The Pond: Part 1
"Honey," Janelle called to her husband Dave from the kitchen." The pond is covered with scum. I think you need to change the filter." She added before he had answered.
"I just changed it the other week. Alright I'll have a look after the news." He answered. He was sitting in the living room. The Sunday Times was open in his lap and he had a fresh brewed coffee in his left hand. Carefully balanced on the right arm of the chair he occupied was a plate of breakfast. Bacon, Eggs, toast and two half Tomatoes.
" I have to run over to Amanda's later anyway. If you need me to I can pick up a new filter from the Nurseries near her. It's more expensive but it's good quality." She called as she finished rinsing the last of the pans used to cook breakfast.
The couple had only moved into the house three months before. The pond was not really their sort of thing, but they had decided to keep it until they had enough money to reshape the back garden completely.
With his breakfast finished Dave set to work. There didn't appear to be anything wrong with the filter, but he cleaned it none the less. Not being an expert in pond management he removed the layer of algae that had formed, and then drained the pond by about one-third. Although truth be told he had no idea about how deep the pond was. Nor was he certain that any fish lived in it. With the pond refilled, the pump working perfectly and the water once again as clear as could be expected he went inside.
"That was a good job jobbed" He smiled at his wife, kissing her on the cheek as she put on her coat. "Say hi to Amanda for me."
"Will do. Now don't you do anything too strenuous this afternoon." Janelle joked as she walked away.
"Oh, would you mind grabbing a new pump? I think you're right, the cheap ones just don't cut the mustard. While you're there grab a couple of fish and some plants or something. If we're going to keep it for the time being, we may as well make it look good." Dave called from the door. Janelle waved in acknowledgement and drove away.
Janelle returned home later that afternoon with a new pump, several fish and a collection of plants for both in and around the water. They were busy in the garden until just after the sun had set.
The following week saw bad weather strike and a near perpetual rain meant that there was very little to the couples life other than work and sitting indoors. Housework was done, but living alone in a new house meant that it was pretty light work.
The following weekend, with the sun finally shining and the ground dry for the first time in days, Janelle was once again making breakfast, when she noticed the pond.
"Dave, honey, I though you said this new filter would keep the water clean." She called.
"It should. Why?" Dave asked. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Look for yourself" She pointed with the wooden spoon she was using to stir the pancake batter.
"What the…" Dave's voice trailed off as he walked out into the garden.
The pond was once again covered by a layer of dark green Algae. Bending over the pond Dave checked that the pump was still running. It was. As he leaned closer, a sudden splash in the water made him jump. One of the fish they had purchased just the week before sprang through the layer of scum and landed on the brick edging. It had easily tripled in size, his eyes swollen so that they were almost as large as the side of his head. Its body which had been a bright gold just seven-day previous was now a dark muddy brown. Large swellings the size golf balls protruded from either side of his flank, and the tail and been reduced to nothing more than a stump. The front fins flapped as the fish fought for air. It convulsed and with a strange noise which sounded almost like a cry is died. A foul-smelling rust colour liquid began to leak from the body. Dave stepped backwards, retching from the sight and smell of the fish and the strange metal taste in his mouth where spatters of Algae had covered him when the fish made its desperate bid for freedom.
"Dave, If everything alright?" Janelle called.
"It's fine. Stay back though it doesn't smell too good out here." He called, not lying… not really at least.
Moving quickly so as to save his wife the sight Dave went into the shed, returned with an old box. Using the handle of a broken shovel he scooped the fish into it, sealed it shut and threw it in the large dustbin that they used for their garden waste. With his appetite suddenly gone Dave felt an urge to get straight to work on the pond. Yet when Janelle called him to the breakfast table he went. He didn't want to hurt her feelings. Surprising himself and her he at two high stacks and pancakes, drank three coffees and still didn't feel full when it was all gone.
"You certainly have an appetite this morning." Janelle spoke as she sipped her coffee. Dave had taken the plates to the kitchen and was busy loading the dishwasher. "You'll want to rinse the pan out first, otherwise the machine gets clogged." Janelle offered.
" One of the fish was dead." Dave said. There was no point lying. Not about that. I think there must be something wrong with the water in that pond. I think I'm just going to drain it completely and then fill it up fresh." He told her.
" Oh the poor thing. It was only in there a week." Janelle spoke sadly. "Are the others ok?" She asked.
"I hope so. I didn't see them so I guess they are doing fine." Dave offered. He was out of the door and busy with the pond before she had finished her coffee.
"Did I tell you that Mrs Macabie lost her cat. She came around yesterday asking if I had seen it. I told her no. He is 15 years old. She has had him since a kitten. Isn't that something." Janelle said absently.
Dave heard her, but had already begun to talk outside. "Shame." Was the only response Janelle heard.
The day passed and before he knew it Dave had emptied the pond by about three meters, and was still no closer to the bottom. He also hadn't found any of the fish.
He slept deeply that night, and when the alarm went off on Sunday morning he felt refreshed and strong. He ate another huge breakfast, washing it down with three cups of coffee and half a carton of Orange juice. Dave was back out working on the pond by 9am.
