The Water Tower | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: The Water Tower | Previous Challenge Entry
By Craig Frizzell
05/16/05
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES

The water tower had been abandoned for years. No one came up here anymore. It had been a regular destination for their circle of friends in high school. After Jeff and Kelly started dating, the tower became a favorite destination to talk about life, love, and eventually, their future together. Jeff had asked Kelly to marry him at the top of the tower.

That had been over four years ago. College was behind them now, and they had been married almost a year. They hadn’t even thought about this place in ages. So Kelly was a little surprised when Jeff suggested they come here to watch the fireworks on New Year’s Eve. It was okay, though. She needed to talk to him, and the tower would be as good a place as any, and better than most.

The tower stood at the edge of a lake just outside of town. As they entered the clearing, they didn’t so much see the tower as sense its presence. It dominated the landscape, blotting out much of the night sky. Vines curled around its base and crept up the steel framework – nature’s attempt to reclaim her territory.

The tower was over seventy feet tall. A maintenance platform encircled the tank near the bottom. A ladder built into one of the four massive steel legs reached it. Flakes of rust drifted down as Jeff grasped the rungs and began to climb.

“Are you sure this is safe?” Kelly asked from below. The sounds of groaning metal were a little unsettling.

“It’s okay,” Jeff responded. “Just wait until I get to the top, then come on up. I’ll help you onto the platform.”

Kelly reluctantly began to climb. The ladder didn’t feel quite as sturdy as she remembered. Finally she reached the platform. Jeff took her hand, and they started around the tower. The view across the lake was as stunning as it had always been. The lights from town reflected off the water, and the sounds of laughter and music from the New Year’s celebration could be faintly heard. It was nearly midnight.

“So, what was it you wanted to tell me?” Jeff asked. He turned to face her as he spoke, so that his back was to the guardrail.

Kelly was about to respond when the creaking sound suddenly got louder. She felt a shift beneath her feet, and nearly lost her balance. She cried out as the platform began to pull away from the tank.

“What’s happening?”

“I think the bolts are rusted through,” Jeff said. He couldn’t hide the tremor in his voice. “Let’s get back to the ladder. Stay as close to the tank as you can.”

Kelly started around the tank with Jeff behind her. A sound like a gunshot echoed in the night as another bolt broke loose. The platform shifted again, and this time Jeff lost his balance. The section where he had been standing tilted toward the ground, and he fell over the guardrail. Somehow he managed to grab onto the rail.

Kelly screamed his name as she came back toward him. The platform, weakening with every passing second, strained under their combined weight. It tilted farther away from the tank, and Kelly struggled to keep from slipping over the side. From across the lake, a chorus of voices counted down the final seconds of the year.

Kelly looked into her husband’s eyes. She saw fear there that was surely a reflection of her own. But then, she saw something else. Not defeat, but acceptance. Too late, she realized what he was about to do.

“No!” she cried.

He whispered, “I love you,” and let go of the platform, as fireworks began to explode over the lake.

One Year Later

Kelly drove up the access road. Sunlight reflected off the lake. The tower was gone now, torn down soon after the accident. She hadn’t been here since that fateful night. It was hard coming back, but for some reason she felt she had to. The view across the lake was as beautiful as ever, but the memories were painful now.

A tiny cry drew her attention to the seat beside her. Jason was stirring from his nap. As she gazed at her son – Jeff’s son – it became clear why she had to come back. She vowed that Jason would know who his father was. And when the time was right, she would tell him about the sacrifice he had made to save them.

PREVIOUS ENTRY | NEXT ENTRY
SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY FOR THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE

JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.