Lake Rache

Olive laid in a secluded area in a narrow, long isle of Lake Rache. She had grown fond of the beautiful birch trees that surrounded her, and was grateful for the quietness she had to herself given it was a low traffic area. She had so many things to think about these days, and a plan to exact revenge was the first thing on her list.

As Olive tried to sort her thoughts, she heard the sound of an approaching boat. Olive watched as the handsome, broad shouldered man stood at the wheel surveying the area. He cut the engine and the boat slowed to a slow pace with the flow of the water. Olive saw a beautiful brunette stand up with arms extended to the man, and she heard something about a romantic lunch as she hugged the man and went to spread a blanket.

Olive rarely saw people and was intrigued to watch the couple, so she followed closely behind and observed. She had always wanted a relationship that was so special others were instatly envious. She thought about how she once had that, and then quickly thought about how fast it all disappeared. Olive quickly became jealous of this pretty brunette. Of all the opportunity she had, the love, the vigor. Olive had felt broken for such a long time now.

Cheyne struggled to keep himself together all afternoon. His head was swirling with emotions ranging from hate to despair to disgust. Disgust in himself, disgust in Jules. He loved her more than anything, wanted to build a future together, and that’s how that fucking bitch was going to do him? He deserved better, and no one else deserved the same heartbreak from her. The same feeling of being tricked into love only to be left later when you aren’t convenient anymore. She can’t do this to me. He kept a smile on his face and made sure to act as normal as he could.

Jules laid out the blanket and motioned for him to sit with her. He stood there as she began unpacking the basket full of food they put together this morning. Just this morning, laughing in the kitchen as they danced to Rag Doll together. It was perfect, she was perfect. How could she act like that with what she had going on in the background?

Jules looked confused as he stood there silent.

“Come sit down! I’m starving!” She said.

He felt the blood rush through his veins and sweat gather at his temples.

”I found the money you’ve been stashing. In your secret bank account. I saw the emails to all the apartment managers asking about deposits and move in dates and shit. You fuckin’ leaving me Jules?“

Her eyes were wide, chest pumping with each heavy breath. He stepped toward her and his voice boomed.

“When the fuck did you plan on telling me, huh? Or did you even plan on telling me Jules? Just gonna leave me high and dry, like I never fuckin’ mattered to you?“

His was growling his words. Jules started to stand.

“Cheyne, I love you so much. Of course I was going to talk to you about this, I just needed to find the right t…”

He balled up his fist and struck her face before she could finish her sentence.

“No more lies, Jules. You’re not gonna fuckin’ lie to me anymore. Ever.”

Julie thought about how disorienting it was the first time she ever got punched in the face. The double vision, ringing ears, loss of balance. It took her several minutes to recover the first time, but after about the 5th time she was good at taking a hit. It was also after the 5th time that she stopped counting how many times, ‘cause how many times can you really believe “I promise I won’t do it again?”

Julie felt like an idiot. She knew she was an idiot. But over the past few months she was executing her plan, and she was just 1 month away from a new life. At least she thought she was.

She could feel the blood trail down the corner of her left eye, onto her cheek. She didn’t wipe it away, but looked him in the eyes and continued to stand. Cheyne always looked insane when he went into his fits. Jules knew the routine, she’d get hit a few more times, and once he got tired he would apologize and make his usual promises.

Cheyne raised his hands and Jules braced for the blow, but it never came. She felt him wrap his arms around her, not too tightly, but snug. They both fell silent.

“Cheyne….” she started to whisper.

“No, it’s okay“ he said “I have thought about this, and I know how to fix this. We just can’t be together. No matter how much I love you Jules, it’s what is best. I am so, so sorry for everything. I will never hurt you again.”

His voice wavered; there was so much sadness and pain. She buried her head into his chest and for a moment remembered the electric feelings he gave her when they first met. She felt relief that she could move on. She never expected him to handle it this way, but maybe he was growing tired of the same routine too. It had been years now.

“But that means you can’t be with anyone at all.” His teeth were ground together as the words stampeded through his lips.

Olive stayed eye level with the water and followed closer and closer to the back of the bout as the conversation turned into angry shouting. Suddenly the shouting stopped and there was a heavy splash in the water, Olive glided to the right side of the boat only to see the man holding the pretty brunette by her hair under the water. She was flailing madly, fighting as Olive once had, but she had no chance against him. Olive watched in horror, her own memories flooding her brain, out of her control once again. This man she didn't know suddenly had the face of James. The face of the man she hated the most.

The last thing Olive needed was a friend here. She had to do something.

She darted to the side of the boat and propelled up and out from the water, hovering only inches above the waves being made by the woman. The man slowly looked up while standing from his crouched position, eyes as wide as could be.

The shreds of what was once a beautiful green and white striped sundress clung tightly to the scattered skin that clung to her bones. The pretty freckled skin she once had was now a putrid wrinkled gray, with bits sloughing off every so often. Her once flowing mane was now a patchy, stringy looking mop of curtains that surrounded her face. Olive knew she was the vision of nightmares; even she forgot what she use to look like.

But perhaps the worst part, or at least the part that Olive hated most, was the 5 inch knife that took the place of her left eye. Even being dead she swore she could still sometimes feel the knife plunging into her skull before she sank into the water to rest on the lake bottom.

Jules felt the pressure let off and immediately kicked herself away from the edge of the boat. She locked her eyes on the bottle opener in the basket and rolled to it, grabbing it quickly before turning to face Cheyne. He hadn't moved.

Then she saw it. She froze.

This thing, this dead woman with a knife in her face floated on top of the water, and then it locked eyes with her. The look in her eye seemed to be asking her something? Like she was trying to check on her and help? Jules didn't know what to do, so she just gave a short hurried nod. Suddenly this small, tattered corpse effortlessly swooped over the boats edge, and grabbed Cheyne by the shirt and drug him under the water.

Jules stood in place for what seemed like hours. She heard the bubbles rising from the water but couldn't bring herself to move. What if that thing grabbed her too? And fuck Cheyne he just tried to fucking drown me. The bubbles stopped. What the fuck do I do if it comes back?

Suddenly the corpse was pulling herself over the edge of the boat.

“He’s dead.“ the corpse whispered

She didn’t know what to say. Why? Thank you? Was this even real?

“I didn’t want you to end up here like me. But now I need you to do something.” She heard the words from the corpse but it was as if she wasn’t hearing them, but feeling them. They felt furious, powerful. She shivered.

She still couldn’t find a way to speak but she felt the need to help. She had been saved. The corpse began to float towards her as it spoke.

“I need you to find a man named James.”