One
Water rushed by at knee level, spurring Gray to work faster to board up the windows of the old stone church. He’d already sealed the large double doors at the front. Around him, fellow residents threw their belongings into vehicles, set livestock free to take their chances, and packed their families out of the drowning town of Sweetwater. But for Gray, nothing mattered more than putting protections in place.
It was essential the being trapped inside this church not get out. Wooden boards wouldn't last forever, but it was the most he could do in the time he had. Later, he’d find a way to block it up more thoroughly, to ensure the evil within couldn't harm anyone else. He had one more window to cover, then he could recite the blessing and flee with his neighbours.
The water had risen to his waist by the time he’d nailed the final board into the crumbling mortar. The cold ate through his flesh to infiltrate his bones. October was no time to go wading. A child's doll, its haloed hair full of leaves, bumped his leg before drifting away. Branches, golden leaves, and other detritus moved with the current. The dark gray water reflected the ashen sky above. He couldn't see his own feet, nor could he tell what touched him at times.
From inside the building came a cacophony of sound. Pounding, crashing, screeching. She – it – had awakened, and now fought her bonds. He couldn't be sure they'd hold.
The wood directly in front of him splintered outward, a sharp, dark piece of metal jutting through, stopping mere inches from his head. He stumbled in the water before righting himself, then felt around with his feet until he found another board trapped beneath some rocks. He shoved the rocks off, lifted the board with his foot, and leaned down to grasp it, soaking himself to the shoulder. It took a moment to hammer the metal spike back through the wood, a clang sounding from the other side. Slapping the board across the damaged wood, he nailed it into place.
The job done, he stepped back and pulled the vial of holy water out of his pocket. He struggled to uncap it with his cold, wet hands, but managed. Drops of holy water pelted the stone, but just as he opened his mouth to speak the words that would shore up the protections he'd put in place, something large and heavy rolled into his legs beneath the water, bowling him over. He slipped beneath the surface.
The jolt of cold water closing over his head shocked a gasp out of him. Icy fingers of water filled his lungs, and they began to burn. He struggled to plant his feet to stand, but the current pulled him backward. A force pushed at his head, keeping him submerged. No matter how he tried to get his footing, the water stymied him. One small inch reclaimed would allow him to breathe.
The last thing Gray saw before the darkness overtook him was a green glow shining through the cracks between the boards and emitting from the small steeple, visible through the thin shimmer of water above him.
***
Two
The sun shone off the surface of the lake, creating an emerald sparkle, but not penetrating the thick, algae-filled depths. Small waves lapped at the dark soil lining the edge. Lauren dipped a toe into the tepid water, her other foot sinking into the moist mud which seeped between her toes. The rich, loamy scent tickled her nose.
"I can't see the bottom," Lauren said. "And it looks filthy. You sure you want to swim here?"
"Everyone swims here," May said.
"But it smells."
"You get used to it."
Footsteps sounded behind the two girls. "What's the problem?" Chris asked as he approached.
"Lauren doesn't want to go in." May pulled her tank top off, beneath which she wore a purple bikini top.
Chris laughed, his gaze lingering on May's slim figure. "Because of the ghost town?"
"Ghost town?" Lauren asked.
May rolled her eyes. "Oh great, now she'll never go in."
"Seriously, what ghost town?" Lauren looked around, trying to see what they were talking about. Low, tree-covered hills surrounded the lake. There were no buildings visible.
"It's under the water, silly," May said. "And it's really not a ghost town. I don't know why they call it that. I'm sure there's nothing left."
Lauren stared at the murky water, squinting as if that would show her the hidden town.
"You might as well tell her since you brought it up, Chris."
"Okay." Chris sat down in the grass and patted a spot in front of him. Lauren sat down across from him, followed by May. "There used to be a town where the lake is now. An old mining settlement. When they built the Roughton Dam they screwed up. The river diverted the wrong way and started flooding the populated town in the middle of the day."
"There were other towns," May broke in. "Officials emptied them first, moved the bodies from the graveyards, tore down and burned the remnants of the buildings, and cleared them out. They were supposed to be covered by the water."
"Right," Chris said. "But not Sweetwater. So, unlike other reservoirs, this one has a full town still standing beneath it. There's supposed to be a stone church, and that, at least, has to be there, even if the wooden buildings have fallen apart. Even better, they never moved the bodies from the graveyard like in the other towns."
