Sinner (Children of the Corn/Malachai)

Chapter #11: Katie's Place

Katie led me away from the open field and into a woodland area. The deeper we went through the trees, the closer we got to her supposed 'favorite place', I could tell by how big her smile was getting. She'd left the picnic basket and blanket behind in the field, saying we'd come back for them later.

Soon, we came to a small bridge running over a river. Off to the side, the ground sloped downward, weeping willow trees blocked sight of anything beyond that. Still holding my hand, Katie led me down this way. With her other hand, she pawed through the leaves of the willow trees, walking us through them. Once we were on the other side of them, she squeezed my hand tighter as we were met with a new sight in front of us.

A pond, blue and clean, with a wooden dock sticking out over it on one side. At the back was a small waterfall, giving the area a tranquil ambience. My eyes widened upon seeing it all - this isn't what I was expecting, but it was a pleasant surprise. This place was...wow.

Katie turned to me now, a hopeful smile on her face.
"What do you think?"

I glanced down at her, words finding me.
"This is...really nice."

The grin on her mouth widened.
"Glad you like it!"
She pulled me over to the dock, stopping just before its edge. Our reflections stared up at us from the water and I saw in her's that she was taking her flannel shirt off. When I looked over at her she just shrugged.
"Join me for a swim?"

I watched her as she set her flannel down on the dock, her shoes and socks following after. Next, to my shock, she pulled her white tank top over her head, revealing a black bra underneath. Now in just her shorts and bra, she turned to me with her same grin and jumped forward into the water. She went fully under for a few seconds before coming back up to the surface for air. When she did, she glanced up at me and raised both eyebrows.

"You coming?" She wondered.

I stared at her, then the water and back to her again, pondering if I should or not. But...Katie did bring me here to make me feel better, and it was her favorite place. Would it really be so bad to go for a swim with her to make her happy too?

Finally, giving in, I started taking my shirt off. From her spot in the water, Katie let out a hoot and clapped her hands a few times. I kicked off my shoes and socks and, with a sigh, dove into the water next to her. When I came back up, an even bigger smile had splayed across her mouth and she was gazing at me rather intently. I gave her a questioning glance.

"What?" I asked.

She giggled and shook her head once.
"The water. It really heightens your freckles, makes them stick out more on your face, that's all."

My face crinkled up at this, not sure how to take it.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Katie laughed again.
"It's a good thing! I like your freckles, remember?"

Now that she said it, I did. She'd said my freckles made me look...cute. I instantly rolled my eyes and adopted an annoyed expression.

"I guess that means I'm cute again, right?" I groaned, genuinely irritated.

Katie's smile formed into a smirk now. She shook her head.
"Nooo, don't you remember I changed that?"
She dove back underneath the water again. I tried to recall what she'd changed her wording to, but didn't get the chance as she resurfaced right in front of me. An innocent look was on her face.
"I said that your freckles made you look sexy instead."

My brain clicked when she said this, but that wasn't what I was focused on anymore. When Katie had come back up out of the water, she'd done so very close to me. I didn't know whether to back away or not, but still stayed put as she took another step closer to me. She looked like she wanted to say something else, but I beat her to it. Because now, my eyes fell back on her neck, noticing that something was missing.