**“An Ordinary Stroll”**

The sun was just beginning to set, casting a soft orange glow across the lake, when Bob decided to go for a walk. A walk on the water, naturally. It was Tuesday, after all, and Tuesdays were always good for a bit of fresh air.

He slipped on his old sneakers—nothing fancy, just a pair he’d had for years—and stepped off the dock. His feet made small ripples on the surface as he started to walk, the water barely noticing his presence. The ducks didn’t seem to care either, quacking disinterestedly as they floated past. A couple of fish swam beneath him, utterly unfazed.

Then, as if on cue, the first bolt of lightning hit the water with a blinding flash. Bob paused, looked up at the sky, and sighed. “Of course,” he muttered to himself. “Can’t even get a peaceful walk in these days.”

The lightning crackled and danced across the lake, the strikes landing mere feet away from him. Each bolt lit up the sky with an impressive display of nature’s fury. But Bob, as one does, simply shrugged and kept moving. After all, what was a little lightning when you were already walking on water?

As he ambled along, he couldn’t help but think about the chores he had waiting for him at home. The lawn needed mowing, the gutters needed cleaning, and the garage… well, the less said about that, the better. Another bolt hit the water a few inches from his left shoe, sending sparks up into the air.

“Well, that’s going to make the papers,” Bob thought, glancing at the blackened scorch mark the lightning left behind. But he didn’t break his stride. He had places to be—though, admittedly, none too urgent.

A few minutes later, as the lightning show intensified and the sky darkened ominously, Bob passed a fisherman sitting in his boat, staring slack-jawed. The man dropped his pole into the lake, his eyes wide in disbelief. Bob gave him a polite nod.

“Evening,” he said.

The fisherman blinked and slowly raised a hand in return. Bob didn’t blame him. People often had this reaction to a guy going for a casual stroll across a lake in the middle of a thunderstorm. But really, it wasn’t much different from taking a walk in the park, if you thought about it.

Another lightning bolt crashed into the water. Bob paused again, feeling the heat of the strike brush against his arm. “That was a close one,” he mumbled, wiping his brow. “Better pick up the pace.”

And so, with the lightning striking down in chaotic arcs around him, Bob continued his walk, stepping lightly across the lake as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world. He made a mental note to pick up some milk on the way home. Maybe eggs too.