Editors note As intro, I wrote this short story so many years ago. I honestly can not recall exactly when. This may be the first time it’s been available for public view. I came across this story while cleaning out my filing cabinet.

I was active as a SCUBA diver , back in the 90s. My late mother and her second husband were both certified. We dove as a family and had a close friendship circle. This story may better explain how my novels were created.

With a little rewritten editing, I present The Encounter

The lake was tranquil. Visibility about twenty feet, which was above average for black water. The temperate water was momentarily disturbed by three divers moving at a leisurely pace. Although the lake’s maximum depth was 30 feet, The divers traveled at a depth of 15 foot,, line abreast. The left diver was arms length, While the right diver stretched the formation, being 6 feet distant from the center. The visibility allowed the three to be within sight of each other.

As they propelled along, it was obvious by the minimum air bubbles, that escaped their regulators and by their posture the three were relaxed. The diving rigs were well squared away to defuse any drag. They all displayed experience. The depth they maintained was good placement from the bottom. They had good sight lines and less possibility of silting out their return trip.

The water held no thermocline, a sudden change of temperature as depth changes. Fish of various sizes could be seen, ranging from small blue gill to a good sized bass every now and then. Blue gill were as annoying as flies, being curious, with little fear of the divers. The bass were more shy eluding the strange large noisy apparitions.

This environment had become more natural for the divers Hues of grey, brown and tan, competed with darker shadows. The divers had trained and learned from experience about this hostile world. It was no longer as alien

Suddenly,, from the murk, a sailboat looking shadow emerged. It was odd looking, with a snout shaped like an upside down spade. The fish moved effortlessly and gracefully, mouth agape as it fed on plankton. This was the elusive fish the divers were prizing to see. The spoonbill! With great luck, there were more than one. There were several. More appeared everywhere.

The size of the fish were in the same size range as the divers. Average length seemed to measure at least eight feet. One fish came within feet of the right diver, opening its mouth to feed. The diver noted how big around the fish was, thinking a railroad tie could easily be swallowed.

As sudden as the fish appeared, the next instant they were gone. Leaving behind smiling faces and pleasant memories. The diving three would hold cherished memories as they returned to their exit. This foreign exciting world was in a sense, right in their own back yard.

Author’s note. I was the right diver. My mom was center and Ron, her husband was left. The lake is in Logansport IN. This had been our third venture to that particular lake It was an annual trip. Divers tend to navigate close to the bottom for easier reference. Our gained experience taught us to stay at a depth further from the bottom when visibility allowed. It’s safe to assume we never saw spoonbills because they aren’t bottom feeders. The first two years we ,more than likely, were underneath them. None of us thought to look up!

The water color was painted by my aunt Penny Kessler.