Pond Scum
Christian Fiachra Stevens
Christian Fiachra Stevens is from Dublin, Ireland, where he found his love of fiction from a young age, having written stories both short and long in his spare time. Over the years, he found he had a particular interest in both Horror and Science Fiction which was quickly reflected in his stories. Now, he often writes tales in either or both genres, usually intertwined with influences from Irish mythology, history, and his own upbringing. He resides in Dublin still, and spends his time between Ireland and the UK, bothering his loved ones with his odd little stories.
Dad doesn’t like the pond at the end of the garden. It came with the house when we moved in. I was excited. Aaron and I talked about making paper boats or fishing for frogs in it. But when we ran down to it the first day we moved in, we were disappointed. There was nothing there. No frogs, no fish, no bugs. Not even plants. When I think of a pond, I see lily pads and that weird mossy stuff that grows on top of the water that smells funny. But this pond was more like a deep, dark puddle. Like someone dug a hole and just dumped a bunch of black water there. It sits still. Nothing ever moves. And there’s no smell from it, which Aaron doesn’t mind but I think it’s weird. Aaron wanted to jump in, see how deep it went, which was a stupid idea. I told him so. He stuck his tongue out at me. He’s such a baby. We walked back into the house, all annoyed. Mum gave out to us for being grouchy when we only just moved in. When we said the pond didn’t have any frogs in it, Mum and Dad just looked at each other funny. Like, the way they do when Aaron and I are telling a joke, but they don’t really get it. Dad then finally asked us,
“What pond?”
Which was weird. Mum and Dad told us about the pond before we moved in. They kept bringing it up as something fun to explore because they knew I didn’t want to move to a new house. Aaron was confused too. We told them this. Dad just shook his head and went to go look at the pond. When he came back in, he told us to stay away from it, which Aaron didn’t think was fair, but I didn’t care. Who wants to play with a boring old pond like that anyway. Dad just looked out the window at it and told us to stay away from it again. I didn’t like that look. He doesn’t usually look like that.
I got the bigger bedroom since I’m older. Aaron complained and cried the whole day, which was stupid. He gets scared and sleeps with Mum and Dad all the time so having the bedroom down the hall beside them only makes sense. He cried anyway. My bedroom looks out the back, so I see everything. I like looking at the porch and the grass at night when the lights come on. Sometimes, animals walk through, and the light spooks them, which is funny. Cats and foxes freak out and run away. Others just freeze like I can’t see them and then I hit the window, and they hightail it anyway. None of them ever go near the pond though, which is stupid. It’s like, free water. But then, a week ago, I looked out the window at bedtime and saw a grey fox looking into it, at its reflection or whatever. And so, as a joke, I quietly opened the window and yelled at the fox, and it jumped like ten feet into the air and fell into the pond. I laughed so much. It was such a good prank. I was going to run and tell Aaron but then the pond went still. Like, immediately. The fox didn’t come out. I thought it had drowned and got scared that Dad would yell at me but then like, five minutes later, the fox came out, really slowly. It didn’t care it was all wet. I didn’t know foxes could hold their breath for that long either. Then, it looked up at me, but different from how other animals do. It looked at me weird, like it knew me or something. I yelled at it again, but it just kept staring, so I got bored and went to bed.
Then, the next night, the fox came back. I knew it was the same one because it walked weird, not like other foxes. It wasn’t scared or careful of humans or anything. And it brought a bunch of other foxes that were really jumpy and nervous. Like, normal foxes. The weird fox just went over to the pond and started drinking out of it. It kept looking at the other foxes between drinks until they all came over and started drinking as well, which made them all act weird too. Dad ran out and chased them away. He looked up at my window, but my lights were off, so he didn’t know I was awake.
