🏊 The Lifeguard

Who plays who

• A — The Lifeguard: you own the whistle, you know the rules, and the rule is no swimming after hours.
• B — The Swimmer: you stayed when everyone else went home, and you keep testing the water.
• A leads Acts 1–2 with the whistle. B leads Act 3, because the swimmer decides when the rule breaks.

What you need

• A towel each, plus a spare — the deck gets wet and the towels matter
• A big glass of water each, on the poolside, drunk before anything else
• A whistle, a lanyard, or a bag with the guard kit in it
• A pool, a bathroom, or even a big bath — the water is the setting, not the depth
• A deck chair or a step to sit on, out of the water

Act 1 — 🕯️ Setup

The pool is closed and the lights are down to the safety ones. You are both still on the deck, still dressed, and A is holding the whistle that says the pool is shut. No swimming allowed — and neither of you is leaving. Towels first, water second.

Beats

• A states the rule out loud — after hours, no swimming — and B does not argue with it yet.
• Both of you drink the water before anything else happens.
• Neither of you gets in. Shoes off is as far as this act goes.

Lines to say

• "Pool's closed. No swimming. You know the rule."
• "Drink that first. Then we'll talk about the rule."
• "You're going to make me blow this whistle, aren't you."

Act 2 — 🔥 Build

Feet in the water, then ankles, then the first slow lap of the shallow end while A watches from the edge with the whistle ready. The whistle sets the pace, not the clock. Every time B goes further than allowed, A blows it and B comes back.

Beats

• A blows the whistle once per rule break, and B returns to the edge each time.
• B never goes past what A has allowed out loud, even for a moment.
• Both of you stay in the shallow end. The depth of the water is the boundary.

Lines to say

• "Back to the edge. That was too far."
• "One more step and I blow it again."
• "Ask me how far. Out loud."

Act 3 — ⚡ Escalate

The rule breaks because the swimmer decides it does. A is in the water now, whistle and all, and the pool edge is where things happen, because the water is the obstacle and the excuse both at once. There is a towel within reach the whole time.

Beats

• B is the one who breaks the rule, and B says out loud that they are doing it.
• Everything stays at waist height or on the pool edge, in the shallow end.
• Whenever it gets cold or slippery, both of you stop, and the towel is right there.

Lines to say

• "I'm breaking the rule. I just wanted you to hear me say it."
• "Edge of the pool. Now."
• "No swimming. Fine. Stand still, then."

Act 4 — 💥 Climax

The whistle is on the deck and the water has stopped being a rule at all. The whistle goes quiet and stays quiet. Towels, pool edge, shallow end — everything you built in Act 3, all the way through. Nobody else is in this building.

Beats

• The rule and the whistle are both out of the scene now — the game is just the two of you.
• Whatever was set in Act 3 — the edge, the depth, the towel within reach — is what gets used.
• Let it end when it ends, wet and unhurried, and get warm straight after.

Lines to say

• "Look at me. Not the water."
• "Stay right there. Don't move."

Act 5 — 🤍 Aftercare

You are both out of the water, wrapped up, and the deck is drying around you. Two people again, towels and water, and a whistle that needs putting away.

Beats

• Dry off properly and warm up before anything else — towels and water first.
• Come back into your own names, and check in on the cold and the footing.
• One thing each you liked, and one thing you want next time.

Lines to say

• "That was a very good night swim. Thank you for breaking the rule properly."
• "Next time I want the whistle."

Aftercare

Towels, warm water drunk slowly, and both of you dry before anything else. Say one thing you liked out loud, and tell the Lifeguard plainly that the rule was only ever a game — then put the whistle away together.

Ground rules and consent

• It is after hours, the building is closed, and nobody else is here. This is not a real public pool, and there is no real member of the public to walk in on us.
• No swimming while either of us has been drinking or is tired. Water, not depth, is the whole point of this one.
• "Goggles" clears the deck in one second, said by either of us, and we get straight out.
• Standing in the shallow end and sitting on the edge are both the real thing. No deeper than waist-height unless we both say so out loud.

If it lands well, Questions that go deeper is the natural next read.

Frequently asked