Bridge Over Shallow Water: A PWF Short with Snap by Lassalle JB

Author:Lassalle, JB
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mighty Oak Publishing Services, LLC
Published: 2023-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 10

A hysterical giggle escaped me. Norbert’s mouth had moved. He’d formed words out of the side of it, with his jaw opening and closing like he was snapping. I swirled the wine bottle. “Is something inhere?”

Iris shook her head. “She wasn’t ready, Norby.”

“Stop calling me that,” the alligator said.

“You know,” I rolled to one side and stumbled to my feet, as if this was all normal. “I always thought Norbert was a strange name for a Cajun alligator.”

“You think I should be a Boudreaux, perhaps? Or Thibodeaux?”

“Sure,” I lifted the wine in his direction. “Or, you know, something less stereotypical but more French-Canadian, like Dane or Louie.”

“Your family assumed I was Cajun. What if I’m from Florida, huh? There are Cuban gators, you know.”

“Are there?” I held the bottle up to the rising moon to assess how full it was. “Maybe I should stop drinking. This is cheap wine.”

“The hell it is,” Iris snatched it from my hand. “I paid twenty bucks for these bottles.”

“But it made me hallucinate an alligator talking.”

“It did nothing of the sort.” Norbert shifted his massive body, his long tail pressing against the rocks to give his fat stomach leverage as he turned to face me. “I’ll have you know I had many a conversation with your mother in my day, and she spoke freely to me. Without the aid of an alcoholic beverage.”

Whether it was the wine or the mention of my mother, I couldn’t say, but I suddenly found the situation hilarious. I crossed my legs and plopped my butt onto the sand. I laughed until I sounded like a braying donkey. I laughed until I couldn’t breathe and thought I might pee my pants. I laughed until I was empty, the house’s fairy lights twinkling as if it laughed with me. Or at me.

“Too soon, Norbert.” Iris shook her head, propping me up with one hand. “I’m getting her to bed.”

I waved goodbye. “Night, Norby.”

“Make sure you put a glass of water by your bedside,” Norbert called out.

I stumbled toward the house, with Iris’ help, fits of giggles escaping like bubbles popping. “I think I’m going crazy.”

“Uh-huh.” Iris kept her head down, dragging me toward the door. “Get some rest. I’m sure everything will be normal tomorrow.”

“I got this.” I pushed her away and stumbled to the door. As I flung it open, I fell forward and landed on my knees. Using the table next to me as leverage, I pulled myself to my feet, extending my arms for balance.

Shuffling one foot in front of the other, I found my way to my bedroom and crawled into bed. The walls pulsed on each side of me, and the ceiling lower over me. But it wasn’t claustrophobic. It was a warm hug.

Head spinning, I wrapped my arms around the air. “We’re gonna fix you.”

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