The Lake

There used to never be a lake in is part of the woods, I remember when I was younger, my father and I would hike through this part of the dense woods to go get ice cream at Lenny’s Ice Emporium. But after twenty long years the trees somehow died in this area, and torrential rain pounded this area causing it to flood and make stream that fed into it, creating Rainy Day Lake. The college kids were known to hang out around the lake during the summer, and the high school kids hung out there in the winter and fall. The flooding caused by the rain forced us to uproot from our nice forest front secluded home and move to the local suburban area, but I made my mother continue to homeschool me, I didn't want to be ‘that girl’. I went to college when I was nineteen, majoring in environmental affairs and minoring in geology, I graduated with a 3.5 gpa and got a job with our local environmentalist team, that looked over the public parks and nature preserves.

I rent my childhood home in the summers I stay there with my younger cousin Taylor. But she has work until four every evening at the local public library. She doesn't mind the 30 minute drive unlike me, I absolutely loath it. I enjoy the scent of openness and fresh air, I hate being cramped in a car for extended periods of time. But there are no main roads around here other than the other side of the forest so I don't have to listen to the traffic I had to deal with in the suburbs. Taylor is only twenty two, but has the IQ of her college professors, and she knows she is brilliant too, she uses it against me. The lake is usually abandon this early in the day, so I take this time to get in my workout for the day, a quick hike through the woods, then a nice dip in the lake then I jog back to my house and get some research done, or clean the house.

This morning something seemed off: the birds were not chirping like every other morning, the forest was quiet, like all the animals vanished, I didn't see one rabbit or squirrel when I woke up, and they are usually all over my yard. While getting my workout apparel on, the air felt stiff and undisturbed, it felt like there was an unwanted presence in the air. Taylor would usually come on my run with me, but this morning she was too tired to get up, she had a late night, and I knew if I forced her to get up she would resent me and complain the whole time. I leave a note saying I was going for a run and took off, completely unprepared for what was to come.

The trail was covered in branches, we must have had a windstorm last night that I slept through, I bobbed and weaved through the fallen branches, avoiding the big ones and trampling over the small delicate ones. I arrive about ten minutes later, and move over to the small manmade sand bar on the far southeast side of the lake, there I take off the running shorts and tank top, stripping off my socks and worn down tennis shoes and dip a toe into the clear yet murky water, cold but refreshing. I throw my mid length hair into a even higher ponytail, then wrap it into a bun, securing it on the top of my head. I adjust my old faded pink bikini top and bottoms and remove my glasses, going almost legally blind and slip into the water. I float in the calm water for a few moments, my feet scraping the muddy lake floor, the lake is about four feet but drops of in some places, the deepest it goes is twelve feet. The water feels still around me, then it starts to ripple as if something got in, I go still as the wind and then alert, jerking my head up I look around me and into the water, feeling as if I am being watched. I spin behind me and squint my eyes, as if that will help me see, I see a large object float towards me, I slam my feet into the mud and began to backpedal, completely unaware that the mud dropped off three feet away.

My feet slip out from underneath me, I go under, water floods into my mouth and nose filling me with stale lake water. I feel something slip around my waist and yank me free of the mud, I begin to kick my savior, not trying to hurt them, but to free myself. I break through the waters icy surface, kicking away from the thing that caused me to scare myself and the thing that saved my life. I choke out what feels like gallons of water, rubbing my eyes trying to free them of water and see if I am able to make out the thing that saved me.

I see what appears to be a guy about twelve feet away from me, resting on the edge of the sandbar, possible watching me.

“Who are you?” I shout into the still air between us. I have never seen anyone here this early before, so why are they here.

“The names Tanner, and you're welcome for saving you,” he shouts back at me, with a playful voice almost teasingly. I move closer to this mysterious character, intrigued by their voice, pulled in by the deepness within it, almost like one step and that voice could whisk me away.

“Why are you here, what do you want?” I practically shout at the good Samaritan, I feel my feet hit the mud, I assume I am at least seven feet away from him now. “Will you hand me my glasses right there?” I hold out my hand and I feel the water begin to ripple around me, I feel the water splash as he gets back in.
“Here you go, and to answer your question, I was just enjoying the idea of taking a nice swim, is that illegal?” He forces my hand open and gives me my glasses, his voice is serious but playful at the same time.

“No I guess not,” I tell him in a shameful voice, feeling rude and embarrassed. I slip on my glasses and look at my hero, stunned at the sight of him. A tan skinny guy stands in front of me, lean muscles with a long skinny torso, shoulder length brown hair and high bone structure, freckles cover his nose and cheeks, he reminds me of a Dominican Jesus.

“I should go, I have to take my friend to her new apartment, I am helping her move,” he tells me with a proud grin on his face. “May I know your name?” He asks me, sticking out his hand waiting for me to shake it.

“Holly,” I respond with a cheesy grin on my face, he moves and gets out of the water, picking up a towel that looks similar to the one at my house, and quickly dries himself off, the sun glimmering off of his damp torso.
“Nice to save you Holly, I hope you have a good day, maybe I will see you again,” he responds quickly with an equally cheesy grin, he slips on his shoes and walks into the forest. I float in the water for a little while, I hear the slamming of a car door, and a blood curdling scream. I jerk up, and swim to the sandbar, I bolt out of the water, grabbing my bag with my clothes in it and shove my feet into my shoes. I run on the trail back to my house, stumbling over the branches, I look behind me and slam onto the ground, a huge branch lays underneath me, I have cuts up my legs and stomach. I scramble to my feet and run the rest of the way home, ignoring the shooting pain in my stomach, I almost trip over my foot, as I exit the forest. I see my house, I lengthen my stride, and lunge up the stairs, I fling the front door open and sprint back to Taylors room, I crumple to my knees. Taylor is gone.