Under The Lake

Faces

"What the fuck is that?" I ask myself as I stare into the muddy water. I swore I just...I couldn't have just seen a face in the water. Nicole's face. I look back again, same spot. I see nothing. I take a deep breath and sit on the dock, trying not to look in the water but I see it again, I see her.

"Nicole! Nicole!? It's Ben! Baby come back to me!" I yell into the water, but the face is gone.

"You're hallucinating" I heard from behind me, I turned around to see Julia.

"I thought I told you-"

"I'm not allowed to come to a lake? It's not your spot. But in the event that I also heard you talking to the water I think I should come sit with you" she sat beside me and looked at the spot of water I was yelling at.

"She drowned?" She asked, I could feel myself loosing strength.

"No, she jumped in. I don't know if it was just for fun and she planned on coming back up or if she didn't want to come back up" I swallowed my tears.

"That's rough. I'm sorry for intruding I just, you seemed lost" she patted my shoulder in comfort, her touch was soft.

"I am lost, without her. They never found her body"

We sat there for a while in silence until I decided to leave, Julia was nice. She wasn't being rude by coming to the lake, she seemed concerned. I fell asleep on my couch with three missed calls from Jason, probably a party or a new alcoholic beverage we just needed to try. I turned on the tv after a twenty minute shower.

Breaking News:

My name is Jamie Elliot and I'm here with a developing story. A little over an hour ago a body was recovered from the Missouri lake. A witness said she seen the body rise to the top of the water and she then called 911. We'll have more information on this story and an identification of the body shortly. I'm Jamie Elliot, this is St. Louis at six.

What the fuck.

I ran into the kitchen and threw up in the sink, my nerves and hopes all hitting me at once. I went outside to look for Julia but she wasn't there. I left the TV on and ran to the lake, it was swarmed with TV reporters and people watching more boats and divers searching for more than what they already have. Usually when the police find a body that's when they stop looking, but they're looking for something, someone else. Those who knew about my wife watched me as I stared at the lake with hope gleaming from my eyes. They knew just as much as I did this lake was full of mystery and the unknown, it was a long shot. The little boy in me wanted so badly to believe it was her, but the fact that the cops were looking for more worried me.

The police contacted me later that night after finding the body. Since my wife was in the water, they needed me to see if I could identify it. The ride to the police station was the longest ten minute drive of my life. For two years I wondered how far down she was, if she was even there, I seen her jump in and I jumped in after her but her body disappeared and now a body rose to the surface and I have to say if it's her or not. I walk into a white room with bright lights and multiple metal tables. I walked to the one with an evident body on it covered in a sheet. The detective removed the sheet and revealed a woman with dark hair and demolished skin. There were bite marks and scratches on her that looked fresh, but her body had to be in the lake for months.

"This isn't her" my voice shook. "What are those marks from? They look fresh" the detective looked at me like I was crazy.

"Thank you Mr. Crass" that was my que to leave. So many thoughts were in my mind and the image of that body was terrifying. I drove past the lake and there was still a search for something going on. I couldn't help but pull over to see what was going on, another body was pulled from the lake.