Hiding out in an abandoned shack from their abusive pasts, Allison and Ethan Bryson entertain themselves by imaging all sorts of curious characters near the frozen lake outside their hut.
But after Allison witnesses a man murder a young woman and di...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The sun shone through the clouds and peeked between the trees as we stepped out of the shack and into the whipping, freezing air. I glanced over my shoulder at Ethan as I walked toward the lake. "Follow me. I'll show you I'm not crazy."
Reluctantly, Ethan and Owen followed.
Ethan's words were barely audible over Owen's constant outspoken denial. I ignored both as I stood on the edge of the lake where the dark haired girl had collapsed. My eyes scanned the freshly fallen snow for any evidence. I half expected to see the spent, bright red blood to somehow seep through the dense patches of snow and contrast the endless white.
After finding nothing on the ground, I turned to face the frozen lake which seemed to be undisturbed. "Over there." My eyes searched for a hole, a crack, or something to prove what I had witnessed, but again there was no such evidence. "That's ..." I shook my head, confused. "That's where he put her."
With one foot over the other, Ethan slowly and carefully stepped onto the ice. He stopped where I instructed and kicked away some of the snow that blanketed the once liquid lake.
Perplexed, I shook my head. "There should be a hole or broken ice—" I wanted to throw angry eyes at Owen, but a building sense of defeat and humiliation prevented it.
Owen walked onto the ice and stood beside Ethan. "There's no hole, Allison." The questioning look he gave me made me drop my gaze.
Had I imagined the entire thing? Was Owen innocent and telling the truth the whole time? If so, what does that say about me and my mental state?
"I know what I saw. I mean, I could've sworn—"
"There's nothing here," Ethan confirmed. He and Owen stared, their gaze slowly burning a hole through me. They stood motionless and gawked as if I were a weird creature on exhibit.
I shuddered, finally allowing the cold, my fear, and their scrutiny to sink in. "But—" I walked onto the lake, and using the side of my shoe like a rake I cleared some of the snow that had collected on top. Nothing but pure ice was beneath. "I don't understand."
Ethan scratched his temple. "Maybe you became confused while telling your stories."
"Maybe you're just a lunatic." Owen tucked his hands into his pant pockets and shrugged.
I pivoted to face him. "Don't talk to me that way!" This time, I let anger show on my face as I glared.
He turned to confront me head-on. "Maybe you're going crazy from hiding out in seclusion all these years." He inched closer, looking down at me as he approached. "Maybe you have a skewed sense of reality. Maybe you should get some professional help."
"Stay back!" My roar echoed off the distant trees that lined the other side of the lake, causing Ethan to grab Owen's shoulder and spin him around.
