The Park

Alice and Kristen were slowly moving downriver, further into town. Kristen began to nervously look around, trying to think of any way they could escape unseen. A look upwards, at a bridge confirmed her worst fears: it was too late. They were in the heart of town now, where a loose combination of tourists and locals would be milling about by the hundreds. The river would begin to widen, and get more and more shallow. She’d hung out at the park with friends countless times, and knew the water would be crystal clear, and barely at calf height. She panicked, looking frantically for a spot to exit.

Meanwhile, Alice was too concerned with her body to focus on her surroundings. She had noticed the water had gone from a cloudy, reflective surface to a blue, translucent glow. Whereas before she could easily pretend she looked like she had on a strapless bra, now she could tell that it was very questionable. The further downriver they moved, the more transparent the water became, showing more and more of a hazy outline of her bare skin. She shuddered, and joined Kristen in searching for an escape that didn’t seem to come.

By the time they had reached the center of town, the both girls began hugging close to the side in an attempt to conceal their hazy, nude forms beneath the nearly transparent water. The constant movement of the water helped to hide them, and Alice was thankful for that. Kristen looked up, her brown, short hair now barely touching the water.

Above her, Kristen noticed a couple walking on the path next to the opposite side of the river from them. The man wore blue jeans, and a purple T-shirt. He seemed content, his arm around the girl who looked curiously at Kristen. She nudged her boyfriend, and pointed towards them. He gave them a glance, and laughed. He said something in a voice too low to hear over the running water, but the message was clear. They were starting to draw attention.

They neared the halfway point: A small walk bridge across the river, with a stairway up to the town. Kristen and Alice edged towards it, nervously plotting their next move. Kristen carefully stood on the stairs, and climbed out of the river silently. She wanted a peek at the town, to decide their next course of action.

One small, quick look was all she needed. In every direction cars were moving, people were walking, and business seemed to be thriving. She gave a loose estimate that there were at least a hundred people who would see them get out here, possibly more if they drew a commotion.

Kristen quickly hurried down the stairs, splashing back into the water. “No way. I can’t do it.” She said exasperated.

Alice looked towards her sympathetically. “Ok then. Where do we get out then?” She asked, concerned.

Kristen gulped, wincing as she thought about it. “The Park.” She said shamefully. Her blush deepened, contrasting against her light brown hair that had slicked back due to the river water. She shivered, beginning to get cold because of the shaded spot they were under. Without a word more, Kristen began swimming downriver, her eyes filled with dread. Alice followed, constantly looking at the rails to see if someone would see her.

The river continued to get more and more shallow, now widening at the sides. Alice walked along, her form crouched to keep her entire body below the water. Kristen, seemed to be more focused on the destination, so she swam quickly along, her whole body visible as a hazy, tanned mass from the street. Nobody seemed to notice them, until they passed a sign that read “Now entering Heart-Acre Park, pride and joy of Heart-Acre City!” The water had become completely clear, and the river diverged onto many separate paths, most barely more than five meters wide. The river itself went from stomach height, to barely calf height before they even had a chance to notice. Kristen quickly looked around, for a spot to hide at and make a plan. She noticed an old playground, hidden behind some large trees on a small island. She stood up abruptly, and sprinted towards it.

Alice was caught by surprise very quickly, and stood up with an arm crossed over her breasts, and a hand concealing her womanhood. She looked around, noticing a family walking along a path in the distance. She quickly chased after Kristen, hoping she knew a spot to hide from the view of any onlookers.

Kristen pulled herself onto the grass, out of the water. She was thankful to be on dry land, but for only a moment.

“Kristen? Is that you?” She heard a familiar voice say. Kristen turned, her eyes widening.

Mrs. Yang, her former math teacher, gave her a concerned look, searching for an answer. She shifted her glasses and rubbed them slightly, as if in disbelief at the sight before her. Kristen was frozen in shock, then adrenaline took over and propelled her to run towards the playground and not look back.

Mrs. Yang stared after Kristen, confused as much as she was silently amused. “So weird, the things kids do these days” she thought with a slight laugh. Suddenly someone else bumped past her, and lightly yelped a “Sorry!”

Alice ran past the older woman, who seemed more in awe at the sight before her than anything. She felt so embarrassed, adrenaline now coursing through her veins at the shock, and fear of being seen.

Without anyone else seeing them, both Alice and Kristen made it to the playground. They panted wildly, tired from the sprint through water, and adrenaline rush. Kristen regained her breath sooner, and motioned for Alice to follow her. She led Alice to a spot between three pine trees, which offered concealment from all sides but the entrance.

“Well? What now?” Alice asked between pants.

“We need to rest.” Kristen said, trying to dodge the question.

“No, I mean what’s our next move?” Alice asked again, more directly.

“...Well I haven’t thought this far ahead yet...” Kristen said shamefully.

“What? I thought you had a plan? Some way we could get out of this?” Alice questioned hastily, now worried.

Kristen sighed, frustrated. “I...I don’t know. I know I didn’t tell you, but this is the worst case scenario. We’re smack in the middle of town, busy city streets on all sides. There’s no easy escape. No matter which way we go, it would mean crossing a few main roads, and running almost a mile through a crowded city. Not to mention the park is the big hangout for locals, so I’m bound to run into more people I know on my way out of here.” She said, her voice breaking.

Alice contemplated what she’d just heard, realizing they were very much stuck. No matter where they went, it required them to be in public completely exposed. She tried thinking of all sorts of ideas and plans, desperately searching for a way to avoid all the humiliation.