"Tell her about the priest."
"Oh, yeah. There was a priest who stayed behind. He said he had to secure the church, wouldn't let anyone help him, wouldn't tell them what the big deal was. No one ever saw him again. They say he drowned."
Lauren had been watching the lake throughout the story. The usually soothing shush of water lapping the shore sent a shudder up her spine. "So you have no problem swimming in water that could be full of dead bodies?"
"It's been a long time since a body washed up." A huge grin split May's face.
Lauren frowned at her. They picked at Lauren sometimes, treated her like she was naïve, like they knew so much more than she did. It bothered her, but she tried to shake it off. After all, she was the new girl in town. At least they'd brought her into the fold, even if not yet entirely. "But… I mean, there are buildings under there. That doesn't freak you out? People used to live in those houses, shop in the stores. There's an entire history under there. There's—"
"Ghosts?" May interrupted.
"That's not what I'm saying." Lauren sighed. "Have you ever had a relative die, and you go to their house afterward, and the emptiness feels unnatural? Like you can feel their presence and the absence of their presence at the same time?"
May frowned. "I've never been to a dead person's house."
"Never mind," Lauren said. "You guys go in. I'll explore out here for a bit. Maybe I'll come in later."
Chris stood up, removed his shirt and tossed it to the side. He was slim with lean muscle. He offered May a hand up. She wiggled out of her jean shorts and chased him into the water.
Lauren ignored their yells and splashes. She walked along the edge of the lake, avoiding the water. It looked deceptive to her now, as if it were hiding something. The waves reached for her, crawling up the muddy banks. She found it disturbing that the energy of so many lives swirled about beneath the placid water. It was like feeling a presence on the other side of a door, a thin plank of wood the only thing between you and it.
Try as she might, she couldn’t make out anything beneath the surface. And where were the turtles, the frogs, the birds, the fish? It was only now she noticed the complete lack of animal life around the lake, and she shuddered.
The sound of her friends' voices had become distant, a whisper behind her. Waves lapped at the shore, leaves rustling in the occasional breeze. Her footfalls sounded muffled.
Ahead of her, a log lay close to the water. She walked over to it and took a seat, her body pressing into the damp, softened surface. A strong scent of decay hovered in the air. Looking out at the water, her mind strained for some confirmation of a presence below the surface. There was nothing, just as her conscious mind told her there couldn’t be, and she relaxed, allowing the timid rhythms of the water to lull her to a more peaceful state. She closed her eyes and revelled in the warm wind on her arms. Stretching one leg out, she slid her foot into the water.
A cool sensation crept up her foot. She pulled it back, but the coolness didn’t leave her. It moved higher, covering her heel, then her ankle. Now it was on her other foot as well.
She tried to open her eyes, but couldn't. Nor could she move her feet again. When she whimpered, she felt the vibration move up her throat and into her mouth, but her lips wouldn't part.
The cold continued upward. Her calves, her knees. Her thighs. Here it caressed her, slowing its progress. Her breath caught in her throat because now it felt like cool hands. They moved up her outer thighs, lapped at the edges of her shorts. The cool on her inner thighs was shocking, gliding along her sensitive, goose-bumped skin.
She fought to move, to call out, but each time she tried to move she felt a firm pressure, as if she were not so much paralysed as being held back. Even her eyelids felt pressed down. The moment she stopped trying to move, the pressure eased.
The chill spread, its icy touch swirling around her breasts until her nipples stood painfully erect. When it reached her throat, it became hard to breathe. She realized with a panic it could get inside her if it reached her mouth. She fought harder, tried to move, to scream, but once again the pressure increased, and this time it compressed her throat, cutting off her breath.
She had no choice but to keep still and let it move upward.
The cool reached her chin, creeping to her bottom lip.
She willed her mouth to stay tightly shut.
Now it was over her lip, poking at the corners of her mouth. Exploring, pressing.
She tried to squeeze her mouth tighter but felt her lips parting.
The cold flowed over her tongue, down her throat.
Even worse, it simultaneously moved between her thighs and plunged inside her, filling her with ice. She felt the urge to gag, but was unable to even do that. It thrust down her throat, filled her lungs, then her stomach. Infiltrated every inch of her body, pulsing through her bloodstream.
Green light burst behind her eyes.
Then nothing.
***
"Lauren, are you okay?"
A hand grasped her shoulder, shook her.
