The Outsider

This lake is part of my fondest memories. Fishing with dad, my first kiss, racing my friends across the water.  Out here I can forget the rest of the world. Now, I want her to be here with me when I escape from it all. Her accepting my proposal is the next memory I want to create here, hopefully just the first of many more she’ll share with me.

Early this afternoon, I prepared the food we’d have and set up a table close to the water.  Now, with the sun’s last rays falling on us, we arrive. The sight of the setting sun through the trees is breathtaking. Yet, even the golden strands reflected off the water pale in comparison to her golden hair.  I park in view of the table and candles.

“Casanova,” she says after spotting the arrangement.

I open her door and lead her to the table before grabbing the food and spreading it out for us. Chicken Parmesan, salad with vinaigrette, and one cupcake. What's in the cupcake is what matters. Toward the end of dinner, I feel like I see movement in the trees, but it’s becoming too dark to see. I’m drawn back in by her finally biting into the cupcake.

Doesn't take long for her to notice. “What did you put in thi…..oh my…”

She freaks and practically dives into me.  It’s so unexpected I fall sideways with her in my arms. Then, she attacks me with kisses.

“I love you so much!” Kiss. “I never even knew!” Kiss. “I almost broke my freakin tooth asshole!” Kiss, kiss, kiss.

I laugh during her barrage with my arms wrapped around her. That’s when I heard the footsteps and a voice a little ways from us.

“Looks like you’re having a good time, boy.” 

Kym rolls off of me and I sit up. Three guys stand about ten feet from us, all in torn denim and t-shirts.  The one who spoke has on a crimson and white cap. My eyes stop on the hunting rifles.

“Now what would your parents think of you mixing up with his kind?” He asks with the strangest sincerity. 

“Fuck off.” Good ole Kym.

I climb to my feet and help her up. Then the three men start walking toward me. 

“Got nothing to say, ni..”

I punch cap-man square in the mouth, ending his statement for him. Dumb move. The guy on the right tags me in the ribs, bringing me to my knees. Out of nowhere, Kym punches the guy on the left and he shoves her back into me. He then pointed his gun at her, but cap-man snatches it from him.

“Calm down.” He wipes a bit of blood from his mouth. “Heh. We’ll have some fun fir…”

He’s cut off by something huge hitting the water. Hard. A mist starts to rain down on us and I try to take advantage of the distraction. As soon as I reach for Kym, though, the other guy aims at me.

“Don’t move boy.”

I put my hands up and try to make out what hit the water, but it’s too dark. We all stand in silence for a few seconds, then a sound rings out. It reminds me of a door opening in Star Trek. A dim light shines from what’s in the water and something climbs out. Its skin looks oil-like. Its arms don’t have hands at the end, more like tentacles.

The guy that has his gun trained on me does a double-take when he spots whatever it is on the water. “What the fuck is that?”

Cap-man raises his rifle to aim at it, but the ship’s light goes dark right before he pulls the trigger. Doesn’t sound like he hits anything, but then I notice splashing on the water’s surface, with each splash coming closer together. And getting louder.  Whatever the thing is, it was running toward us.

“Run!” I yell.

Right then, it runs past the table, grabs cap-man’s friends, and flings them toward the lake. Then it just stands there. None of us make a move.

“Ron…..what is it?” Kym says.

Then, as if reacting to her voice, it dashes toward her. I barely move my arms before she’s snatched out of my vision, me and the cap-man left in a sphere of darkness while her screams get further away. I suppress a scream of my own as something dawns on me.

 I look at cap-man and terror is in his eyes. His eyes flicker from me to the direction she was taken in. Back and forth. Then he brings his hands to his mouth, signifying he’s come to the same conclusion I have; It only reacts to what it hears. He stares into my eyes. Then he hands me one of his guns. I guess we’re in this together.

~End~

Originally published October 11, 2011