At first Ingrid only swam when she could get a babysitter, but eventually the call of the water was so strong, she left her children sleeping; always returning before they woke and never telling Rex what she had done.
She especially liked to swim in the early mornings after the river flooded. The idea of submerged paths and fences and even barbed wire lying beneath the still, grey water, thrilled her.
And when she returned home, goose-bumped and muddy, her hair would drip onto the cheeks of her sleeping children, and she would promise to never leave them again.
***
Sorry that this week’s story is about wild swimming again, but I’m having a bit of thing about it in the book I’m writing. (To read last week’s, click here.)
For those who don’t know how Friday Fictioneers works, this beautiful picture (this time supplied by Erin Leary) is our inspiration for our weekly online writing group hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Click here to read other people’s amazing stories or to join in. And please comment below with any suggestions for improvement on mine.
Claire Fuller 
Wild swimming – such an evocative phrase. And light years away from my idea of a good time! 🙂 Enjoyed this, I got a sense of Ingrid’s spirit of freedom and independence.
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Wild swimming is a lovely phrase. Surely you must have the urge to jump off that boat of yours now and again…?
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Into a canal??? Are you familiar with the plumbing arrangements on boats? 😦
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Oh, dear… I didn’t think of that. OK, best to just stay on top of the water.
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🙂 Most boats are equipped (like ours) with the mechanisms for pumping out the black water tanks. It’s just that the French are singularly relaxed about providing pump-out stations along the canals, which kind of defeats the objective.
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What an adventurous wild soul she seems to be!Great take:-)
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I think she is. The more I discover about Ingrid, the more I like her
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🙂
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I thought this had such depth to it, I think there is a pretty strong undercurrent of so much more, great piece 🙂
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Thanks Helen. I think there’s more to Ingrid than meets the eye.
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As an avid early morning rogue swimmer I quite like this. Water is my sanctuary, my escape but the touch of the danger lurking under the water was an interesting layer to me. The thrill she felt on the edge of danger while her life slumbers to the wayside was delightful.
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I’m glad you got that sense of menace, perhaps both under the water and in her life.
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The danger she enjoys so much is interesting.There is some kind of addiction there and I am not sure if it is a healthy one.
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You’re right, not everything about Ingrid is quite safe. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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Each day the same promise. Torn between two loves. Staying focus on your writing is a good thing.
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Absolutely. Thanks for reading and your comments.
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Dear Erin,
I’m with DCT. I’m a bit of a naiad myself and love the water. Water is where I’m happiest. And as I enjoy the water, I enjoyed reading about your wild swimmer. Good one.
shalom,
Rochelle
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Sorry, I didn’t mean to call you Erin, Claire. That’s what I get for trying to comment with Morpheus ready to claim me.
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No problem Rochelle – I really appreciate your time to read and comment on everyone’s each week. Quite a task…
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I love to swim too and would swim late at night when I was young. It felt to good under the moonlight. Very clever piece. Thanks for bringing back good memories! Nan
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Thanks Nan. I too can remember swimming in flooded fields when I was much younger.
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The thought of swimming with barbed wire under the water would scare the hell out of me…
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And me! Just wanted to add a touch of menace..
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AnElephant just loves this.
Thank you.
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Thanks
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Very sinister story…
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Glad you felt that. Thanks Hilary
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I like that the story is clear and straightforward and still pricks the imagination.
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Thanks Honie
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You have to go where your muse takes you! Some days when I’m writing, I can barely interact outside of my story. Beautiful imagery, Claire! When her hair drips on her children’s faces… oh, such poetry. Love it.
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I’m glad you liked it. Thanks for commenting.
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i agree with helen’s comment. and something about the last line hints at something darker and dangerous… beautiful imagery, great piece.
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Definitely something darker going on. Ingrid will appear in the book I’m writing, but I haven’t fully worked her out yet.
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Lovely prose and a strong depiction of this character. I would have liked to see some more completeness to the story (perhaps a more definitive ending, or even a twist to the tale), but I appreciate how hard it is in 100 words. I thoroughly enjoyed this. Happy writing!
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wild swimming – I love that phrase, though the idea of actually doing it fills me with dread.
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Technically even swimming in the sea can be called wild swimming. It is a lovely thing to do.
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Such a confilct between duty and love, and the call to be free and forge beyond comfort zones. Lovely. 🙂
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So pleased that you picked up on those ideas. That’s exactly what I was trying to get a feel for.
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i loved this story, never knew you could create such an image in just 100 words. I could see the mud dripping onto her sleeping children as i read it. I want to know more
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Thanks Gill. I think Ingrid is going to feature in my second book, so you might be able to find out more, at some point…
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A wild and eccentric protagonist. She’d keep us all on our toes.
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She’s a tricky one, that Ingrid…
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Moms deserve moments of guilty pleasure…without feeling guilty. hugs for giving us such a moment…
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Don’t we just! Thanks for reading and commenting.
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I like that Ingrid takes this secret time for herself although I don’t think leaving your children…even if sleeping…is such a great idea. I’m thinking Ingrid is feeling some deep seated “pressure” of some sort… Well done…you got us all thinking!
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I’m glad it had that effect. I don’t think Ingrid’s judgement is sound, but that’s what makes her intriguing…
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True…she has an edge to her.
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Great imagery in your story – things not as they seem and ominous portent abound.
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Definitely something ominous. Trouble is, I haven’t quite worked out what yet!
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This cannot end well for Ingrid, I’m afraid.
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