She opened her eyes. Everything was tinted light green. May's green eyes looked more vivid than before, her tan skin the colour of olives, making her appear ill. Behind her, Chris hovered. He too looked green, as if Lauren was looking through a piece of coloured plastic. May squinted in concern, but Chris looked to be holding back a laugh.
"I must have fallen asleep." Lauren sat up. She’d slid to the ground, her back against the soggy log. Mushy bark coated her back in lumps, and mud pressed coolly into the skin of her legs. Water lapped gently at her feet. "I'm okay, really."
Chris and May helped her stand. Lauren brushed at the mud on her shorts, only smearing it further.
"Are you guys already done swimming?" she asked.
The other two exchanged looks, then Chris said, "It's been a couple hours. How long did you sleep?"
Lauren shook her head, unsure. It hadn't felt that long before she'd heard them calling for her. Then again, she'd been having a crazy dream. Didn't it take a while before dreams kicked in during sleep?
"Let me just rinse off." To Chris and May’s surprise, she stepped into the water. It no longer felt weird to her. Instead, it embraced her, welcomed her in. Moving deeper, she washed the mud off, let the water lap at her waist, sucking at her shorts, now sodden and heavy. "Sure you guys don't want to come back in?"
"I've got to get to work at the theatre," May said. "But we can come again tomorrow, if you want."
A wave of contentment lapped through Lauren at the thought of returning.
***
Away from the lake, Lauren felt empty. All she could think of was getting back into its waters. The green tinge had faded, and she suspected it was a kind of migraine aura. She took ibuprofen and downed some Coke, but it didn't help. There was also the issue of the marshy taste in her mouth. No matter how many times she brushed her teeth and gargled mouthwash, the taste remained. It tainted everything she ate, as if algae coated her tongue.
Then there were the urges. Her eyes lingered on every young man. She yearned for them, the feel of them, the press of their bodies. Instead of warmth, cold filled her, yet her body responded to it as pleasure. Need filled her, deep and unsated. She knew how it felt to be attracted to a man, though she was a virgin. This was different; desperate.
Unfamiliar.
May had to cancel the trip back to the lake the next day. She'd been called into work to cover for a sick co-worker. It wasn't until a week later they made plans to return. The interim had been torture for Lauren. She didn't have a vehicle of her own, and her bike needed a new chain, so even riding there was out of the question. Her mom hadn't had a day off yet—the joys of being a single mom—so Lauren was stuck at home, the lake too far away for her to get there without transport. She'd asked if she could drop her mom off at work for her 6:30 AM shift, but her mom had turned her down, citing wonky hours and the fact that she might get off work early. Her mom, always the optimist.
The day of the return trip, Lauren sat at a café table under an oversized umbrella. Beads of moisture rolled down the outside of her glass. She traced a path with her finger, the glass pleasurably smooth and damp against her skin. May would be getting off work soon.
Lauren felt someone watching her. Slowly, she raised her eyes. A man with dark hair and a neatly trimmed beard sat at the next table. His eyes were a startling blue, and one of his ears stuck out slightly more than the other. He wore a white t-shirt and sipped from a steaming cup of coffee. He continued to look at her when she met his eyes, and a thrill coursed through her, chased by an icy chill.
Dizziness overtook her, and she gripped the icy glass, trying to will away the nausea and ground herself. Green tinted everything in her sight, and the world shifted before dissolving.
***
Lauren's phone rang. She stirred, moving her right hand, which slid through something cool and tickly that rustled at her touch. She opened her eyes and stared up at the sky, blue and cloudless. Water lapped nearby. The rich, unpleasant scent of pond scum surrounded her.
She shifted her legs to sit up. Her thighs felt tacky. Grass tickled along her bare skin. She still wore her bikini top, t-shirt, and skirt, but they were damp and dishevelled, and her swim bottoms were missing. Confusion flooded her at her lack of swim bottoms, and the first tentative fingers of panic feathered out from her chest.
Her phone stopped ringing.
Lauren scrambled to her feet, looking around for some indication of what had happened. The lake stood before her, sunlight glinting off the peaks of a few ripples. The last thing she remembered was waiting for May at the café and a bearded man staring at her over the rim of a coffee cup.
Something felt very wrong. She panted, struggling to catch her breath.
She walked to the lake's edge, pulling the hem of her skirt down, all too aware of her nudity beneath it. She added the mystery of where her bikini bottoms had gone to the list of questions running frantically through her head.
