It all started with a dim-witted dare. Five high school kids went through a metal fence that bears multiple signs that says, "No Entry," and "Keep Out." Behind it is a rocky ledge with thick bushes growing all around. It's already sunset so they don't have to worry about getting caught. Nobody really guards the fence after dark.
They reach the edge of the little thicket. All five of them look down in awe. Separating them from the serene pool below is the thirty-foot solid-rock cliff. The sky is already tinted with orange and red, making the cerulean water look blood-splattered.
"Wow. That's high," says the girl in yellow bikini. Her hands are perched on her hips.
"That's the point, Lizzie," the ringleader, a muscular blond boy, says. He cockily stands on the very edge of the rock. "Where's the fun in this if it's not high?"
"I don't know, man. This looks dangerous," another boy says. He's acting casual but everyone knows how squeamish he is when it comes to heights.
The girl laughs. "Chickening out, Evan?" she teasingly asks.
"Well, if you feel like plummeting three floors down, be my guest," he snaps at her.
"Well, it is dangerous," the second girl butts in. She doesn't want to jump but she doesn't want to admit it, either. Perhaps, she can change their minds by a little persuasion. "That's why they call it The Devil's Pool. A stunt like this can kill. Factors like the free fall, the impact, the density of water and—"
"Nerdy Penny strikes again," Lizzie cuts in while feigning a yawn. Everyone else laughs.
"I'm just saying," Penny says in a low voice.
"It's just a fucking swimming hole. Everyone in this shitty town swims here. What's the big deal?" another boy says. He's a curser but nobody minds because he's been cursing for forever.
"Yeah, but they don't jump off from a cliff just to get a breast stroke," Evan says.
"Wanna give Penny a breast stroke, wussy?"
"Screw you, Tay." Evan shakes his head and throws an apologetic look towards Penny. She just purses her lips in return. There's no point telling them off. These guys are hellions. They will jump no matter what because Steve, their instigator, said so.
Five young people. Three boys. Two girls. One swimming hole. One daredevil stunt.
The Massachusetts Tribune, May 29, 2014
Five Massacred in Amoskeag Lake House
ESSEX – Four teenagers were found brutally slain in a log cabin near Amoskeag Lake last night. The fifth and possible suspect is still missing. The dead were identified as: Lizzie Hudson, 16; Evan Lewis, 16; Taylor Quinn, 17; and Steve Wiggins, 17. All of them were found tied on the bed posts bearing similar stab wounds on the neck and shoulder.
The authorities are still searching for the 16-year old Penny McClain. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is currently handling the case.
Penny stares at the paper, letting the letters blur before her eyes. Now, she's a fugitive. What a turnout. If she had known this would happen, she would've never joined that slumber party. She would have never jumped into the Devil's Pool. She would've never flirted with death.
In retrospect, it all started with flirting. They were all from the same class, juniors, they were. Next school year, they'll be seniors. Celebrating summer their last summer as high schoolers, Steve and his posse decided to spend a night at Amoskeag Lake. Evan invited Penny. She was not really a part of their group but no one can blame her for wanting to get in with the cool kids' circle.
It was fun at first. Well, not as fun as one could've expected but at least she was somewhere else aside from her room. Technically, it was Penny and Evan's first date. It could've been perfect if not for the razzes and below-the-belt jokes they threw at each other. Penny tried to bear with it for Evan's sake, though she promised herself to never hang out with the others ever again.
Evan was the nice guy. Lizzie was the banter queen. Steve was the head honcho. Taylor was the trouble maker. And Penny was the penumbra.
It was fine with her. She used to be invisible. Because of Evan, she casted a little shadow. She must've liked him that much for her to come out of her shell and try to fit in. Now, she wishes she stayed in her little confinement instead. Her little shadow has already grown into a gruesome nightmare. At this very moment, everybody thinks she's a criminal. She's a murderer who's capable of killing five people without flinching.
Only it wasn't her. It was somebody else. It was something else.
There was a reason why a fence was built around the cliff. There was a reason why nobody is allowed to jump off it. There was a reason why it was called The Devil's Pool.
Penny's feet walk at regular intervals through the rocky terrain. She doesn't want to. But her body wasn't hers to control anymore. She reaches the metal fence where they went through yesterday. Through the dark, her hands find the interlocking wires. Her fingers grasp the holes until they find the opening that Steve cut yesterday afternoon. She goes through it and pushes her way in the copse until she reaches the edge of the cliff.
A strong gush of chilly wind whips her hair and clothes. Below her, the water gleams in navy and black, appearing to be more sinister and terrifying than ever. Yesterday, it looks bloody. Now, it looks plain evil.
Her head turns to the left. She doesn't want to see it but her eyes find their way for her to see the lake house. Police cars are all around it. There are yellow tapes around the vicinity. Don't those cops know she didn't run away? Can't they tell she's just here at the cliff, watching their car's frenzied lights, hiding in the dark?
She remembers clearly how they screamed for their lives last night. Lizzie's shrill voice cried for mercy. Even Steve and Taylor pleaded in tears. Evan called out for her name, begging for her to come to her senses. Penny. Penny. It's me. Don't do it. Please. Don't do it. No. No. No!
She wanted to stop. She was screaming inside. She was crying for help. She was praying. But nobody can hear her. Everywhere, there is nothing but darkness and sticky splatter of blood on her hands and clothes and face and soul.
Her hand clutches the piece of newspaper where their names were printed. She smiles bitterly to herself. Tomorrow, another batch of these papers will bear their names again. And her name, Penny McClain will be the biggest selling point. A little fame in exchange of a little dim-witted dare.
Inside her head, Penny can hear a deep cackle. It's the same one she heard the first time she leaped off this cliff yesterday. It's also the same one that echoed as she stabbed the five of her friends on their necks. It's so bloodcurdling...so inhuman...so demonic. And now, it's the backdrop of her plummet into the deep pool below.
She can almost imagine what will be in tomorrow's headline.
The Massachusetts Tribune, May 30, 2014
Amoskeag Massacre Suspect Found Dead in the Devil's Pool