Then yesterday, it was Saturday, so we were home from school and Dad got really mad at us. We were bored and played hide and seek. Aaron thought it would be funny to hide in the pond. Dad freaked out when he saw Aaron jump into it. He slammed the back door open and raced down to the pond and yanked Aaron out of the water and started screaming at him. It was really scary. I was crying because Dad kept shaking Aaron and telling him he shouldn’t have done that. Mum had to pull him off Aaron. Aaron didn’t talk for the rest of the day. Even when Dad said sorry. Mum said it was because he felt bad after Dad yelled at him, but I don’t think so. He started acting different. Walking different. And he looks at me different too. Once or twice, when Mum and Dad weren’t looking, he got up from wherever he was sitting and tried to get me to follow him. When I asked where we were going, he quickly sat back down and looked away when Mum or Dad turned around.
Today I woke up really early. It’s still dark out. Aaron’s out in the hall looking in at me. I don’t know where Mum and Dad are. He’s got a glass of black water. He’s surrounded by foxes.
“What pond?”
Which was weird. Mum and Dad told us about the pond before we moved in. They kept bringing it up as something fun to explore because they knew I didn’t want to move to a new house. Aaron was confused too. We told them this. Dad just shook his head and went to go look at the pond. When he came back in, he told us to stay away from it, which Aaron didn’t think was fair, but I didn’t care. Who wants to play with a boring old pond like that anyway. Dad just looked out the window at it and told us to stay away from it again. I didn’t like that look. He doesn’t usually look like that.
I got the bigger bedroom since I’m older. Aaron complained and cried the whole day, which was stupid. He gets scared and sleeps with Mum and Dad all the time so having the bedroom down the hall beside them only makes sense. He cried anyway. My bedroom looks out the back, so I see everything. I like looking at the porch and the grass at night when the lights come on. Sometimes, animals walk through, and the light spooks them, which is funny. Cats and foxes freak out and run away. Others just freeze like I can’t see them and then I hit the window, and they hightail it anyway. None of them ever go near the pond though, which is stupid. It’s like, free water. But then, a week ago, I looked out the window at bedtime and saw a grey fox looking into it, at its reflection or whatever. And so, as a joke, I quietly opened the window and yelled at the fox, and it jumped like ten feet into the air and fell into the pond. I laughed so much. It was such a good prank. I was going to run and tell Aaron but then the pond went still. Like, immediately. The fox didn’t come out. I thought it had drowned and got scared that Dad would yell at me but then like, five minutes later, the fox came out, really slowly. It didn’t care it was all wet. I didn’t know foxes could hold their breath for that long either. Then, it looked up at me, but different from how other animals do. It looked at me weird, like it knew me or something. I yelled at it again, but it just kept staring, so I got bored and went to bed.
Then, the next night, the fox came back. I knew it was the same one because it walked weird, not like other foxes. It wasn’t scared or careful of humans or anything. And it brought a bunch of other foxes that were really jumpy and nervous. Like, normal foxes. The weird fox just went over to the pond and started drinking out of it. It kept looking at the other foxes between drinks until they all came over and started drinking as well, which made them all act weird too. Dad ran out and chased them away. He looked up at my window, but my lights were off, so he didn’t know I was awake.
Then yesterday, it was Saturday, so we were home from school and Dad got really mad at us. We were bored and played hide and seek. Aaron thought it would be funny to hide in the pond. Dad freaked out when he saw Aaron jump into it. He slammed the back door open and raced down to the pond and yanked Aaron out of the water and started screaming at him. It was really scary. I was crying because Dad kept shaking Aaron and telling him he shouldn’t have done that. Mum had to pull him off Aaron. Aaron didn’t talk for the rest of the day. Even when Dad said sorry. Mum said it was because he felt bad after Dad yelled at him, but I don’t think so. He started acting different. Walking different. And he looks at me different too. Once or twice, when Mum and Dad weren’t looking, he got up from wherever he was sitting and tried to get me to follow him. When I asked where we were going, he quickly sat back down and looked away when Mum or Dad turned around.
Today I woke up really early. It’s still dark out. Aaron’s out in the hall looking in at me. I don’t know where Mum and Dad are. He’s got a glass of black water. He’s surrounded by foxes.