The lake may have claimed him, but Kira will get him back!
***
They were so wrapped up in each other, their passion alive
with smacking lips and breathy moans of pleasure, that at first Kira didn’t
realize they were no longer alone on the dark lakeside beach. The lap of waves
on sand was replaced by the sound of rain dripping from a rooftop. Reluctantly, Kira pulled her lips from
Jayden’s and glanced toward the sound. She blinked in confusion and paused to
wonder if she’d fallen asleep. But the heated trail Jayden’s lips burned along
her neck was too real to be a dream.
“What the hell?” she whispered, leaning forward to get a
better look, drawing Jayden’s attention away from her.
 |
| The Lake by Abby McClean |
Water burbled and flowed upward out of the surface of the
lake like a fountain you might find in front of a fancy hotel. But instead of falling
back into the lake, it drew together into a humanoid form. The sight was so
unrealistic Kira expected it to be accompanied by a horror movie soundtrack of
roars and growls, not the pleasant patter of water droplets of a waning summer
storm. She stared with dread as the liquid man emerged from the lake, with too
long of arms and eerily elongated fingers, already reaching forward even as
they formed, curling and grabbing at the air. Oversized feet took shape at the
bottom of thick legs as the creature rolled across the sand like a tidal wave.
The ceiling of stars reflected on the creature’s domed head
and wide shoulders, as if the universe crowned him king. Kira screamed, but
fright stole the force behind her voice and only a squeak escaped from her lips.
Jayden clutched her arms and stared in shocked awe at the reformed water that
stalked toward them. Within seconds the creature was upon them. Oozing between
them. Pushing them apart until Jayden’s grip slid away as the creature forced
him backward, toward the lake.
Jayden struggled. His cries muted and gurgling under the
watery hand pressed over his lips, making it sound as though he was drowning.
His hand pushed right through the liquid body doing nothing to slow their
progress to the lake’s edge.
Kira tried to pull the creature off her boyfriend, but her
hands splashed right through the surface and came away wet and empty. She
screamed Jayden’s name frantically, repeatedly, her voice clear and shrill. Why
didn’t anyone come?
When the creature successfully reached the water’s edge lake
water sucked into the air, as if eager to reunite with a long lost friend,
swallowing most of Jayden in the process. The inky blackness swirled around his
struggling form, making it appear as though he was being erased from existence.
Blotted out entirely. Jayden’s eyes grew wide with fear and Kira’s lungs
constricted with terror.
Jayden, swathed in a liquid blanket sparked a flash of
memories, the myriad of times they’d slept under the stars. Their summertime
friendship extended back as far as she could remember. Was this some sort of
punishment for allowing their friendship to develop into something more?
Her attention snapped back to Jayden when he and his captor
floated slowly toward the center of the lake. With a yell of despair, Kira
splashed into the mild surf, only to be ejected right back out. She slammed
into the damp sand, her jaw snapping shut on impact. She spit out a mouthful of
blood and scrambled to her feet, wading into the waves, only to be tossed out a
second time. Her wrist bent unnaturally as she broke her fall, and she sucked
in a lungful of warm, humid air. When cold mist coated her throat, she realized
she was inhaling the spray of the water creature. Her stomach twisted in
disgust and she gagged.
The site of the creature and Jayden sinking into the water
made her spring to her feet. Panic welled inside her and she scanned the shore
for something—anything—that might help him. There was nothing. She mewled and
pulled at her hair as if the action would dislodge an idea that could help
Jayden. They had sunk low enough that soon he would be completely underwater.
His black eyes—wide, wide open and surrounded by white—seemed to be bathed in a
spotlight. Kira reached uselessly toward him, whimpering his name.
As soon as Jayden disappeared, she ran. Toward the dock.
Toward the little motorboat.
The warm night breeze whispered unintelligible secrets in
her ears as she raced along the waterfront. The lake lapping on the shore
sighed compelling requests, like “Let go,” and “Forget.” Even the moldering
scent on the air enticed her to investigate the nearby woods as if more than
the water conspired against her. But the memory of Jayden’s jet black eyes just
before the dark water swallowed him—their pleading expression loud enough to
drown out the croak of the largest bullfrog—kept her on task.
Kira’s lungs strained to suck in as much oxygen as the humid
air would forfeit. The dock came into sight, dimly lit by the pale porch light
of her family’s rundown summer cabin. She barely registered the burning in her
thighs as she raced toward the pier. She considered calling out for help, but
she was afraid to put anyone else in danger.
