The Lake

My parents take me to a lake house every summer. I don’t want to go.

“Why not this time?” my mother would ask.

“The water is poisonous.”

Then she’d laugh at me.

“Don’t be ridiculous, sweetheart, that’s one of the cleanest lakes around.”

“But if I fall in, I’ll die!”

“Enough, Emily.” Now mom was irritated. “We’re going and that’s final. Besides, don’t you want to see Jessie and Mike?”

Oh, great, the twins. They were the reason I really hated going to the beach house. Well, they were another reason. One of many.

“Mom, they always push me off the dock.”

“See? The lake can’t be poisonous, or you’d be dead already.”

That was the end of that discussion. It was also the last time I was planning on speaking to my mother. She didn’t believe that the lake was dangerous. I knew otherwise.

Three and a half incredibly boring hours later, we arrived at Camp Moon Lake and parked in front of our lake house. I took one look at the lake and turned toward the house, shivers wracking my spine.

“Come on honey, let’s go swimming!” Mom was calling me. I was still on my, “I’m not talking to you,” kick. I glared at her and stalked into the house. What right did she have to force me to come back here year after year? Seriously. Moms shouldn’t be able to do that. I laid down on the couch to try to take a nap.

*******

I woke up to absolute silence. Strange... this place is never silent, not even in the dead of night. There’s always kids swimming or a bonfire or some nut job trying to set off fireworks.

“Mom?” I called, forgetting my own code of silence. No answer. I got up to look out the window. The sun was nearly down, and the sky had become overcast with bluish gray clouds, reflecting on the perfectly still lake. Not a single person was in sight. No boats, no fishermen... no kids.

“Mom?” I called again, this time with some fear in my voice. This was impossible. I ran outside to look around. Maybe they were just out of sight. Nothing.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard a group of children burst into giggles behind me. I turned quickly, ready to scold them for playing tricks.

There was no one there. The giggles, however, still sounded. I started to follow the sound, but it seemed like it was coming from everywhere now. No matter what direction I walked, it never got any louder or quieter. Until I walked toward the lake.

I had been avoiding that. I couldn’t swim. That was my real fear. Almost a phobia, really. That was why I hated the twins. That was why I hated the lake. That was why I hated coming to the lake house.

As I walked closer, the giggling seemed to include more children. This wasn’t making any sense. The lake was laughing at me.

I nearly turned and ran, but a ripple in the water caught my eye. Someone must be hiding under the dock. I walked out slowly, step by step, feeling the wood creak beneath my feet, terrified it would collapse at any minute.

“Okay, Jessie, I know you’re under there.” My brave front wasn’t working. My voice shook like a leaf. So did the rest of me.

“Mike? Come out! Now!” I threw as much anger into that statement as I could muster. Not so much as a whisper back. Just giggling.

I’d had enough. I knelt on the edge of the dock and, with the edge in a death-grip, I peeked over the edge.

Nothing.

“What the hell!” I screamed, truly scared now, to the point of swearing. I’m not usually the type.

I stood up on the dock, too quickly, and it swayed beneath my feet. I was trying to keep my balance, when the water to my right moved. It swelled, like something was pushing it from beneath. I screamed and tried to turn. I wanted to run back up the dock. I wanted to run inside and hide under a blanket. Screw that, I wanted to drive back home, despite my lack of a driver’s license.

But I never made it off the dock.

*********

“Emily? Emily!”

I was being shaken awake, and the blanket was suffocating me.

“What the hell!?”

“Emily! You know better than to swear! I should wash your mouth out with soap!”

“What?”

I finally got the blanket off of my head. It was still bright and sunny outside, kids were playing, and mom was looking at me like I had a screw loose.

“Oh, sorry mom.”

“Well, at least now you’re speaking to me.”

I watched her stalk off. I must have been screaming in my sleep, because behind her anger, I had seen worry.

Stupid lake.




(816 Words)