She slid her sandals off and stepped into the lake, moving waist deep. Scrubbing at her thighs until they stung, she made sure every trace was gone. As much as she willed it not to be so, the dull ache told her she'd had sex. But with whom? The man from the café? A stranger! All without any memory of it. Yet here she was, alone. She could see for some distance on every side, and no one else was visible.
"Hello?" she called out. She tried again, louder. "Hello?"
No one answered.
Had she been drugged? Raped? Dread filled her, clawed its way up her throat.
Her phone rang again. It took her a moment to find it, but there it was, hidden in the grass near where she'd woken up. Lauren hesitated, took a couple deep breaths, then answered it, her voice coming out in a choked whisper. "Hello?"
May's voice on the other end sounded frantic. "Lauren, where are you? I got off work over an hour ago, and you weren't here."
"I'm at the lake." She needed to ask for help, but fear held her back.
May's voice hardened. "Well, thanks for letting me know you didn't need a ride. Real nice. I thought something happened to you." She hung up.
How could Lauren explain this? She didn't even know what had happened. She ran her hands along the back of her wet skirt to pull it down then sat in the grass. Staring at the phone, she considered calling back, but she couldn't come up with anything to say that would make sense. She needed time to think, to figure this out. Her cheeks warmed at the thought of telling May she'd woken up several miles outside town with missing bikini bottoms and semen on her legs, unable to remember what she'd done, with whom, or even if it had been willingly.
No, May could wait. Lauren needed desperately to get home. She had a long hike ahead of her with no one to call for a ride and a lot to mull over.
It struck her that she might not want to be around when the person who'd brought her here returned, having no way to know who it was or whether he'd be violent. She took the path to the parking lot, glancing over her shoulder to be sure no one followed her. One car sat empty, haphazardly parked across the line on the driver's side. She took a moment to peer inside and try the handle. Locked, and the fast-food wrappers inside didn't tell her anything except that her missing bottoms weren't in the car.
The car might belong to whoever had brought her here, but it also might belong to someone who could tell her what had happened, maybe even a witness if her fears were founded on truth. Had they seen what happened? Her cheeks warmed, heart pounding. Horror and humiliation replaced the initial embarrassment she'd felt, and she fled.
***
Lauren clawed her way out of sleep. She couldn't breathe. Her lungs burned.
She sat up, leaned forward, and vomited onto her bedspread. Gasping and choking, she reached for the lamp on her bedside table and turned it on. Dark chunks of what looked like algae rested atop the liquid soaking her white bedspread. It smelled like the lake.
She'd been dreaming of the lake.
After she'd cleaned everything up, including herself, she slid between the fresh sheets and rolled into the foetal position. Focusing on the dream, she tried to bring the tattered edges of it back together.
She'd been drowning. That much came back to her. Trapped beneath the surface, bubbles roiling up from her mouth as she struggled. Light sifting through the green water. A neon glow below her, moving toward her. Someone or something had been wrapped around her ankle, pulling her down.
And then she'd awakened, spewing what looked and smelled like lake water. Her lungs burned, as did her throat and nose. Despite the horror of this, she had to go back to sleep. She turned to her side. Sleep lapped at her mind like water on the lakeshore, and she drifted, the soft sound of waves lulling her.
***
She knew May would be pissed, but Lauren wasn't willing to tell her the truth yet, even to save their burgeoning friendship. Chris had taken on the role of go-between, trying to make everything right, but Lauren could tell he resented being put in this position.
As much as she hated being in a fight, Lauren had bigger problems. It had been three days since she'd woken up at the lake, and now flyers adorned every pole and storefront downtown, all featuring a photo of the man from the café.
He'd been reported missing.
Not only that, but according to the news, his car had been found in the parking lot at the lake. The same car she'd peered into… Had he been injured? Maybe an accident had occurred, and they'd both been knocked out. Was he lying out there, hurt? Dead? She'd seen no sign of him.
She sat on her bed, staring at the flyer she'd stolen from a light pole. He had kind eyes. It said he was an artist and an accountant. That he had a twin sister who missed him. No mention of a wife, a girlfriend, kids. He was last seen that same morning three days ago.
Was she the last to have seen him alive?
Of course, that assumed he was the one she'd been with at the lake. He might have nothing to do with her or that day, other than a passing glance. It could have been someone else. It could be nothing had happened at all, that she'd misconstrued the signs. She might have walked to the lake, passed out from the heat, fallen in a damp, awkward heap on the grass. Someone could have dropped her off there.
