Prudence

"No, I can handle it," Samantha said, although she couldn't remember ever taking a bath before. She took a bar of soap from Prudence, her nose wrinkling at the strong lye odor. At the edge of the water, she stuck a toe in. A second later she jumped back. "It's cold!"

"If you're quick it won't be so bad."

Samantha reached for the hem of her nightgown. "You aren't going to peek, are you?"

"No, I'll wait for you over there." Prudence pointed to a cluster of boulders near the trees.

Samantha removed her nightgown and soiled underwear, leaving them in a heap at the water's edge. She took a deep breath and then dashed into the water. The frigid water stung her like a million wasps; she put a hand to her mouth to keep from crying out.

Then something cold and scaly touched her leg. She jumped back as a school of silver fish swam past. Her feet dug into the sandy bottom, but couldn't find purchase. With a cry, she tumbled into the water. The swift current took hold, carrying her downstream. She tried to swim towards the shore, but her frenzied paddling did nothing but tire her muscles out. She managed to keep her head above water long enough to scream.

Darkness presses all around her. A stench like that of a rotting corpse fills her nostrils, cutting off air to her lungs. She gags on the foul air as she tries to take in enough oxygen to scream for help. A sour taste muffles the sound that comes from her throat. No one can hear her. No one can help her.