The Choice

Bubbles tickle my nose and cheeks

I drift downward

into the gray soupy water

something plops into the water

Evie!

the ice cracks

a vortex of water

spins her

maybe the two of us can fight

this ghost-monster-horsefly together

blink the blur away

it’s not Evie

not the life preserver

it’s blue

Evie threw in Mr. Crunch.