This is one of my stories from Suppose: Drabbles, Flash Fiction, and Short Stories.

What do you suppose you’d think about if you knew death was imminent?

—

Shawn stomped out of the dorm and tossed Troy’s 1914-D wheat penny into the pond. That’ll be the last time stupid idiot Troy steals my beer.

Sun glinted off the dirty water like shiny new pennies. Someone’s hands pushed his back. Then he was falling … falling. He thrashed his arms to keep his head out of the murky water.

The coin sat on the snout of an alligator half submerged in the sludge near the bank.

Maybe it isn’t an alligator. A crocodile, maybe?

As foul fluid rushed up Shawn’s nose, he decided he didn’t care what the beast was. A monster with fetid breath planned to devour him.

Its teeth were sharp.

Period.

Shawn’s roommate, Troy Lincoln, was the undergrad who went along with the only dorm room left on campus. He was the kind of guy who had a reputation for torturing small animals and playing practical jokes that crossed the line from practical to downright dangerous.

Troy was a weirdo.

Period.

Now that I’m about to die, you’d think my mind would focus on something besides insignificant details.

Shawn pushed himself off the slimy bottom and broke the surface. The creature’s guttural growl resounded like a roaring lion in an echo chamber.

Shawn smelled death.

His.

He gasped for air and swallowed a mouthful of brackish liquid.

This is like a slow-motion movie clip.

He realized that the pond was shallow enough for him to stand. Not that it would help. The monster was almost upon him.

Troy yelled at him. “Get out. Move.” He pelted the creature with rocks. “Hurry.”

Shawn’s pants tangled on a branch. His efforts to dislodge them were futile. The creature grabbed his leg. He gasped as his lungs demanded more air. His heart raced. The water churned red.

“Shawn. Shawn. Wake up.”

Someone was shaking his shoulders. His eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness of the dorm room. He blinked several times before feeling his legs to be sure they were still there.

Troy smirked. “A penny for your thoughts.”

Shawn bit his lower lip. “Guess I was having a nightmare. Sorry I threw your collector’s coin into the toilet this morning. I’ve been feeling guilty about it all day.”

Troy shrugged. “It’s all right.”

“Then why are you chok —”

—

You’ll find more short fiction like this in Suppose: Drabbles, Flash Fiction, and Short Stories.

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