Sure… without her swimsuit. With semen on her legs.
Lauren knew she should go to the police, but what could she tell them? She had nothing helpful to say. They wouldn't find him based on one glimpse at a café and a bizarre story about waking up at the lake. She examined the photo again. It looked like him, but there, was that a mole? Her memory didn't include a mole. Lots of people looked similar, and nothing about him stood out apart from the neatly-trimmed beard, and no feature screamed, "This is the guy!"
She folded the flyer into quarters then tucked it under her mattress.
***
Blinding white, then blue.
Sound muffled, pressure against her ear drums.
Cool embrace.
Lauren gasped, flailed. Her face went beneath the surface, water filling her mouth.
Pressure from below lifted her, fresh air hitting her face as she expelled the water. Something wrapped around her ankles, sinuous in its feel and movements. It stroked along her skin, seeking.
She looked down, tried to see what was touching her. The water was too dark; she couldn't see past her own torso, pale against the green murk. When she attempted to swim away it held her fast, the tip feathering along her flesh. Desperately, she plunged her hands downward, barely registering the fact that she stayed upright despite no attempt to tread water.
The object moved ever upward, but she couldn't reach it. It now tickled along her inner thigh on one side, her knee on the other. She felt helpless against it, yet still she fought, finally shoving her face into the cool liquid surrounding her. A gentle force pressed against her face, then increased the push, trying to get her back up to where she could breathe. She refused, seeking the thing that held her.
A green glow rose from somewhere below.
A pale blob emerged, surrounded by darkness. It came closer. Closer still.
Features filled out. A face, mouth wide, eyes dark, empty, like the fathoms below. A figure, shrunken, diminished. A skeletal arm reached back toward Lauren and she screamed, bubbles fleeing her mouth, bursting with air from her own lungs.
Back up she went, fighting harder now. The things around her legs loosened, releasing her with a final caress. She pin-wheeled her arms in a frantic stroke to the shore. Her muscles burned with the effort, but she got there, flinging her body onto the damp earth, digging her fingers into the muck to pull herself free of the water's suction. She felt a tickle on the bottom of her foot as she drew it out. A quick goodbye.
This was the third time in six days she’d awakened here. Dread filled her. There would be another flyer soon.
***
"May said she's willing to meet you at the lake to talk," Chris said, his voice faint.
Lauren sighed, adjusting the phone so she could hear him better. "That's not a good idea, Chris."
"This is your final chance, Lauren. Either you want to make up with her or you don't, but I'm done." A sharp edge of frustration underlined his words. "It's not my job to babysit the two of you."
"Babysit us? I didn't ask you to do any of this. You're the one who keeps calling me."
Silence greeted her words. For a moment, she thought he'd hung up, but then he spoke. "Tomorrow at five. Your choice whether you show or not. You won't hear from me again."
"I can't—"
A dial tone told her he'd hung up.
The thought of purposely going to the lake with anyone was too much. What if she blacked out? What if she saw green? But May and Chris were the only friends she'd made around here. Maybe if she told them what was happening they could help her.
If only she knew what was happening herself.
***
Lauren arrived to find May's car already in the parking lot. Lauren locked her repaired bicycle up on the rack and walked toward the lake. Sweat trickled along the small of her back, glided down her neck and between her breasts. Her hair was matted to her forehead, and she swept the damp bangs away from her face.
May and Chris sat on the ground in the spot they'd all first gathered. They talked and laughed, voices dancing through the air. Chris reached out and touched May's arm, and she smiled up at him.
May stiffened as Lauren approached, causing Chris to look up. He smiled, but it was a forced stretching of the lips that didn't reach his eyes. He looked from Lauren to May, and back again.
This'll be fun, Lauren thought. She had to force her feet to keep moving across the dirt path, pebbles crunching beneath her sandals. Why did they even come? She wrapped her arms around her middle for comfort and stopped in front of the others. "Hi."
Chris stood. "Hey."
"Hello." May also stood, but slower, her eyes not meeting Lauren's.
"I'm sorry. Can I explain?" Lauren asked.
They all sat down together. Lauren told them about her blackouts, but nothing more. She'd decided this was the best thing to do. They wouldn't believe the rest, but she couldn't help a medical condition, could she?
