In Another Lifetime by Melissa Willingham (free novel reading sites .txt) 📕

Peter sat underneath a shady tree, at the picnic table with his friends, laughing and chatting. The day was warm, 70 degrees, with beautiful blue skies. The water looked inviting; beckoning his group to swim. But he knew he wouldn’t be able to do more than wade in the shallow area. Ever since he’d been a child, he’d had a fear of wading into deep water. He didn’t know why, at age twenty-five, he still couldn’t shake it.

Leo, the ring leader of their clique stood up and announced, “Man, I need to get cooled off. Anyone care to join me?” He eyed Peter pointedly, taunting him. He knew full well that it wasn’t going to happen in this lifetime.

A couple of people agreed and set off after Leo. Peter declined their offer to join them. He silently wondered why they’d even bother to ask him. After all, they knew his history. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that he was no duck or fish. If anything, he had more in common with a cat. Aside from his daily shower at home, he limited his interactions with aqua.

As the group dispersed, he glanced over at the new girl, whom he’d been introduced to only moments before. He smiled at her, trying to think of something clever to say. Her name was Sherry and she had long, brunette hair with lovely, brown eyes. He didn’t know what she thought of him. He only knew that he found her very pleasing to look at. He hoped she felt the same way.

“It’s a nice day, isn’t it?” he asked conversationally.

She grinned brightly, coming over to sit beside him. “Yes, I’m glad I came along. The scenery is gorgeous! Do you come here often?”

“No, not really. Sometimes my buddies talk me into tagging along. It’s great as long as we’re on the shore. But when they head for water, I dig my heels into solid ground.”

Sherry eyed him curiously. “May I ask why?”

Peter didn’t feel comfortable divulging his fears to a complete stranger. So, he went with a generalization. “Oh, I don’t know. I guess because I don’t swim.”

“You, too, huh? I don’t enjoy swimming either,” she related. “I’m afraid of drowning.”

Hearing her admission made him relax a bit. Perhaps he could be frank with her. “My goodness, Sherry! It sounds like we’re in the same boat, so to speak, only paddling on dry land.”

He chuckled at his remark, pleased with himself for drumming up such a cool phrase. She laughed with him, nodding her head. “How would you like to take a walk?” she asked.

“I’d love to. I need to stretch my legs, anyway,” he told her, rising from his seat.

***

Together, they traipsed along the bank, simply enjoying the scenery. Ducks swam by, quacking happily. The occasional fish jumped up and dove back under the waves. Different types of boats sped along as the passengers whooped their excitement.

Peter glanced down at the sand, noticing where people had written words or made drawings with sticks. He picked up a large sea shell, showing it to Sherry. “Take a look at this.”

She studied it with interest. “Wow, it’s pretty! I know you found this, but may I keep it? I really like it.”

“Sure, you can have it, if you wish,” he replied. The wind ruffled through his hair, sending a pleasant shiver through him. Or maybe it was the nearness of the woman standing next to him.

She regarded him thoughtfully. “You know, you’re a very nice man.”

“Thank you. So, are you,” he returned. “Uh, I mean a nice woman, that is.” His face reddened with embarrassment at his little slip-up.

Sherry reached out to softly touch his arm. Her brow wrinkled up in what appeared to be worry. “Peter, there’s something that I need to tell you.” Her voice sounded uncertain.

They stood with their backs to the picnic tables, facing the crystal blue waters. He felt proud of himself for being so close to the edge of the steep bank. He’d never allowed himself to be perched so precariously before. One false move and he’d be airborne.

He took a slow breath to steady his heartbeat. Just as he prepared to move away from the precipice, he heard someone racing up behind him.

“Sink or swim, weirdo,” Leo yelled.

Without warning, Peter felt a pair of hands on his back. A hard shove propelled him forward, sending him sailing out over the foamy liquid he feared most.

“Nooo!” he screamed in terror.

His arms and legs flailed outward, fighting the inevitable. Try as he might, he couldn’t prevent the law of gravity. Down he dropped, splashing loudly from the impact. In horror, he gazed about as he slipped further into the deep, dark water. It surrounded him, engulfing his shivering body, like a large, open mouth.

He swallowed great gulps of water in his effort to rise to the surface. His lungs began to burn, feeling as if they might burst. He looked around desperately for something, anything to hold onto. He spotted something white looming near as he completed his descent.

When his feet touched bottom, he realized the object he’d seen was a late-model car. He couldn’t make out much in the murky waters, but he thought he saw a piece of cloth flapping back and forth from the closed trunk lid.

Suddenly, a feeling of familiarity overcame him, like he’d seen the vehicle before. He knew he hadn’t, because he’d never been in that area. Yet he felt as if he’d been in the same situation in the past. The sensation frightened him so much that he became filled with a new vitality.

“Lord, save me,” he pleaded mentally.

With a renewed sense of purpose and determination to survive, he kicked as hard he could. He swept his arms back and forth frantically. He imitated the movements of all the swimmers he’d ever watched, until by some miracle, he felt his body lifting itself up.

He continued his ascent, rising steadily to the surface. As he approached the top, he saw Sherry swimming down to greet him. She grasped hold of his shirt and tugged him the rest of the way to safety. Once she had him spread out upon the grass, she began CPR. After several moments, the water finally drained out of his passageways.

Cradling his head, she whispered, “I’m so sorry, Peter. I never meant for this to happen.”

He pinned her with a glare and coughed up more liquid. “I thought you were afraid to swim,” he managed to stammer.

“That’s what Leo told me to say. He said he wanted to play a harmless prank on you. He told me no one would get hurt. Oh God, please, forgive me,” she whispered.

***

Once Peter recovered from his near drowning, he filed charges against Leo. Since the incident was a joke and not of murderous intent, the mischievous prankster got off easy. He only spent a couple of nights in jail. When he was released, he tried to make amends for his foolish behavior. Peter accepted the man’s apology, but kept his distance, no longer able to trust his so-called friend.

For her part, Sherry spent one night in jail. She dropped by to visit Peter often, bringing him food and magazines to read. He resisted her efforts at friendship initially. However, he considered the fact that she had helped to save his life. The two of them eventually drew closer to one another.

The police sent divers down to the spot where Peter had seen the car. When they finally found it and lifted it up, they were shocked. The old Lincoln Town Car contained the skeleton of Austin Jeffries, a man who’d been missing for twenty-five years. They concluded that he’d been murdered, due to some skull fractures. He’d been rolled up in a sheet and stuffed into the trunk of his own car.

As Peter and Sherry conducted research together, he began to recall bits and pieces of events. Through hypnotherapy, he learned that in another lifetime, he’d been Austin. Subsequent sessions helped to reveal the identity of his killer, who just happened to be Leo’s grandfather. The elderly man was arrested after evidence turned up to prove his guilt. Apparently, the two men had been bitter rivals. After all those years, justice was served at last through a lengthy prison sentence.

***

Peter found himself at the lake again with Sherry one day. “Do you think you’ll ever learn to swim?” she asked.

He peered out over the water pensively. “I’ll consider it, okay?”

“You were so brave that day. I’m proud of you,” she told him. “Now, you have a new lease on life.”

“My first lifetime was not so good,” he mused. ”But I’ll treasure every moment this time around.” With that, he courageously stepped into the water.

***

Text: Melissa Monroe
Publication Date: 06-21-2012

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
For those who ponder the possibility of past lives.