Lakeside Death

Fog drifted over the surface of the gently lapping waves while the golden globe of the sun set along the dusky horizon. Kiara looked out the window of her lake house, past a craggy boulder on the near shore of the lake to the malevolent looking clouds floating above the dark mountainous figure behind the water. She shuddered and pulled her sweater about her shoulders more tightly.

"I'm glad we're not going to be out in that storm," Kiara remarked to Rochester, her devoted golden retriever, as she ran her fingers through her long blonde tresses. He merely set his melancholy amber eyes upon her in reply. "It sure makes for a lovely sunset, though, doesn't it, Rochester?" Kiara took her gaze off the dog and returned it to the window, once again. "Hmm," she murmured. "What's that?" She squinted to try and make out the shape moving across the water. "I think it's a boat, boy; someone's rowing past that little rock on the far side of the lake. I wonder what they could be doing on that part of the lake at this hour?" she mused aloud, her jade eyes sparkling with curiosity like the light playing across the face of the water all around the sun's tawny reflection.