Waves lapped quietly against the weathered floating dock. Brian lay on his side and tugged at a tangle of fishing line caught between the splintered slats. Quinton pressed his eye to the crack, cupping his hands around his face to block out the bright sun so he could see better into the green water below. He called out objects he saw floating underneath.

"More rotten styrofoam...I think it's part of the dock disintegrating...oh, there's a feather."

 A moderate breeze raised goosebumps on their wet skin. Like seals they lay on their bellies despite the nail heads sticking out of the worn wood, to warm their bodies in the late summer sun. They were alone, the cool water having deterred the other sunbathers that dotted the shore from swimming.

The dock occasionally bobbed more vigorously as speedboats passed. Brian and Quinton had taken one last hurrah off the diving board, but didn't feel motivated to plunge into the chilly lake again. They were bored, yet swimming back meant there was nothing left to do, but go back to school in two days.

"Hey, there's something attached to the end of this line," said Brian. "Something heavy." He began spooling up foot after foot of fishing line, wrapping it around his hand. 

Quinton perked up. "Maybe you caught a big fish!" he said.

"Or a treasure chest," said Brian. 

Quinton stood and began helping Brian reel it in. They were too old to believe in pirates but the excitement had long ago drained out of summer and they still retained a few shreds of childhood imagination. 

"What will you do with your half?" asked Brian.

"Get a new iPhone," said Quinton.

"I think it will be a bit more than that," said Brian, "I'm thinking a Maserati." 

"But you can't even drive yet," scoffed Quinton.

Brian reconsidered. "Gold would have broken the line. It must be something that has some buoyancy." 

"Maybe it's a dead body," suggested Quinton. The boys fell silent pondering this possibility. They stopped pulling in the line so quickly. Quinton lay back down and pressed his face the crack between the boards again. "If it is a dead body, we are going to have to notify the authorities."

"You can stay here with it and I'll go get someone," said Brian. "If it is a dead body." 

They sat in silence another minute. Brian half-heartedly wound the string.

"A dead body would be too heavy," said Brian finally.

"Then maybe it's just a severed head," suggested Quinton. There was another pause in conversation while they contemplated this option. 

"I see something!" shouted Quinton. He pushed his face harder against the dock. "Ah, it has an eye!" he screamed.

Brian dropped to the dock to look but as he did so he dropped the line and the object slowly floated back out of view. He heard a splash and looked over his shoulder to see Quinton swimming frantically to shore. Panic rose and he raced after his friend and dove in after him. Waves lapped quietly against the weathered floating dock.