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...
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The next couple of days were different. Mid November had always been one of the coldest months, but this year topped every other.
Ethan and Owen spent a lot of their time talking about "guy stuff," easily leaving me out of conversations and unintentionally making me feel like a third wheel. Obviously, they had more things in common, so I tried my best to let it go and not allow my jealousies to get in the way of finally having true company. But the gap between us seemed to widen when they ventured outside to entertain themselves with snowballs fights.
I stood inside the cozy shack at the window and watched as they ran, hid and laughed like elementary kids at the playground. Ethan's softball sized snowball hit Owen smack in the face and they both hunched over in laughter. I chuckled when Ethan collapsed in the snow from sheer bliss, a smile on his face so wide the sun reflected from it.
Deciding to no longer be the third wheel and get involved, I put on my warmest clothes and stepped outside to collect some snow. Just as I was about to stand, a ball of snow hit my shoulder.
"Owen!" I yelled, finding it pointless to suppress my laugh. "Oh, you're gonna get it now." I rushed after him, aiming my misshaped snowball at him. When I threw it, he laughed and shielded himself behind a tree.
The same tree where the dark-haired girl had lay in a pool of her own blood.
"Come on." Owen smacked the tree playfully. "You gonna throw it or what?"
I was no longer in the mood to act like an oblivious, innocent child. I glanced over my shoulder at Ethan who was making his way back to the shack. Owen noticed too, because he ran to catch up with him.
Alone, out in the freezing cold with a snowball melting in my hand, a sense of gloom filled the atmosphere. Curiosity urged me to examine the tree closer. Near the bottom of the trunk, a rusty colored crust coated the bark. Shivers went down my spine.
Was that evidence of blood or am I trying to fulfill my suspicions?
I pivoted and stared at the glistening ice of the frozen lake, my eyes fixed on the spot I'd remembered the girl disappearing into. I saw it clearly, Owen standing on the ice, allowing gravity to suck the girl into her chilly resting place.
Before I knew it, my feet took me over the very spot, looking down at the snow-covered ice. Slush crunched beneath my feet and I paused as I imagined a stiff female hand breaking through the ice as a final attempt to save herself.
But there were too many pieces that didn't fit the puzzle. For instance, when first inspecting the ice with Ethan, there had been no hole and no sign of one either.
And I couldn't forget; It didn't take much effort to make things up for my own entertainment.
The rusty crust on the tree had to be nothing more than tree sap that had frozen and hardened on the bark. Although he had his moments, Owen was much too charismatic and fun to be a murderer. I had to stop letting my imagination get the best of me.
