The View From the Edge

The sky was clear and heavy, as if the stars were leaning down to see the beautiful views. I remembered that line about the stars being lilies- soft and white, simply floating there. The stars looked close enough to grab, but everytime I reached out, the air felt cold and empty, as the stars were high above the horizon.

I was sitting on the muddy shore of the creek, tossing pebbles into the dark and chilly water, when I saw a pair of eyes. Two glowing, orange circles were staring at me behind the reeds, while my heart was beating as hard as a drum. I remembered the warning: never cross a crocodile. It seemed like a joke. I was keeping such as far distance from the crocodile.

The crocodile didn’t move, but I didn’t dare to leave either. It just floated there, his back looking like a jagged log covered in green slime. I froze, still gripping a small stone in my hand.

I tried to cover my fright through admiring the stars under the perfect angle I was sitting at. The crocodile stayed still and did not answer, but he exhaled a long, wet breath that smelled like swamp water and fish. Up here, everything is fine. However, you wouldn’t be able to imagine how muddy and dangerous the creek down there is.

I didn’t try to get a closer look, and I didn’t try to touch the reflections in the water either. since the crocodile will be munching me for dinner once I take one more step towards the creek. I quickly stood up, wiped the mud and grass off my jeans, and backed away slowly, making sure that I didn’t grab the crocodile’s attention. The stars were amazing to look at from the angle I was sitting, but I’d rather keep my feet on solid land and dry grass, a safe distance away from the crocodile.

This is such a beautiful piece! Great job 🙂