Her feet slammed on the rickety dock as she dashed toward
the boat. She leaped in carelessly, almost toppling out the other side when the
boat tipped precariously. Losing her balance, she stumbled to the front to
untie the tether from the dock. Turning toward the back, and the motor, she
tripped over a life vest. Her knee slammed into the bench seat that stretched
across the back of the boat shooting pain up her leg.
It took two yanks of the cord to start the old outboard
motor, the whine deafening on the still waters. Certainly this would wake her
father and he’d come out to investigate. But she didn’t have time to wait. She
sensed that Jayden was still alive, and she had to get to him. Unbidden, an
image of five-year-old Jayden—missing a front tooth, obsidian eyes sparking
with mischief as he sat at the end of the dock daring her to eat a worm—filled
her mind. She had to save him.
The moment she angled toward the center of the lake Kira
realized she didn’t really know where to go. Using the shore for reference, she
steered the boat to where she thought Jayden had disappeared under the water.
But the lake was dark and quiet. Her boat upset the surface as if it were the
first stirrings in hours. Eyes squinted, she peered into the inky depths, but
it was like looking for a picture when a television was turned off. She steered
in ever widening circles around the area where she thought Jayden and the
creature had disappeared, but her view never changed. Finally, she turned the
engine off and let the craft float to a stop.
A deep voice shouting her name drowned out the water lapping
against her boat. Heart pounding, she stood so fast she almost toppled over the
side. Her gaze scanned the lake’s surface, but then her attention was drawn to
the shore where her father jumped up and down.
Breath hitching and heart seizing, Kira’s gaze fell from her
frantic father to the water – as dark and fathomless as Jayden’s eyes. Her mind
almost shattered. She was going to have to return to the dock. Have to tell her
father that Jayden had disappeared. They’d call the authorities. They’d tell
his family. Soon red and blue flashing lights would reflect off the water and
the summer residents would gather on the shore in their bathrobes and whisper
to each other while divers searched the lake bottom.
Kira was terrified of what they’d find. Or what they might
not find. She couldn’t bring herself to return to shore. She collapsed heavily
onto the bench seat, her gaze never shifting from the shimmering dark water.
“Jayden,” she whispered. She stretched a hand toward the
surface, but snatched it back when a small knoll developed, as if to smack away
her reaching fingers. The creature wouldn’t even let her touch the surface,
skim a palm over the coldness. “I’ll find you Jayden. I’ll get you back.”
A shiver ran down her spine. Questions raced through her
mind. Had he already drowned? No. Her intuition revved in overdrive. He might
be underwater, but he hadn’t drowned. Yet even still alive, would Jayden be
worth saving? Would he be the same?
She didn’t want to truly acknowledge her questions. Just
like returning to the dock would force her to admit that Jayden was gone,
giving voice to her thoughts would make her fears real.
Anger and despair boiled inside her as she leaned over the
side of the boat. Her reflection stared back at her, shaking apart and reforming
with the lapping water. Then her image distorted into the featureless face of
the creature. Even without a mouth, it appeared to smirk up at her. She glared
at it and hissed, “He isn’t yours. I’ll get him back.”
The reflection shifted again and Jayden’s panic stricken
eyes stared up at her. A hand shot out of the water, splashing her face.
Instinctively she jerked away, but then with a cry, she reached forward,
rocking the boat. Their fingers brushed, but his hand was yanked under and he
disappeared from view. When the surface of the water calmed, Kira once again
stared at her own distorted image.
“I’ll get him back,” she repeated. Frustration rippled
through her when her voice cracked with fear, not wanting the creature to think
her weak. Swiping away the tears that hadn’t already fallen into the lake, she
closed her eyes, and pushed to a sitting position, sipping a few calming
breaths. Resolved to rescue Jayden, she yanked the cord to restart the engine.
Everything inside her screamed that the creature hadn’t stolen Jayden to kill
him. And she trusted her instincts.
With a straight back and her chin jutted forward, she
steered the boat toward shore.
***
I hope you enjoyed this introduction to my new (as yet
untitled) young adult fantasy. It’s my plan that the book be published in the
fall of 2016, barring interference from any trickster immortals. Join my mailinglist to receive notification of this and other projects.***
When her children were young and the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fireplace and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, “And then everybody died. The end.” Now an award winning children’s author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers and a short story blog, Lightning Quick Reads, Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults. Learn more about Kai and her books on her website, www.kaistrand.com.
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