Lover's Lake | Eddie Munson

21

The church was slowly filing up as Ann and her mother entered the place. Families she knew and others she didn't were sat on benches, and as her mother stopped to talk to someone in the aisle, Ann took a good look around.

"Ann Hopkins." Someone said from behind her, and her blood ran cold.

"Jason Carver." The girl replied slowly, trying not to shake. "I see you found your car. I heard that you lost it?" she said, putting on a façade full of confidence.

The boy clenched his jaw and took a deep breath, clearly trying to stay calm. From beside him, the rest of his basketball team was sat, and they all looked pissed at Ann.

"It got stolen, actually, thought you knew." Jason seethed, talking in a hushed tone. "Enough of this fucking shit, bimbette: tell your boyfriend to turn up, or he'll regret it."

"Such unholy language in a sacred building, Jason. I hope your parents raised you better than that." Ann quipped, trying not to think about what Jason had just said. She had been hoping he'd forgotten about trying to find Eddie, but apparently not.

"Everyone, please be seated!" yelled a church member in the microphone "The memorial for Miss Cunningham will start momentarily."

Eyeing each other, Jason shoved past Ann, sliding into his seat. Grabbing her mother's arm and walking forward, Ann took a deep breath as she gathered herself, sliding into her own seat.

"Hello everyone, thank you all for coming here." Said Chrissy's mother shakily "Chrissy was a happy girl, smart and sweet. She loved to love and people who knew her can attest to it."

The room was silent, but you could hear people sniffling and crying, but the woman continued with her speech.

"The devil is here," Mrs. Cunningham started off after the pause she had just taken to gather herself. "I can feel his presence, growing, stronger each day. But I know Chrissy's in heaven now, looking down at us smiling, happy to see all the lives she touched and brightened." The mother said, holding onto her papers and looking at the crowd. "But I also know she's frustrated. Angry that the monster that did this to her is still out there. Still, hurting others. How can he live when my Chrissy is gone?"

Ann did her best to listen to what the woman was saying, but she could feel Jason staring holes into the back of her head. She knew his glare was focused onto her without even having to look backwards.

"Mom, I need to go to the bathroom. This is too much for me." She said, leaning into her mother. "I need to take a breather."

Without even looking at the woman, Ann got up silently and walked down the way they'd come from a while ago, as Chrissy's mom spoke to the crowd in the background.

As soon as the heavy wooden doors closed behind her, Ann booked it to the parking lot, tugging off her black kitten heels as she ran to the burgundy car. She all but stumbled into Steve's backseat and grabbed the bag she had packed earlier.

"I hate this stupid dress, ugh" Ann said to no one, fiddling the zipper. "I hope no one's looking at me. Anyway, enjoy the show if you are."

She slipped the navy crewneck on and struggled to put on the pants in the backseat of Steve's car.

"I packed the stupid converses. As if I didn't struggle enough with the pants." She murmured, untangling the laces.

Climbing into the driver's seat once she had finally managed to put the shoes on, Ann sighed, resting her head against the steering wheel.

"Am I really doing all this for a guy? Putting up with monsters and supernatural stuff for Eddie?" she wondered out loud. "I must be going crazy."

"Crazy for Eddie" went unsaid as Ann turned on the vehicle and made her way towards the wheeler's place. By the time she made her way there, the sun was about to set and she swore when she didn't see Nancy's car in their driveway, but still ran to the door and knocked a couple of times.

"Oh! It's you Ann! You came back for that letter Nancy left you, right? She told me you'd try and come back today for it." Said Karen as soon as she opened the door and saw Ann "Let me go get it for you!"

Karen came back a couple of seconds later and Ann took the envelope from Nancy's mother. Opening it as she walked back to the car.

"We're at the creel house. If we left before you see this, I'll leave another note with where we will have gone." Ann read slowly, one hand opening the door. "What is this, a treasure hunt? If I find enough of these it leads me to the creepy veiny monster?"

"Eddie Munson, you better be safe when I find you, you idiot." She said, putting the car in reverse and making her way to the creepy old house.

"This is one hell of an adventure." She said, looking at the radio "can this turn on? Is this the on button"

She pressed a couple of buttons, and the radio came to life.

"Oh, nice! So, it does work." She laughed, turning the volume up "wait- is that Cindy Lauper?" Ann asked the empty seat next to her, as if someone would reply

"That cannot be his tape, I can't believe he's the kind of guy to listen to girls just want to have fun." 

"*Author's note"*

not edited!! im trying to get most of this part out because i think it's causing me a bit of writing block, but i'm trying to power though it! sorry if this is worse than the rest but stay tuned! good stuff is coming!