Chapter Five: Blue Shoe Lake

Part One — Rain, Rockers, and Ghosts

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The rain was playing a sweet melody on the tin roof at the cabin.

Mark loved the rain.

When the storms rolled in at night it kept him awake because he wanted so bad to wander out into his rocker on the porch and just breathe it all in.

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It had the opposite effect on Gator.

There was no drug known to God or man that made Gator sleep more sound.

One problem with Gator swimming in deep sleep was the Godawfullest racket you ever heard coming from deep down in his scaley carcass.

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Mark was watching the ripples overlap each other in the lake from every drop when he heard something.

It was a hum.

It seemed to be a good distance away but was getting closer.

Making some hand binoculars he could see it.

It was some kind of boat and it was headed his way.

“Well, I don’t know who dat is but I reckon I better go find my overalls. Company might not appreciate me greeting ’em in my wrinkly birthday suit.”

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He stepped back inside the screen door and gathered up his overalls and boots.

He snapped on one side and then remembered he only had one.

“I really need to find that other fastener some day.”

He could hear the boat clear now as it pulled up to his dock.

Mark stepped out on the porch to greet his visitor and offer the dry sanctuary of his porch.

He really couldn’t tell if it was a man or woman because the visitor was covered in rain gear and a big ole wet hat that looked like a big wet tortilla had dropped on their head.

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Mark hollered at the mystery visitor.

“Come on up here out of the rain!”

The mystery visitor climbed the steps slowly.

Water dripped off the brim of the hat and made little puddles on the porch boards.

She reached out for Mark’s hand.

“Good morning sir. My name is Dr. Ellie Thorne. It’s great to meet you Mr…?”

Mark wiped his hands on his old overalls and gave her a big howdy shake.

“My name is Mark, ma’am. I don’t reckon we ever use last names out here. Have a seat there in that rocker. Don’t mind that big hole in tha bottom. It’s so Gator’s tail can fit through there. Alligators… whatcha gonna do? Can I fetch you some coffee?”

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She took a seat in the rocker and adjusted around the big hole.

“Well Mr. Mark, I guess I could use some coffee in this dreary morning. Just a bit of sugar and three creamers.”

Mark headed toward the cabin.

“Three creamers…” he muttered.

“Good gracious alive…”

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Inside, Gator had one eye barely cracked open.

“We got company.”

Nothing.

“Lady company.”

One eye opened wider.

“Pretty lady company.”

Both eyes opened.

“Oh?”

Mark looked over.

“Thought you was asleep.”

“I was.”

“Thought you couldn’t hear nothin’.”

“I can’t.”

Long pause.

“What color hair?”

Mark grinned.

“Interesting…”

“Interesting good?”

“Gator… you ain’t fixin’ to put on cologne again are ya?”

“Dat happened ONE time.”

“Three squirrels passed out.”

“Strong cologne.”

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Mark whispered:

“Well God bless a milk cow! Is that thang stalking you? Get your butt up and let’s see what this lady wants. Now don’t go walking out there all at once and scare her. Just a snout at first and then up to your ears peeking out the screen door. Not everybody done seen what a big ole whoppagator you are.”

“Be nice and put on your good Jasper’s Snack Shack hat. It’s pretty clean mostly.”

A few moments later a snout slowly eased through the screen door.

Then two eyes.

Then a faded hat.

JASPER’S SNACK SHACK

Home of the Catfish Melt

Ellie smiled.

“Well come on out Mr. Gator! Get out here where I can see ya. This might actually be a really good thing because I could use some insight into all things alligator.”

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Mark poked him.

“Yeah Mr. Gator sir, get your tail in out here! I’m sure this lady got some reason to be here. Let’s find out just what that is.”

Gator stepped out slowly and adjusted his hat.

Ellie smiled warmly.

“You’re considerably larger than I expected.”

“Thank ya.”

“I think.”

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Mark sat down.

“Tell us what brings you all the way out to Blue Shoe Lake.”

Ellie took a sip of coffee.

Rain tapped the roof.

Thunder rolled softly over the lake.

“Mr. Mark…”

“Mr. Gator…”

“I’ve spent fifteen years searching for something people say doesn’t exist.”

Gator shifted.

“Oh?”

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“An albino alligator.”

“Uh… well, I heard tales and such about a white gator but I reckon I personally, uh, I personally ain’t ever, I mean ya know, got up close or looked into her deep pink eyes or anything such as that.”

Mark slowly turned.

“Gator ain’t nobody said nothin about it bein a female or having any deep beautiful pink eyes or nothing as such as all that.”

“You got some splainin to do!”

Gator froze.

Completely.

Absolutely.

Catastrophically froze.

Even the rain seemed to slow down for a second.

Ellie slowly lowered her coffee cup.

Mark turned in his rocker and squinted at him.

Hard.

Real hard.

Gator’s eyes got big.

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“Well…”

“Now…”

“Let’s not go runnin’ off into assumptions and accusations and such.”

Mark leaned forward.

“Accusations?”

“Nobody accused you of nothin’.”

“Yet.”

Gator swallowed so hard his hat moved.

“I was merely…”

Long pause.

“Speakin’…hypothetically.”

“Hypothetically?”

“Yep.”

“You know…”

“Like…”

“If a person happened to imagine a white alligator…”

“For science purposes.”

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Ellie was now openly smiling.

Not laughing.

Trying very hard not to laugh.

But smiling.

“Mr. Gator…”

“How exactly would one hypothetically know the color of her eyes?”

Gator stared at her.

Stared at Mark.

Stared at the lake.

Then suddenly pointed out toward the water.

“IS THAT A BEAVER?!”

Mark didn’t even turn.

“Nope.”

“Big fish?”

“Nope.”

“House on fire?”

“We’re outside.”

Long silence.

Mark slowly crossed his arms.

“Gator…”

“Did you done fall sweet on a ghost gator?”

Gator looked down at the porch floor.

His foot slowly traced circles in the wet boards.

Very quietly…

“Maybe a little bit.”

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Lightning flickered over Blue Shoe Lake.

And way out near the cypress trees…

For just a second…

A white head rose above the water.

Watching the porch.

Watching Gator.

Then slipped silently beneath the ripples again.

Ellie jumped up so suddenly her coffee nearly splashed out.

“I knew it!! It is real!”

“And so are you!”

“We knew all those years ago that the two baby alligators that escaped from the lab would eventually show themselves out here somewhere!”

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The porch went silent.

Mark lowered his coffee.

Gator stared straight ahead.

“Gator…”

Nothing.

“GATOR.”

“Huh?!”

“You done turned into a lawn ornament?”

“Mark…”

“I can explain…”

“Oh can ya?”

“Because I’d enjoy hearin’ how we skipped regular alligator and landed on escaped science project.”

Gator looked down.

“Technically…”

“Escaped sounds bad.”

“TECHNICALLY?!”

Ellie’s eyes widened.

“Wait…”

“You remember?”

Gator got quiet.

“Bits and pieces…”

“I remember little cages…”

“Bright lights…”

“I remember somebody feedin’ us tiny fish…”

His voice softened.

“And…”

“I remember a little white snout beside me.”

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Nobody spoke.

Rain tapped gently on the tin roof.

Way out by the cypress trees…

A white shape slowly rose above the water.

This time higher.

Two pale pink eyes watching from the rain.

Watching only one thing.

Gator.

Gator’s mouth fell open.

Very quietly:

“Sweet mercy…”

“Pearl?”