Tuesday, May 31, 2022

"Swamp Girl" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

Daniel was sitting on his porch and listening to the sounds of the night when Swamp Girl first appeared to him. She emerged from the marsh that bordered his property and wore a garment woven from the plants of the wetland.

Nearly every evening, Swamp Girl would come for a visit, and Daniel would listen as she told humorous and strange tales of the marsh.

One night their visit was interrupted by the intrusion of a Mr. Jennings who was president of a nearby homeowners association. Even though the HOA had no jurisdiction over Daniel's property, Mr. Jennings felt the need to complain about Dan's old truck and his overgrown yard.

After several minutes, Daniel grew weary of the tirade and showed  
Jennings to the door. Dan returned to the porch, but Swamp Girl was nowhere to be found.

A few days later, he heard that Jennings had disappeared without a trace. When he mentioned the incident to Swamp Girl, a wisp of a smile formed on her lips and then was gone.