Floating Lanterns over the Great Salt Lake

As brine flies picked blue-green algae from Jenna’s toes, she floated on the Great Salt Lake. She kicked away the algae and it slid from her toes. The movement propelled her backward into a flock of seagulls, who cawed and flew away, except one seagull still pecking for brine flies.

Splash!

Where did that come from? Spinning around, Jenna investigated the lake's surface. White and grey feathers spun in a whirlpool. The seagull had disappeared. Then a tube-like object brushed Jenna’s legs.

“Aaa!”

Jumping away, the saltwater lifted her momentarily. Tan antennae popped above the surface. That’s it! Jenna stormed the Antelope Island beach only to glance back at a calm lake surface. However, when large ripples headed to shore, Jenna hightailed it to the cabin.

Locking the door behind her, she rasped while leaning against the roughhewn log wall. Was she imagining a monster? She lowered herself onto the cot and mentally repeated “Everything will be fine.” She just needed rest.

Imagining the comfort of her feather pillows and memory foam bed, Jenna dozed off.

------

On the craggy hill, buffalo calves bleated, and bison bellowed in return. Jenna stretched her legs and arms and rubbed her eyes before gazing through the dusty window. Bison chewed on dry field grass; their hooves flattened the rabbitbrush. Soon peach and violet clouds scudded across the sky. Jenna sighed. She had slept half the day away.

Her stomach grumbled, so she fished granola bars from her backpack.

Chewing on the granola bar, she pressed her tingling toes on the bare floor. Images of swirling gull feathers lingered from her dreams, but she focused on a small herd of buffalo grazing on the hill instead. Putting the granola wrapper in her backpack, the cabin suddenly felt stuffy. She knelt on the cot and reached for the window. Her hand fumbled with the rusted window lock until the window budged open. Finally, the cool evening breeze blew wisps of her hair into her face. Ah, time to enjoy nature. Slipping on her sandals, Jenna ventured from the cabin.

Toward the west, the lake mirrored the setting sun, except where seagulls landed on the surface. As she walked closer to shore, several beachgoers waved. They folded their towels and closed their sun umbrellas. Jenna’s eyes followed them as the group carried everything to the SUV. When one beachgoer caught her staring, Jenna waved awkwardly before looking back at the sunset.

Soon they drove off and she was the only human there.

Jenna shivered. After all, she came out to Antelope Island to be alone, but she questioned that choice now. A memory nagged at her. Had she really seen antennae above the water? She shook her head and crouched in the sand. Sifting the sand through her fingers, she watched the stars and moon pinpoint the dim sky.

As boat headlights bobbed in the distance, Jenna stretched out on the cooling sand. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. The waves gently sloshed against the shore until the sloshing and swooshing alternated in her ears. The rhythm increased in volume. Leaning on her elbows, Jenna peered around. Nearing the shore, the boat headlights seesawed more like someone carrying two lamps in both hands. Now she heard slosh, swoosh, slurp.

“Hello! Are you okay out there?” Jenna called.

Slosh, swoosh, slurp.

“Uh, hello?”

Seeing dim headlights in the parking lot, she rushed toward those people for help. However, the headlights morphed into seesawing lamps too. Jenna stilled.

“Okay, stop, whoever you are. This isn’t funny.”

Slosh, swoop, slurp sounded ahead and behind her. Now splashes behind her.

Jenna bolted for the cabin and grabbed her cell phone from her purse. Peering out the door, the lamps loomed closer. She slammed the door and fumbled with the lock. With trembling fingers, Jenna misdialed 911 several times. Finally, she heard one ring so she must have dialed it correctly. The second ring dropped. “No signal detected,” flashed on her screen.

Scurrying legs and antennae banged against the cabin. Three golden orbs hovered past the windowsill. Then one orb slid across the pane and popped into the cabin. Algae dripped onto Jenna’s hair.

Screaming, Jenna slid into her sleeping bag and crouched into a ball.

Thump! Thump!

The cabin wall and cot swayed twice while Jenna rolled further into the sleeping bag. With each further thrash, the bag zipper inched open until it fell to the side. While trying to cover herself again, the log wall splintered, and hard pink shell legs skittered against her face. Then two tails shattered the window and flying glass shards embedded in Jenna’s back and head. Yelping, she crawled under the cot.

Everything silenced.

Then with one last shake, giant brine shrimp eggs slopped through the window and holes in the wall. Upon impact, the jelly balls jiggled and slimed off the cot and sleeping bag. One egg burst open. Tiny pinpricks of light bobbed toward Jenna.

She fainted.

------

Faint morning light filtered through the splintered wood logs onto the dirt floor. Sneezing, the glass shards dug deeper into Jenna’s skin. She cried aloud. Then she remembered the night before.

Frantically, she glanced around but saw no bobbing lights. Had the giant brine shrimp been real? She touched her hair and slime strands shimmered as she pulled her hands away. Surely, it had to be algae.

After hearing tires crunching over gravel, Jenna called out several times. Car doors shut and footfalls approached.

“Hello?” A deep voice called, and a log creaked.

“I’m under here!” Jenna banged against the cot.

“All right,” another voice sounded. “We’re coming to get you.”

While the rescuers removed logs, algae and slime seeped through the cot onto Jenna’s back. Oddly, the slime soothed her cuts and she sighed in relief. In the increasing light, Jenna could make out work boots and hands.

Dots of light floated along the edges of darkness, unlike the glimmering dust motes. Then tiny patters echoed faintly.

“Get me out of here!” She pushed and clawed at the cot and logs. “The shrimp are after me!”

A log dropped.

“Did she just say shrimp?”

The rescuers laughed, but then the tiny lights and many legs scurried from the woodpile.

The deep voices rose an octave while screaming. Next, car doors slammed.

“Hey! Help me!” she called, but the revving engine and squealing tires drowned out her plea.