It was almost midday before Dave finally is the base of the pond. He was at least 6 feet below ground level when the final dregs of dirty water were removed. There was no sign of the fish, but after a few moments of prodding around in the sodden mud Dave made an interesting discovery.
"How's it going down there?" Janelle called down to him. Dave jumped and pushed the small piled of mud back over his find.
"Good, it's going good. At least we know why the water was so bad. There's no lining nothing. Just a big hole in the ground." Dave called back up.
Even though he had drained the water the whole stank. The slimy, green algae stuck to the sides of the emptied pond and lined the base on which Dave stood.
"Lunch will be in about twenty minutes, so you had better be clean mister. You're not coming into the house looking like that. " Janelle pointed at her husband and that was what Dave saw it. His arms and the legs of his trousers were covered in slime.
With his wife back inside Dave quickly turned his attention back to his find. Scooping the mud to one side to once again reveal the semi decomposed feline skeleton. There was a collar around the neck of the animal, and Dave knew straight away whose cat it was. A sudden chill run through Dave. One the would normally have elicited a comment along the lines of…"Someone just walked over my grave" but today he thought no such thing. All of a sudden he couldn't get out of the whole quick enough. He felt as if the mud was pulling him down. As though the sides were closing in on him. He looked down. His body was green, covered in algae. Which was strange as he had been careful to keep as far away from it as possible.
Out of the hole, and freshly showered Dave felt much better, if not a little ashamed of himself. Still, he decided that the morning was enough time in the ground, and so put off any further progress to the next day.
"You've been quiet tonight." Janelle spoke as the couple prepared for bed.
"Sorry, I'm knackered. The damned pond is hard work. The previous owners really messed up when they built it. Makes me wonder if they were trying to hide something." Dave laughed. Nervously. It was true, he did want to know what was buried under the mud. He could feel it calling to him. He couldn't wait to get to bed because the sooner he slept, the sooner he could get back to work. He just felt so angry with himself for doing nothing all afternoon.
"Don't push yourself too hard baby." Janelle kissed him, and nuzzled her head into Dave's neck. She slid her legs over his, as her hand crept slowly down his torso. "You feel up for a bit of fun." She bit playfully on his earlobe.
He wasn't, but he didn't want to upset her, and so they made love. It was passionate, it was full and heavy, and at the end they both lay panting. "Where did that come from?" Janelle asked with a smile. But Dave didn't answer. He was already half asleep, with the call of the pond his lullaby.
Sleep came easily once again, only it was not the peaceful sleep of the night before. In his dreams Dave was trapped, he was surrounded on all four sides. He knew where he was. He was in the pond. Far above his head was a small circle of light. The moon. It was full, the smiling face glared down at him. The smile mocking him. The walls were wet with slime and reeked of decay. Dave felt something moving by his feet. He looked down. He worse his pyjamas, and stood up to his ankles in thick algae. He could feel his grabbing at him. It was alive and it wanted him. Dave looked around, he needed to get out, to escape, but the walls were slick. He tried to scale them, kicking and clawing, desperately searching for some form of purchase. He found it, rose a few feet and then fell back down. The mud and slime sucked him deeper, past his ankles. The was when he felt it. The bones of Mrs Macabie's cat.
Above him, dark clouds were beginning to gather, blocking out the moonlight. Dave found his world grow darker. He fought harder against the algae and furiously clawed his way back up and out of the pond When he finally pulled himself free he lay in the grass panting. Spent. His forearms and shoulder burned with lactic acid. His feet were numb with cold and his toes raw from the climb.
Dave pulled himself to his feet and looked down into the pond. Two yellow eyes were gazing back at him. He screamed and….
…. sat bolt upright in bed. This body was caked with sweat, his heart thundered in his chest. Swinging his feet from under the covers he got up and went into the bathroom. His mouth was bone dry.
The light of the bathroom was blinding at first, but Dave's eyes soon adjusted and that was when he saw it. His face was covered in slime. His hands his feet. His entire body was grimy and stained with the green algae. His feet throbbed and he saw the bloody stumps that had been his toes. The large one on each foot had had the skin scraped away on the tips. The nails hung half off.
Dave closed the bathroom door and went to turn on the shower. That was when he saw it, on the bed. Lying on his wifes chest, eyes half closed. Its vocal chords had been bitten through and so instead of the bassy purr of contentment a hiss like the sound of a leaking balloon was what filled the bedroom.
"Scat" Dave whispered. He swiped his hands through the air, but the animal just stared at him. Its body was stripped of flesh, the bones gleaming in the darkness. Clumps of wet meat hung to them, and the bloodied clumps of matted, water-logged fur dangled like dreadlocks from the animals undercarriage. Its jaw was broken and hung askew, the lips and cheeks had been stripped away. It rose to its feet, and melted lumps of fatty flesh remained behind, stuck to the bed sheet. The cat stretched, its back arching and then it jumped from the bed and walked away. Its tail was missing, but its intestine had replaced it. It dragged along the floor between the animals legs, leaving a glistening snail-like trail of decay behind it.
Dave woke screaming, clutching his blankets, blinded by terror. His body stiff with fear, his penis hard in his shorts and the call fo the pond ringing in his ears.
