Blog Post #5

 Blog Post #5

I thoroughly enjoyed reading “The Lake” by Tananarive Due because it felt like a type of story I typically don’t reach for. Many moments caught my attention, but the specific scene where Abbie realizes her feet are webbed has consumed my mind. If I were in Abbie’s position, I would be freaking out, crying, calling everyone I know, and taking myself to the hospital. I would most definitely be on the verge of a panic attack because I would begin to look more like an animal as opposed to an actual human. Abbie seemed freakishly calm as her body began to change, and honestly, I found it rather alarming.

Additionally, given that she had really strange, vivid dreams and would wake up in the morning drenched as if she had gone for a swim, as a reader, I would consider that a reason to panic, but Abbie did the exact opposite. She remained calm, almost as if she were excited. When it clicked in my head that there was this sort of happiness that Abbie was feeling, that was where I got chills and got freaked out. 

Another part I liked was that no one warned her about swimming in the lake during the summer. She encountered a good number of people in Graceville, yet none of them, especially those who helped her acquire her house, thought she should know. This truly made the story because from that point on, I knew she was in for a treat. I got super curious at that point because I wanted to know what would happen to her. Having that included in the story was a great choice because it really pulls the reader in and keeps them on their toes. 

A part that I felt confused about was her relationship with Derek. I am curious why she wanted him out of every other guy. She knew he was 15, yet she still wanted him to come to her house to do some home improvements. In fact, I found this part rather inappropriate and disturbing because it felt like it was going to lead to illegal actions. Things definitely took a turn when Derek went into the lake with Abbie, and Abbie had a powerful moment of hunger… she wanted to eat him. As I was reading that part, I was convinced that she was going to eat that fish swimming around them to cure her hunger and act normal around Derek, but when I realized that was very much not the case, I was in shock. I felt like anytime I tried to predict an outcome in the story, I was always incredibly wrong, and although I typically despise being wrong, in this case, it was almost exciting and invigorating. While reading this, I found myself constantly on the edge of my seat, eager to know what happens next. I haven’t felt this way about a movie or short story in quite some time, so it made reading this even more entertaining.

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