The Lake (Short Story)

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

June 22 2001

Echo gazed pass the T.V and took in her surroundings for the last time. Today she was finally getting out of the hospital. After multiple checks and research and experiments they're finally allowing her to leave.

Physically she was fine. There was no sign of any suffering mentally but to Echo she experienced the scare of her life. Being stuck down there was like a first experience to hell. A watery one.

"Echo, honey; it's time" Gen smiled, taking Echo's backpack of clothes. Echo nodded and followed her mom. Grant was signing a few papers and as soon as he was finished they left.

When they got home, Jeremy ran into her arms and cried.

"Oh Echo! I missed you so much! I thought you were going to be stuck in that hospital forever!" he groaned. She put him at arm's length and smiled at his unnecessary terror.

"Well I'm not. I'm home now. Any presents?" she joked and they laughed easily. Angel met Echo's eyes and her eyes were red, brimming with tears.

"Oh god!" Echo and Angel embraced. "I want to kill you! What in the world were you thinking!" she exploded. "Skinny dipping in the Lake,"

"Not skinny dipping, I was retrieving dad's football" Angel huffed and turned away with a grin; her eyes still watering.

Echo looked around and frowned. "Where's grandma?"

"Penelope is taking her to her flight tomorrow. She knows nothing of the incident; your dad and I decided that it would be better if she didn't know. It would destroy her." Gen said quietly.

"I agree" Echo nodded. "I'm gonna go out in the back."

Grant and Gen looked at each other. "Baby, are you sure?" Grant asked his daughter. Echo nodded.

"Yeah, I just need to be alone for a while." Echo shrugged and walked to the patio. She put a chair right in front of the Lake. She gazed at it as she did the first time they got here; like she had been; ever since they had gotten here.

It was so weird, though. How did those bodies pop up after so long of a time? It should have disintegrated. Ten years was a long time. It should have broken down.

So why had it been so preserved? Had the Lake kept it together? What killed them? Somehow it wasn't making sense! None of it! How did she have the wonderful gift of stumbling into them?

"Echo?" Echo turned to the voice that she had been waiting to hear in a long time. Was it her or did he seem cuter than before?

"Hey" Echo smiled faintly.

"I wasn't expecting to see you out here. Actually the opposite" he explained, while grabbing a chair and settling it next to her.

"Well, I just had to think." Echo offered. "Everything just seemed to be happening so fast."

"I don't know how you feel but I can try to imagine; finding those girls' bodies in that graveyard, must be too much to handle in less than a week." Seth shook his head unbelievably.

"So far, I have to admit I admire your bravery. You're not freaking out like any other girl would have." Seth smiled sadly.

"It just really doesn't make sense, and I'm trying to find reason." Echo shrugged. "Ten years is a long time to preserve a body. It should have broken down; bacteria would have eaten away the fleshy parts. That's what would happen in a normal lake!" Echo burst.

Seth looked at her "Maybe it isn't a normal lake. You're right; I've always been suspicious about this Lake. I knew those girls. They were family friends." There remained a silence of sympathy between them.

"I never got to thank you." Echo said softly. He looked up at her; his grey eyes gazing at her unwaveringly.

"I would have done the same for those two. But I wasn't there." Echo saw that Seth was battling his emotions, fighting himself inside.

"I'm glad you were there. You saved my life." his eyes were glazed and he laughed sadly.

"I'm glad I was too, I wouldn't want for you to die." Seth said solemnly. Echo observed his figure as he watched the Lake. His muscles bulged through his T-shirt. His dark hair shinned, and his grey eyes contemplated the Lake. Then suddenly his gazing eyes switched to hers; she met his gaze with hers and held her breath.

She felt a blush creeping up and was glad for the last bit of sunset.

He leaned forward and she sucked in another breath. If she didn't breathe she was going to turn purple. His forehead braced on hers and their breath's mingled. He looked back into her eyes.

Echo couldn't move, afraid to ruin the moment. Then his lips were on hers. Crushing them, and . . . well, it felt right. She couldn't think, she couldn't breathe. He seemed to steal it away from her, but it was so . . . right.

His fingers buried in her hair and he held her close. When they finally pulled back the only thing that was noisy was their breathing. The sun had set and it was twilight in the sky. His hand was latched to hers, and they stared at the Lake for the rest of the evening.