Abe Jacquot, Currently Laying the Smackdown in Iraq, Stoops to Conquer a New Theater of War: The Literary Smackdown

This is Abe Jacquot. He's an old friend of Literary Smackdown founder and proprietor, Nathan Hines, frequent commenter on this blog, and, up 'till today, a non-combatant in our month-old "literary" battling. Currently serving our country in Iraq, Abe has decided to show that his pen is as mighty as his sword by penning his own entry for this month's Smackdown. Entitled "Cold Feet", Abe introduces us to yet another young man who's dealing with the hard facts of murder while looking at a lake. Who wouldn't head down to the lake after offing someone? I mean, really? At any rate, this makes four, count 'em FOUR entries for the March Smackdown. A new record. Maybe next month it'll be five. Enough blather. On with the show. (PS: I would have cropped the photo but Photoshop wouldn't let me on account of the file type. I think it's interesting anyway: a writer in his natural environment. On to "Cold Feet".)

Cold Feet
by Abraham Jacquot

Why is it that this lake seems so different to me now? Has it changed or have I? Maybe I am seeing it through a different man’s eyes. Maybe I am losing my mind. Is this what it feels like to lose one's mind? They say that if you think that you might be going crazy, it is a good sign that you are sane. What the fuck do they know? I’m not crazy.

Did I clean behind the toilet? Did I mail off that check for the parking ticket? I know she never went in the bathroom but … aw shit my feet are wet. You must have gotten lost for a minute there and wandered into the water. Lost! That’s funny. Lost in thought. Pull it together Jake. You are knee deep in this fucking lake and people are going to start staring soon. What people? There are no people. You have all your clothes on for Christ sake. Do sane people wade around, knee deep in a lake in the middle of February? No they don’t!

Damn it’s cold. Where are all the ducks? Where is that goose? The one that steals all of the bread you tried to give to the ducks. They are all gone dummy. It’s fucking February! Remember? Remember what? Oh, the lake. What was I looking for? Looking… for? Would you look at that? The way the water laps at the shore. The sun lies on the water like it was meant to be there. What happens to the water when the sun goes down? Does it still lap at the shore like that? Do the leaves still float like that? Does the wind still blow when the sun is gone?

What the hell do you expect to find at the bottom of this lake anyway? Salvation? That ship has sailed buddy. No lake, no childhood pleasantries can undo what has been done. This lake may have been a place of comfort once but not anymore. Memories of those warm summer days swinging from the tire swing can’t erase nothin’. Did you expect to find some kind of solace in the past? You can’t take it back! This place will not protect you! But it can make it better. Do the right thing Jake. Let’s take a swim. What’d ya say?