Ducks of a Pond Quack Along

The picturesque pond was indeed a sight to behold. The lush green grass, the blue waters and the light mist in the skies made it the perfect leisure spot. Herein lied the home of a bufflehead duck called Drake. Drake was energetic but quiet. He would waddle through the lake with all his speed enjoying the waters and eating to his hearts content. The light mist was indicating the end of the spring season. The air had also become mildly chilly, it was time for the ducks to migrate. Perched on top of a stone, Drake would glare at the lake for hours trying to capture all the beauty. Drake knew it was going to be a long winter alone as he knew how to swim but could not fly.

"Drake we will miss you, but we will be back to tell you all the stories of our adventure." Stella said.

"We are ducks , we cant carry. Otherwise we would have somehow taken you along." Blub said with a slight hesitation.

"See you Drake!" Blub shouted.

"Bye Drake" Stella wished him goodbye.

Blub and Stella were the only friends Drake had. Drake knew a lot of ducks but only few of them came back to the same lake. Blub and Stella would always come back ,or at least that is what Drake hoped.

"Bye , I will wait for you guys" Drake shouted while swimming after them. He watched them take the flight northwards.

As he stopped he stared back at the waters and headed back to the shore. He had to build a home that would last the whole winter. Drake wasn't scared but the idea of being alone amidst all the predators of winters was concerning.

With a wink of determination and a smile of courage Drake started to gather food. He knew that the harsh winter would make it more difficult to catch fish. The snow came down and mode the once colorful ground look bleak and lifeless. Everyday Drake would head to the waters to eat weed and catch fish , he would be content with whatever he got. Days passed by in the same manner and everyday Drake would look up to the sun as if praying to get spring back.

One day he heard a terrible sound of a loud bang , the kind of sound that once wounded him terribly. Drake knew that this was not good news and decided to hide in his bush. He could see a wounded rabbit not too far away. Ducks would not talk to other animals unless required , so conjuring some courage it went up to the rabbit.

"You have to run.The Humans have arrived. They are here to hunt." the rabbit said.

Drake could hear rumblings near the bush so he ran towards his home. He perched silently thinking about the new situation in hand. He saw one huge thing pick up the rabbit, perhaps that is what the rabbit referred to as humans. The situation presented him of two options one was to run towards the other side of the pond and the other to help the ducks who would be arriving in some time. He knew that if the ducks came they would get hurt just like him. He had to make the pond disappear. But how would he do that was the big question? Somehow he had to make the ducks think that there is no lake here. By doing that he would protect the ducks but end up being alone, probably forever.

Drake picked up the first twig and started covering the pond with it, nature also helped him by conjuring winds that would bring twigs and leaves into the pond. He knew that every inch of the pond would have to be covered. So toiling through day and night Drake made sure that the once beautiful pond was visible no more.

Spring was here ,he could see that his plan had worked.The ducks were flying further south, not coming down to the pond below. The humans choose to hunt further away, as he could not hear their voices now.

Drake would stand on top of the same stone looking at the pond. It was not the same as before. His patience and resolution was breaking. The lights and sounds of his world dimmed as every second of his life had become an infinite wait. Thats when he heard a voice , the quack he wanted to hear the most. It was Stella and Blub.

"Hey Drake how are you?" Stella said

Drake bumped into both of them as if trying to hug.

"Wow what happened to the Pond?" Blub said.

"Its a long story and its my adventure. But how did you guys return here? Was the lake visible?" Drake said in a questioning tone.

"No it was not. We never returned to the lake , we always returned to a friend called Drake. The friendship we have does not change with the seasons." Blub said.

"And this time while we were away we made friends who would help you to fly" Stella said.

Drake was quiet , it was this sort of feeling that made his wings flutter. So even without the once beautiful pond, three ducks of the pond quack along.