Daddy (Flash Fiction)

by Joe Mynhardt
(Bloemfontein, South Africa)

“Help!” A man stumbled from the lake – soaked and out of breath. “My little girl is still in the car. Please help.”

Witnesses stormed forward as the last remnants of oxygen bubbled to the surface.

“My baby.” The man collapsed onto the ground and coughed up water. He dug his fingers into his hair. “Dear God, please don’t let her die."

More bystanders pushed past him to get a better view.

He crawled through the onlookers toward the edge of the lake and buried his fist in the sand. He appealed to them. “Hurry! Please. Why aren’t you helping?”

People screamed and pointed in chaos. A few wandered into the icy water, yet only one man dove in.

A few seconds later he burst through to the surface with a little blonde girl cradled in his arms. He fell to his knees on the beach and began CPR. Her little body shook with every jolt to the chest until she spewed water from her lungs.

“Oh, thank God…she’s alright,” he said. “The father is still in the car. He didn’t make it.”