Emprise Lake

Lake Emprise

         As Caleb leisurely walked down to the dock that morning, he could not avoid the cacophony  emerging from his brain, he was instantly reminded of  a passage he had just read the night before...

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore--
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door--
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door--
              Only this and nothing more."
                              The Raven by Edgar A. Poe
         It kept repeating over and over in his mind! It had started before dawn and had drawn him to the dock that overcast and ominous dawning. What was it that was haunting his mind that time of day, when he was barely awake and oriented? He just had to see what there was that was drawing him to the dock.
         As Caleb stepped onto the dock, he could see nothingness. The water was calm all the way out to where the inlet led into the awesome lake. He looked left and right. There was no activity on the inlet whatsoever. Yet, he still felt there was an entity to detect. One that begged for his awareness! At this point, he couldn't even venture a guess as to what, if anything, he might discover.. He paused, off in the distance, beyond his eyesight, it pronounced like a constrained banging... It was bleary and awry of his line of sight; nothing to do but pack up his small boat and head out to the distant reaches of the lake.
         It didn't take but a minute to gather his gear, which he kept at the ready. He popped down from the dock into the dugout, started the motor with the first heave of the rope, and headed out of the inlet.. In his pouch of gear he kept a flashlight, flares, matches, a small first aide kit, and various other items that he had learned to keep in the the handy canvass bag. At this juncture he was reminded of another entry, from a different poem...
“It was open –wide,wide open – and I grew furious as I gazed upon it. I saw it with perfect distinctness –all blue, with a hideous veil over it that chilled the very marrow in my bones; but I could see nothing...”
                    The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar A. Poe
         Caleb still could not see a thing as he gazed out of the inlet. There was a slight mist in the air that morning. His vision somewhat bothered by the thick condensation in the still dawning. Yet has he drew near the inlet which fed into the brawny lake, he was becoming more aware of the debilitated noise that had drawn him to the vast expanse of water. Caleb, at this point was totally bewildered not only by what was charming him to the big water, but, why was his mind dwelling on passages from Poe? He knew he was prone to fantasy, but this was not a dream.
         Caleb was a youngster just 16. He was tall and muscular, with a tasseled head of jet black hair. He had been a good student over the years and he delighted in reading every good piece of literature he could get his hands around. He was also a day dreamer and his insatiable appetite for reading over the years gave him lots of ideas and planted many a seed for his nocturnal musing! However, some of his dreams ventured into the area of nightmares and often he would wake during these and find himself in a cold sweat. These he confided in himself, he could do without.
         This morning was not a dream. He heard noises, blurred as they were, they were authentic and he wanted to get to the foundation of it as soon as possible.. He squinted, looking in the direction toward the haggard whisk of sound that was bewitching his thoughts and interest. He was definitely headed into the big water!
         Abruptly, he observed, some motion and a few ripples waving across the water's surface. They appeared to be some distance to his left about a quarter of mile beyond his current position. Onward, he was drawn further into the mysterious task and curious sound.. It was times, like this, that Caleb was totally absorbed in adventures on the vast lake.
         Lake Emprise was repeatedly the setting for countless adventures for Caleb. Emprise had become an obsession to Caleb. In his heart and mind, Caleb was anticipating another exciting discovery! Caleb thirsted for adventure daily and this present engagement presented the lad with another unique opportunity to spend time on Lake Emprise.
         Lake Emprise was the scene for most of Caleb's perils. No one new for sure just how large the lake was in terms shoreline or square miles of surface area. Few people built homes on its shores or nearby. However, it was well known for two things, its abundance of fish and the temperamental and changeling weather. Caleb had grown up nearby and had naturally got his thirst for fishing at the lake. As he grew older it became, not only a place for fishing, but a source for many adventures. The lake had a plush stand of large and somewhat foreboding trees surrounding the edge of the entire shoreline. Caleb delighted, often just taking short trips in his small craft skirting here and there near the shore. He had never explored or fished too far from the dock or Emprise's shore.
         Today was different! The blare that first got his attention, drew him further and further into the large lake. He had motored into an unknown portion, at least to him, of the lake. Just ahead, the surface of the lake appeared to be rippling and gurgling into a frothy foam. He slowed the motor to a slow trolling speed as he came ever closer to the sound and the belching water. Caleb eased the modest boat to a deciding moment. Due to the ever-present cold vapor, he still was not able to make out what was causing the tapping sound coming from the disturbance in the water. Little by little, he pushed ever closer to the source of his inspection.
         It was at this point his boat began to pitch and toss violently. Side to side, up and down, and twisting, he was no longer in control of the craft. The motor came to a unexpected halt, he dropped his flashlight overboard as he try to get a bead on the disturbance coming from below his boat. The faint sound that had first got him started became almost deafening! The water below his boat began to stir into a furious torrent! Caleb was instantly griped by fear. He had lost all control, not only his boat, but his emotions, as well. It seemed, everything he tried to do, to right himself and the craft were useless efforts.
         When Caleb awoke he was sore all over. He was laying face down on the shore near the old dock where his current adventure had begun. His shirt and slicker were in tatters. His head was pounding and he was thoroughly soaked. He had several scratches on his arms. The muscles in his shoulders quivered and cramped. He felt a burning sensation all over his skin. He detected a very foul odor in the air. He also was aware of a very bitter taste in his mouth! There was no sign of his boat, motor, or any of the supplies he had brought along earlier that day. As near as he could tell, it was close to dusk! He had evidently been unconscious for several hours. The last moment he could remember, he had been pitched from the boat and into the swirling water. Beyond that, he didn't have a clue. The the feeling that over took hold at that point was one of total astonishment! Questions about what had taken place, buzzed through his mind like rain drops during a torrential downpour. Worst of all, his mind could not replay any that was remotely close to the event? It was if his brain had erased everything with the exception of the thoughts and      hearkening noises that had awakened him at dawn that day! Once more he thought of the passage....
“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore--
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door--
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door--
              Only this and nothing more."
                              The Raven by Edgar A. Poe
         Tomorrow, he'd get an early start. Caleb wasn't about to let this development go unsolved!

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