A Dredged Trap

An old wire minnow trap lay half-buried under wet lakeside silt. I stopped at the gravel edge, exhaling a slow, heavy breath through my mask. Tilting my head sideways, I studied the tangled mesh and the clump of black river mud choking its funnel. I stepped into the shallow wash, feeling the cold stones grind beneath my boots. Reaching down with my left hand, I gripped the wire frame while sliding one steel claw under the rusted rim. With steady, unhurried force, I lifted the cage from the muck. Water drained out in thick ribbons, leaving it resting empty and upright on the clean gravel.