Lakeview Falls

Chapter 1

   It was a cool fall evening while I was driving from college, heading to my father's house. It was Thanksgiving break and our relatives were getting together like we always did... when my mother was alive. It has been 3 years since her death and I am still having a hard time coping. My father, Brahm, has been coping in his own way. By that, I mean not in a good way. He started drinking a year after she died. Two years after her death I went away for college to study Psychology. When I pulled up to the log cabin my dad was standing outside. My parents had bought the cabin a few years back to use as a vacation home. My father usually goes there to think. While I was getting my stuff out of the trunk of my car, my father came over and started taking my bags inside. I haven't really talked to him much since I went away to college. After we got everything inside I went to greet everyone. "Auntie Kara!" I said. "Addie is that you?" She asked. "You have grown so much since the last time I saw you! What have you been up to? She asked. "I've been at college studying Psychology." I said. "Oh, wow. That's awesome." She said. "Well, it was nice to see you again." I said hugging her. "See you at dinner." She said. After I greeted everyone I went upstairs to my room. When I got done unpacking everything I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look and it was a tape recorder. I picked it up and started listening to it, it didn't take too long for me to stop the tape and hide it under my pillow. The reason why I was so freaked out was that it was the sound of my mother screaming for help. After dinner, we said bye to everyone who came. When the last person left my father shut the door and went into the kitchen to clean up. I helped wash the dishes and sweep the floor. When we finished cleaning my father asked me if I wanted to watch a movie with him. I declined to say I was too tired from driving and greeting everyone. After I changed into my pajamas I climbed into bed and went to sleep thinking about that mysterious tape recorder.

The next day I woke up to the sound of my father singing. He was singing a song he used to sing to me when I was little, "Here Comes Peter Cottontail." He was singing it a lot slower than he used to. I started getting chills at this point. It was really creepy. After a while, he stopped. I got out of bed and changed my clothes. I went downstairs and my father was nowhere to be found. I looked in the kitchen and saw a plate of eggs and orange juice on the table. I started to eat when I heard the back door slam. My heart jumped out of my chest. I heard footsteps coming toward the kitchen. I looked to see who it was and it was my father. I guess he went to the store because he had a bag in his hand. "Hey, Addie. You like the eggs I cooked?" He asked. "Yeah, they're good." I said. "What did you buy?" I asked. "Oh, just something for outside work." He said. "Cool." I said. "Would you like to go on a hike today?" He asked. "Sure." I said heading upstairs.

It was now 4:00 pm. I went downstairs and changed into my hiking outfit. "You ready dad?" I asked. "Yeah, let's go." He said opening the front door. After we started walking for a while the air grew silent. The silence grew deeper, so deep that if you listened carefully you could hear an owl hooting. It was getting really awkward so I spoke. "Hey dad, are we going to celebrate mom's birthday?" I asked. I waited to see if he would answer my question, but he didn't. He doesn't like celebrating her birthday ever since she passed. He doesn't think it's right to celebrate a dead person's birthday. I just go along with it so we don't end up in an argument. It was dark when we made it back to the cabin. I went to bed late because I wanted to see what my dad was up to at night. I know that he sneaks out and goes somewhere or does something. I just don't know what it is. I woke up around 2:00 am when I heard a door shut. I went to my window and saw my father going to his car. He left the cabin. After an hour I saw headlights appear and it was my father returning to the cabin. He got out of the car and opened the trunk. He had a shovel in his hand and started picking up something from the trunk. I looked a little closer and I saw him pick up a trash bag with something in it. He was carrying the trash bag, body style. He closed the trunk and when he did I saw something sticking out of the bag. It was an arm. I freaked out and decided just to go back to bed. What was my father up to?