Lake Day

A cool, blue, picturesque lake sat encompassed almost entirely by forest. The lake was not exactly a "Lake", as the name Hill Bottom Lake suggested, and instead a large natural hot spring positioned in the middle of nowhere, a half hour ride from anything that could be considered civilization. On this small spring that spanned the diameter of a football field with a roughly circular shape, there was a small island with a ginormous, jutting rock that soared around forty feet into the air. A few rambunctious teens were leaping from a small wood structure twenty feet up that jutted out over the water and towards the deepest portion of the lake. Further beyond the diving action, a small house was surrounded by what appeared to be some sort of party. A happy looking woman in a one-piece suit smiled bashfully as she blew out her candles, wishing for dreams nobody would ever hear. Tiffany beamed a bright smile as the party resumed its usual clamor, with some going back to the water, some going back to the makeshift beach along the shore, and others simply chatting at the shoreline while drinking beverages.

"Well, another year. Good to see all the family, and all the people from the office. Surprised this many people came..." Tiffany thought to herself, pushing her bright red hair out of her eyes. As per tradition, her birthday rested comfortably in the middle of summer. Over the years, her birthday had slowly been half-conjoined with the biennial family reunion at the family's collectively owned lodge. A silver secret, the spot boasted a hot spring, diving rock, fishing, and seclusion from society as its main benefits. Her coworkers had half invited themselves along, once they found out there was a hot spring involved. Between her family, a few friends, and small group of coworkers, Tiffany estimated around thirty people had shown up. Each visitor had said their greetings, gifted a present or card, chatted among themselves for a while, and the telltale signs of her friends and family's coming departure were eminent. Tiffany prepared to stand up and start saying her goodbyes as well.

"Wait a minute Tiff. Before everyone leaves, how about one dive off the rock for old time's sake? You always know how to do it without creating a big splash. Show my daughter what a good dive looks like." Tiffany's aunt pleaded. Her words resonated among several others, drawing curiosity. "Yeah, come on Tiff. Show em' how its done." Her best friend Nina dared, with a wink. Several others challenged Tiffany, in spite of her initial head shakes. With several around her asking her to take the dive, her resistance slowly began to wear down.