Seated in the bow of the red canoe, it glides silently along beside floating cormorants. We slip beneath the overhang of lush, emerald-green leaves clinging tightly to the tree branches that tug at my hair, while worries clutch my mind. Maryland feels like uncharted territory to me - what could be hidden in the green fingers brushing through my hair? Ticks or black widow spiders? Are water snakes lurking in the murky, slow-moving current?
Struggling to control the direction, my paddling from the bow fights against the steering. I’m tired of trees that whip my face, eyes, and bare arms.
Frustration distorts the river’s calm and our paddled trail.
I steer us toward the center of the river, away from the scratchy sticks, into deeper, unencumbered water, widening the gap between the red vessel and the shrubbery that hides things that bite.
Angrily, she stands upright.
“Don’t stand up!” I scream as the canoe overturns.
Copyright © 9/15/2025 by Andrea O. Corwin
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About the Creator
Andrea Corwin
🐘Wildlife 🌳 Environment 🥋3rd° See nature through my eyes
Poetry, fiction, horror, life experiences, and author photos. Written without A.I. © Andrea O. Corwin
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More stories from Andrea Corwin and writers in Poets and other communities.
The Devil's Triangle
The sails ruffled in the breeze as we cruised along. The Sea Breeze was a mid-size catamaran that sailed out of Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda. We had booked this trip weeks in advance and were now looking at our Captain, Spike and two boat hands. Paddy and Wilson seemed like nice guys, joking around with the passengers and telling us some stories about Bermuda that only locals would know. Their island accents sounded almost British but they were pleasant to listen to.
By Barbara Gode Wiles3 days ago in Fiction
Comments (8)
Nice.
I loved this, Andrea. Captivating from the start, and then wham, it was done!
Some people never learn do they. Great story.
Nicely done! Scary to think of those snakes there.
I have done that once or twice in my life. Nice take on the challenge
Oopss! Like that twisty ending (and river) there! Clever writing, Andrea!
This sure was scaryyyy and nerve racking! Loved it!
Oh, this was so dramatic, Andi! I hope she didn’t get bitten by whatever lurked in those waters.