a bit. Water churned heroicly as the outboard motor kicked in it's frenzy. In a split second, the rope tightened with a jerk, and Sam sailed into the air and landed on his feet on the water. He leaned back, and realized with the instant pain as the water cut and bit into his feet that he had no skies. Sam leaned back even further, and thrust his legs out strait as he barefoot-skied across the surface, the accelerating boat making the water slice into the bottoms of his feet with painful accuracy.
He lost his balance and toppled over to the left, falling to one knee and rolling across his back. Miraculously he spun out of the roll, as his feet once again found a purchase of sorts. He heard all kinds of whooping and hollering from the people on the boat, and some from the deck he just left.
"She's a natural!" the man in the back of the boat hollered.
The driver grinned back, and slammed the throttle forward, gunning the engine for all it's worth.
Water began to splash seriously in Sam's face as he kept shaking his head, trying to clear his vision. In a desperate attempt to see, he steered himself on instinct and went way left of the boat, skiing across mostly uncut waters.
"Ooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh B-B-b-b-b-b-ooooyyyyyyy!!!!!"
* * * * * * * * *
Matt
In the distance before him, a nice panoramic view of soft, low mountains with green trees rimming the lake edge he was standing before. A soft breeze played with his hair and tossed it slightly in front of his eyes. It was a hot day (now Sam could actually feel how uncomfortably hot it was), and the breeze brought little comfort. Doctor Beckett was standing on a wooden deck, painfully small, and an idling boat with the words "Lake Of The Ozarks Marina, Camdenton, MO - Boat Rentals/Houseboats" along with a corresponding registration number floated in front of him. Sam's vision doubled a moment as his perpective adjusted.
Attached to the boat and in front of him was a long rope, and it had a wooden handle secured to it's end, which was firmly grasped in his hands. Sam opened his palms to see the grooves on the handle, showing it to be a well-worn handle at that. He frowned slightly as he heard the boat's motor start up a higher tempo. A big meaty hand descended onto Sam's right shoulder with a thump. Doctor Beckett looked at it and then looked at the well-tanned visage of a grinning young man.
This young man adjusted his specs slightly, and Sam briefly caught a glimpse of a woman in a bikini reflected back in both lenses of the dark sunglasses. The man continued to grin a loopy grin, chomping on a piece of gum.
"You ready, darlin'?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Wha?" Sam started to ask back, and his expression turned to one of horror and shock. He looked forward and took one of his hands off the rope to wave at the boat. "Noooo!"
"That's it," Sam heard a voice say on the boat. "She's going for it!"
Then the engine's vibrato escalated exponentially as the boat began to move a bit. Water churned heroicly as the outboard motor kicked in it's frenzy. In a split second, the rope tightened with a jerk, and Sam sailed into the air and landed on his feet on the water. He leaned back, and realized with the instant pain as the water cut and bit into his feet that he had no skies. Sam leaned back even further, and thrust his legs out strait as he barefoot-skied across the surface, the accelerating boat making the water slice into the bottoms of his feet with painful accuracy.
He lost his balance and toppled over to the left, falling to one knee and rolling across his back. Miraculously he spun out of the roll, as his feet once again found a purchase of sorts. He heard all kinds of whooping and hollering from the people on the boat, and some from the deck he just left.
"She's a natural!" the man in the back of the boat hollered.
The driver grinned back, and slammed the throttle forward, gunning the engine for all it's worth.
Water began to splash seriously in Sam's face as he kept shaking his head, trying to clear his vision. In a desperate attempt to see, he steered himself on instinct and went way left of the boat, skiing across mostly uncut waters.
"Ooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh B-B-b-b-b-b-ooooyyyyyyy!!!!!"
* * * * * * * * *
Matt