Green Lake by S.K. Epperson

few months of inactivity and already she felt completely out of shape.
    She was to feel even more out of shape as the day wore on. After lunch the children were more boisterous than ever, excited about their park visitor, who turned out to be Dale Russell. He said a quiet hello to Madeleine and Denise before turning his attention to the children, who watched in awe as he told them stories about litterbugs and firebugs and gave each one of them an official PARK PROTECTOR sticker when he was finished. Before he left, Dale looked at Madeleine and said, “Thursday?”
    She shrugged a shoulder in reply and he gave her one of his heartwarming smiles. Madeleine only lifted a brow in response.
    “Did he ask you for a date?” Denise asked in surprise.
    “Do you know him?”
    “I know he told the daughter of a friend that COs were discouraged from becoming romantically involved with the locals. I didn't know if that was baloney or what.”
    “He didn't ask for a date,” Madeleine clarified. “He simply asked if I was going to the dance next Thursday.”
    “He's also supposed to be engaged. I was relieved to hear it, since my husband's convinced Dale is gay.”
    “They say the best-looking men usually are,” Madeleine said, and at her tone, Denise looked at her.
    “You sound curiously uninterested.”
    “Do I?”
    “Yes.” Denise and Madeleine grinned at her.
    “No. Will you be going to the dance?”
    “No. We leave the day before. You should go. I went last year and had a really good time. Are you with anyone?”
    “Me? No, I'm staying at my sister's cabin for the summer.”
    “All the more reason you should go.” Denise looked at her watch then. “Time for our boat ride. We need to get to the dock.”
    The next half-hour was contained madness as they hurried to strap twelve little bodies into twelve personal flotation devices and hustle them aboard the huge pontoon boat owned by Denise's obviously wealthy friend, introduced to Madeleine only as “Bill.” She and Denise put on their own life jackets and sat squat-legged on the floor of the boat with the children, while the owner's teenage daughter flopped into one of the seats and studied all their faces.
    ”A new assistant, Denise?” she asked, and pointed to Madeleine.
    “Just day help,” Madeleine answered.
    “Ignore her,” said Denise under her breath, and then the engine started and no one could hear much of anything for several moments as they pushed away from the dock and headed out onto the lake.
    The children clung to each other and to Denise and Madeleine as they moved over the choppy water. Several of the children's mouths never closed, but simply remained open in drooling pleasure.
    “You never said whether you were going to the dance with Dale Russell or not,” Denise said to her in a loud voice, and before Madeleine could answer, the teenage girl was leaning over Denise, her nostrils flaring.
    “What did you say?”
    Denise leaned back. “I wasn't talking to you.”
    “Did you say Dale Russell asked her to the dance?” She pointed rudely at Madeleine again.
    “What if he did?”
    The girl straightened. “Sonofabitch.”
    “Hey,” said Denise. “Watch your mouth around these kids.”
    The girl sneered. “Don't tell me what to do on my own goddamned boat.”
    Bill heard that one and he barked at his daughter to shut her mouth. She stomped away, and Denise's lip curled as she watched her go.
    Madeleine began to smile, and she started to say, I think you did that on purpose, to Denise, but a sudden, sharp scream from one of the children caused her to jerk her head around and look to see what was wrong. Suddenly every child on the boat was screaming, and then Denise and even Madeleine screamed when she saw the tiny, limp body caught in the ropes trailing along beside the boat. The girl's blonde hair floated like seaweed in the water above the yellow of her sweat-suit. Her upturned face was bloated and discolored, and Madeleine slammed