John Persons Pool Party [hot] May 2026

By three, the guests arrived.

He took off his shoes. He took off his watch. He stepped into the water.

The stars turned slowly overhead.

That drowning and swimming are the same motion, repeated. That the only difference is whether you believe you’ll reach the other side.

He took a breath.

“Are you coming inside?” she asked.

John said nothing. He was thinking about the letter that had arrived that morning, the one from the bank. The one with the word FORECLOSURE printed in red ink, as if the bank thought he might miss it. He had hidden the letter in the garage, inside a box of Christmas decorations that no one had opened since 2019. john persons pool party

“I know,” she said. “That’s what scares me. Because you’re already drowning. You just haven’t noticed because the water’s warm.”