"I hate to ask, but have you been using drugs or something?" May asked.
The accusation hurt, but Lauren swallowed her pride. "No. Nothing. Not even alcohol."
"What does your mom think is happening?" May leaned toward her, seemingly forgetting her anger in the face of curiosity.
"I… I haven't told her yet."
"Why not? You should go to a doctor."
"What if a doctor tells me I'm crazy? That I'm imaging all this?"
"And what if it's serious?" Chris ran a hand along the side of his face.
Lauren followed the hand with her eyes. She was suddenly all too aware of the blunt thickness of his fingers, the stubble on his cheek. Chris, who she had no sexual interest in. Chris, who had a thing for May. The more she tried not to look at him, the harder it became to stop. Cold swirled around her insides. Was that a touch of green over everything?
She jerked her eyes away and looked at May. Focused on her friend's face. "There's more."
Oh no. Why did I say that?
Lauren swallowed and took a deep breath. "I think I'm doing things during the blackouts."
"Well, obviously, if you're waking up somewhere different than where you started," said May.
"No. I mean, I think I'm doing something bad. Maybe hurting people. Have you seen those flyers for the missing men?"
Chris laughed.
May tilted her head and raised one eyebrow. "You think you're kidnaping adult men and overpowering them?"
"For nefarious purposes?" Chris added. "You think you're some kind of siren or succubus or something?"
A succubus? Lauren wondered. That might be it. Why else would she be luring men to a lake, having sex while blacked out? But she didn't feel energized afterward. If anything, she felt tired and confused. Sore. From the little she knew of succubi, they fed off the sexual energy.
The cold spread, pulsed. Lauren tried to push the green away. She didn't talk, instead looking at the water. But that made it worse. It was hypnotic, lapping at the shore, swaying this way and that. She fought to focus, to bring herself back. If she went under now, something terrible would happen to her friends. She was sure of it. The taste of lake water pushed its way up from the back of her throat, clawed its way across her tongue and through her sinuses. Something bad was coming. She’d never felt it like this, creeping up on her rather than knocking her straight out.
"Ah, you know him."
It took her a moment to realize these words hadn't come from May or Chris. This was a new voice. Feminine, but crusty, like a long-time smoker's. It rasped across her nerves, made the hairs on her neck rise.
"I want him."
She couldn't hear anyone else now. Distantly, it sounded like they were talking to her still, but it was a rumble, muted thunder over the sound of a radio. The woman's voice came from inside her own head. No, not a woman– a succubus. Lauren wasn't feeding off the men; this thing was. Certainty filled her. It had used her.
Lauren dug her fingers into the grass. It felt cool, even on this hot day. The thick, sharp blades cut her finger, drawing blood. The pain kept her grounded.
"I'll let you stay awake with me while I play with him."
No, she thought back. Leave him alone.
"You have no say, girl. I’ll take what I want."
He's my friend. I'll find someone else.
The succubus didn't answer back. Instead, the green increased until there was no question it was coming again, the cold filling her. The wave of absence. Soon, she'd be gone. Wherever it was she went when this happened. That couldn't happen. She fought back.
"You guys need to leave." Her mouth barely moved when she spoke, teeth pressed together, gritting. "Now."
She managed to look away from the water, to their concerned faces. Chris helped May up, but then he reached for Lauren to do the same.
"No. I said go!"
"We're not going to leave you." May sounded fuzzy, far off. "I can get you to a doctor. There's an urgent care right up the road."
Chris's hand wrapped around Lauren's upper arm. He pulled at her, trying to get her to stand. "Come on, Lauren. Let's go together."
His hand felt so warm. His touch sent a frisson of electricity through her. Unbidden, her arm moved, hand wrapping around the taut muscle of his forearm, thumb stroking the firm skin. She stood, and the voice inside her laughed.
"Good, now bring him to the water, and I'll do the rest."
No.
She may have said no, but her feet moved toward the water. Her friends followed, Chris's arm locked in her grip, his own hand still strong on her arm.
"Where are you going?" asked May. Her smaller hand took Lauren's other arm.
"Please leave me here." Lauren could only whisper. "I can't control it."
"Control what?" asked Chris.
Her eyes filled. Everything around her formed green puddles in her vision, distorting as a tear fell. Mud squelched over the sides of her sandals. It felt warm compared to the ice inside her. They were close to the water.
May pulled at her. "Let's go to my car. Come on."
