No Swimming

Flash Fiction by Diane Webster

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The police officer saw the male subject swimming in the pond. “Hey, buddy! Didn’t you see that sign?”

“What sign?”

“The ‘No swimming’ sign?”

“Nope.”

“You need to get out of the pond, sir.”

“I’m fine, thanks.”

“You can’t swim in there, sir. You need to get out.”

The male subject continued to swim.

“Sir!”

The police officer was ignored as the male subject’s movements sent ripples ashore; tiny droplets splashed on top of the police officer’s dusty boots. Either in an act of defiance or plain stupidity, the male subject swam close to shore, and the police officer grabbed his slippery arm. The swimmer dived and rolled, trying to release his arm, but the officer held steady despite being dragged partially into the pond. Eventually, he dragged the swimmer ashore, flipped him onto his stomach, and bound his hands behind him. “Get up.”

The swimmer thrashed his legs to the side, and the officer jumped as if skipping rope. “Stop it! Stop struggling. You’re making this more of a problem than it is. Just calm down.”

The male subject was floured in dust, which made it easier for the police officer to pull him up and slide him into the back of his pickup for transport. As he drove down the road, the officer found a suitable spot and pulled his pickup over.

“Now, calm down, and this will soon be over.” The police officer unshackled the prisoner and pointed to the nearby water. “This will be safe for you to swim and be happy.” He nudged the prisoner forward, who was hesitant to obey the officer who was letting him go. Slowly, he slid into the water and swam away.

“See? That wasn’t so bad. And no signs here.”

No signs that said:

Alligators

No Swimming

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Diane Webster writes mainly poetry, but occasionally, she dabbles in different genres. Her poetry has appeared in "El Portal," "North Dakota Quarterly," "Eunoia Review" and other literary magazines. She also had a micro-chap published by Origami Poetry Press.