Thin Ice

Thin Ice
Pink Floyd and a muskrat reminder.
by L. M. Everhart

         The ice was very thin when I started out, but I knew I was in trouble after pulling the ninth empty muskrat trap.

         Only one more to go.

         Now, moving across the lake required more force than my trolling motor could muster, and the path I had broken from the dock to the steep edge was quickly refreezing.  By rocking my Bass Hunter boat from side to side I could still break through, but could make no forward progress.

         The orange survey flag marking the last underwater set was less than twelve feet away.  I estimated the length of the only rope I had and decided it was too short to lasso a stump and pull myself to shore.  Searching through my equipment bag, I settled on a hammer.

         I crawled to the bow and started whacking the ice ahead, then crawled back to run the motor forward a foot; then back again to repeat the process.  I was gaining, but the work seemed to take forever.  During the whole time all I could think about was the lyrics to an old Pink Floyd song – 'With your fear flowing out behind you as you claw the thin ice.' This made me laugh and I started singing as I inched the boat toward the last trap.

         One final chop broke a hole revealing a large rat two feet below the surface.  I didn't bother putting on gauntlet gloves or think about using my grabbing tool.  I leaned over, plunged my arm into the frigid water and pulled up my catch, then reversed the motor and headed back.

         The pelt was nice.  I tanned it, stretched it between a frame of peeled maple branches, and hung it on the wall as a reminder to stay off the ice … no matter how thin.

###

Written for:

ID: 896794   (Rated: 13+) Daily Flash Fiction Challenge  Enter your story of 300 words or less. Note new starting time! by arakun the twisted raccoon

300 words or less
prompt: ice, trouble, flag