Directed at May, rage swept over Lauren. May needed to go away, to leave them. Her presence was an irritant, a deterrent. Get rid of May, and Chris would be all hers.
Even Chris's tug didn't alter Lauren's path. They were at the water now. Just a couple more steps and they'd be in it. Lauren knew he’d be done for as soon as he touched the water. A thrill went through her, but it didn't feel like her own emotion. It felt somehow removed from her. She was painfully aware of his body heat near hers, the feel of his skin. Even his scent. She could smell his natural musk beneath the sunblock he wore. Lauren wanted to touch him, to feel more of him. Needed it. Needed him.
Lauren wrenched herself free of both of them at once, her own hand the hardest to disengage. He yelped, and she was certain she'd taken a piece of him with it.
She leapt forward into the water, splashing through it until she got deep enough to dive.
"Get back there, you little bitch."
I won't.
She opened her eyes under the water. The green glow came from below, pulsating. It pulled at her, drew her.
Particles floated about, creating clouds against the glow. Lauren swam through them, lungs burning as she went farther into the lake. A structure became visible, vague in the murk. She kicked her feet faster, pulled as hard as she could against the water with her arms. Every part of her body strained. For distance, for oxygen, for the structure.
The water grew colder the further she went, but she swam anyway. Water seeped into her nose, and she forced air through her nostrils, sending bubbles past her eyes. The urge to inhale strengthened.
Panic overtook her. She froze for a moment then tried to change direction. The compulsion was still there, but her need to breathe, to survive, was stronger. Now she just flailed, fighting the urge to inhale, seeing the lake's surface above her.
When she could take it no longer, she sucked water into her mouth. Ice filled her throat, her lungs, and it burned like cold fire. She struggled against it, tried to expel the water, but more flowed in until she couldn't fight anymore.
Lauren stilled.
She floated, an ice-cold calm overcoming her. A figure emerged from the glow below, floating steadily closer. Lauren's body jerked, fighting the lack of oxygen in her bloodstream, but she couldn't move.
Fear faded as death crept upon her. All she could do was watch, numbed, and wonder in a vague way what it could be.
An appendage extended from the form. Shaggy, flimsy material drifted around it, tendrils writhing with the motion of the water. Everything existed in shades of black and green. The appendage took the shape of an arm, skeletal fingers outstretched from a wizened hand. It reached for her, getting closer.
It covered the space quickly, hand touching first her toe, then stroking up along her foot, her ankle, even colder than the water.
Then she was being pulled out, the air smacking her like a warm wall. She felt heavy, weighted down, and she couldn't move her limbs. Her rescuer dragged her out of the water until her entire body lay on dry ground. Dank lake-water burbled up her throat into her mouth. She rolled onto her side. Coughing and heaving, she forced the water out, gasping in her first rush of oxygen.
Chris and May hovered over her. Chris was soaked, water dripping off his face. His cheeks were flushed, chest heaving.
The green tint over Lauren's vision had disappeared. She sat up, wrapping her arms around her torso.
"Are you okay?" May asked. She reached a hand out and pushed the hair back from Lauren's forehead.
Lauren took a deep breath, which hurt her throat and lungs. "Yes." She choked, spitting out more water. "I think so." Her voice rasped, abrading her throat with its passage.
"We need to get you—" May jerked backward mid-sentence, out of Lauren's sight. A splash and a hollow crack followed.
Chris turned toward the water, his back to Lauren. "What the hell?"
A desiccated hand wrapped around the back of his head and pulled him away from Lauren. The thing from the water held him despite his attempts to get free. He pounded on it, shoved against it, kicked it. The sodden, blackened fabric of an old, tattered dress hung from the scrawny form, a flash of bone visible through a tear over the chest.
The creature pulled him to its mouth where a smattering of teeth remained under paper-thin flesh. One empty eye socket showed beneath the tangled hair, a leech squirming within, black and shiny.
Lauren screamed and ran to Chris. She grabbed his upper arm and jerked backward. He barely budged. The creature was strong, and Chris had stilled, no longer struggling. Under Lauren's fingers, his arm slackened. She threw her weight backward, hoping it would be enough to break its hold on him.
It wasn't.
Instead, a high-pitched moan sounded. The succubus backed toward the water, pulling both Chris and Lauren with it. His skin felt hot to the touch, beads of sweat rolling off him. It was increasingly harder for her to hold on.
