The Lake (Short Story)

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jeremy's eyes went wide as he heard the splash. He looked at Echo and both raced to the edge of the water. She stopped Jeremy from stepping in.

"Remember what mom said!" Echo hissed.

"But the ball-" Jeremy protested.

"We'll have to wait." Echo shook her head as she said. "We're not going in there."

"Oh now you're really being the baby! That's dad's special football, the one signed!" Jeremy said manically.

"Oh god! Jeremy I told you the one in the basement!" Echo said furiously. Jeremy's eyes watered.

"I'm sorry Echo, I didn't mean to" he started tearing up.

"Just . . ." Echo sighed "I'll get it" she said reluctantly.

"Are you sure?" he asked uncertainly. His eyes glazed.

"Yeah, just stay right there, and don't move." She ordered. "Hold my phone" she handed him her phone and rolled up her pants.

"Ok" she said to herself. She stepped into the Lake, and took deep breaths, trying not to scream. She was surprised at the softness of the sand and how warm and inviting the water was. But she quickly shook herself out of the deadly day dream.

She could see that the football was about five feet away from her, and she really wished she had telekinesis right now.

"I see it Echo!" Jeremy encouraged.

"Me too" Echo nodded when she saw him point to her left.

All of a sudden she dropped, and for a few seconds she slipped underwater. There was a drop of about five feet, and she pushed herself to the surface of the water and breathed in the air.

That was too close.

She suddenly felt something caressing her body, pulling.

"Echo?" Jeremy called out warily.

Something was holding onto her. Oh no! A hand or a claw grabbed Echo's foot and she screamed, trying to break free of the grip but somehow it was tightening. She screamed, and then all too soon she was back underwater.

This time, instead of seeing blue water, she saw black. She desperately tried to reach the top and was able to suck in a huge breath of air before going underwater again.

She felt for her leg. The water was so black she couldn't even see what was holding her. Or where her leg was! She found her leg and her fingers crawled downward. She found the sole reason of her dragging.

Oh my god!

This wasn't a weed. Or a claw. It was a hand! Quickly Echo dismembered the hand from her ankle, but before she could swim away she saw what had dragged her down.

It was the young girl that had vanished in the Lake, and her sister beside her.

That was all she saw before she gave in to the watery darkness.