Beyond them, at the edge of the lake, May lay half-in, half-out of the water. Blood shone at her temple where her head rested on a rock. Lauren looked between the two of them, but Chris needed her help more.
Lauren dug her fingers into his skin, trying to keep her hold on him. No matter how hard she pulled, the thing dragged them inexorably toward the lake. Lauren's feet slid down the muddy embankment before plopping into the water. She lost her grip and fell backward onto her butt.
Chris and the succubus were now up to their waists in water. It wrapped its arms around his torso then lifted its legs, enclosing his body within the musty folds of its tattered dress before drawing him down below the surface.
Lauren splashed into the lake and dove, certain she wouldn't be coming back. Chris and the succubus were visible against the green glow that still pulsated in the distance, and Lauren swam for all she was worth to catch them. Through the tatters of the dress, something beat in its chest, pulsing with the same rhythm as the glow at the bottom of the lake.
This time, instead of trying to pull Chris back, she circled around the succubus and felt along its head until her fingers slipped into the eye sockets. The slimy hair tickled along her arm, wrapping around her wrist. Disgust filled her, but she didn't pull away, instead bringing the head back as far as she could. With her other hand, she felt for the mouth, shoving her fingers through the papery skin of its cheek with a pop. She gripped the lower jaw and wrenched it down.
The succubus bucked against her, but she kept pulling in opposite directions. The jaw gave with a crunch that unsettled the water around them. Lauren let go, bits of skin floating past her.
Chris, released from the succubus's grip, floated up and away, bubbles rising from his mouth.
Lauren couldn't hold her breath much longer. She wrapped her body around the succubus, who struggled, lashing out with fingers so sharp they felt like talons. Cuts opened along Lauren’s arms and cheeks, blood rising in the water, dark clouds against the glow.
Steeling herself, Lauren pushed her hand against the succubus's back, just below its rib cage. She pushed as hard as she could, weakened as she was from lack of oxygen. The skin here was thicker than that on the cheek, but a final press punctured it, and her hand slipped inside. Angling up, she reached into the chest cavity, nudging aside withered tissue that must have been the organs, long gone to rot.
One organ still worked, though. Plump and pumping, the heart beat against Lauren's palm, emitting a pale, green glow. She squeezed it as hard as she could until it split, the tissue sliding through her fingers, its glow fading. The succubus stopped fighting.
Lauren's body defied her, drawing water into her lungs again. She let the corpse drift away from her and swam upward in a frenzy, fighting to expel the water from her chest, which felt ready to burst. Below, the green glow died out, leaving only shades of gray, tinted by the faint sun above.
It was too far. Her movements slowed, weakened, but she couldn't stop. Not now.
She bobbed to the surface, coughing water out. Taking a deep breath, she flipped onto her back and floated, unable to do anything more. She heard Chris coughing, the sound of May's voice, but was too tired to call out to them. It didn't matter. She could float here forever if she had to.
Something caressed her leg. Something cold. It wrapped around her ankle.
Screaming, Lauren kicked, thrashing. Water filled her mouth, and she spluttered. Whatever held her, it was still there.
She reached for it, scratching at the slimy substance encircling her ankle. It came away easily in her hand, and she held it up before her.
Nothing but algae.
It was then that the water bubbled around her. A large object surfaced a few feet away, and she stared at it, petrified. Covered in algae, it looked like a lump of red fabric.
May shrieked, "Get out of the water!"
Another object popped up next to the first one. This one had a distinct pattern of yellow stripes across a blue surface.
Lauren swam for shore as fast as she could, unsure what was rising, but certain she didn't want to be in the water anymore. Her entire body tingled with the knowledge that one of these things might come up beneath her, touch her. She kicked harder.
Directly in front of her, a massive bubble rose then popped. She froze before pushing backward, trying to get away from the bubble. Something grazed her leg as a pale oval loomed out of the murky water. It broke the surface. A man's face, white and swollen, dark beard full of algae, skin torn in gashes. A mole upon his cheek.
It was the man from the café. These were her victims, then, emerging from the lake in accusation. Men she had lured to their deaths to feed a hungering creature inside her. A creature who had used her unwilling body as a means to draw them in, who had masked itself beneath the surface, hidden under her skin to entrap them, robbed her of her virginity and innocence.
Staring into his milky eyes, bubbles tickling her legs, a part of Lauren broke.
There were bodies in this lake, after all, bodies she'd put there.