The Bog

Dating is awful. But after 8 years of feigning love to hide her own insecurities, Joanie was ready for something new. In her teen years, the dangers of meeting men online were drilled into her mind. After school specials, TV movies, and her parents sneaking up behind her to read her chat room conversations about boy bands made it very clear that if she ever met someone from the internet in person, there was a 100% chance that they would murder her.

Today was different. Joanie was confident that she was safe with the man she met. At 35 years young, she had spent hours curating the perfect dating profile and after about a month of the ups and downs of chatting online, had put herself out there and met a few people in person. Most of the dates ended in awkward hugs and vague conversation about future dates, but Eddie was different. She actually looked forward to seeing him again. Their first date was sushi and drinks at a local restaurant and their chemistry was real. After her ex ignored her needs towards the end of the relationship, Joanie was thrilled to have a man tripping over himself to show her affection, make her laugh, and make her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.

Always one to arrive early, Joanie was thrilled to see Eddie again. She sat in her red jeep in the dusty parking lot thinking about Eddie and his bright red hair. “He’s a walking red flag” she thought to herself as the blue SUV pulled into the lot crackling over the small rocks and leaving a trail of dust. Joanie squealed with excitement and opened her door. The dust settled and Eddie got out of his SUV.

“Hey beautiful!” He said with the same level of excitement Joanie had. “I’m glad you found the place. I used to spend all my time here when my parents had a house down the road. I could show you every inch of this place.”

“Shall we”, Eddie leaned in for a hug from Joanie. The pair walked across the parking lot towards the large park sign and community bulletin board. Joanie had flashbacks to her internet-based childhood when she saw several missing posters mixed in with the youth soccer information and local politician advertisements. She felt safe with Eddie. Almost as if he were a mind reader, he always seemed to know what she was about to say. He was protective and caring, asking her if she had enough food or offering to walk her to her car after work. Her coworkers thought it was weird when he showed up for closing to walk her to the car, but Joanie thought it was sweet. He just wanted her to be safe. “If only those girls on the missing poster had a man like Eddie looking out for them,” she thought to herself as the rocks of the parking lot gave way to a dirt path into the wooded area.

One of those beautiful fall days that warrant a sweatshirt, the sun was shining down on Eddie and Joanie’s second date. The light cool breeze had already started to blow a few leaves off the trees and onto the dirt path in front of them. In the distance, the sound of children laughing and dogs barking echoed through the trees. The nearby train sounded its horn at a local crossing. The path grew darker as the density of the brush thickened. Soon, an opening of sunlight was seen further down the path. The adoring new couple murmured on about their online dating experiences and careers, with the occasion witty comments and sweet nothings that made the duo crave more of each other.

“Years ago,” Eddie explained, “the center of this park was a cranberry bog. It opens up ahead and you can see all the bogs and ponds broken up in a grid with paths between them. The family that owned the property eventually sold it to the two towns it’s located in, and they turned it into a park.”

Just as Eddie described, the path opened up into a massive sweeping area. “This place is way bigger than I expected looking at the map online.” Joanie said amazed that this spot was hidden away in the woods.

Eddie led the way along a path that bordered the woods and the cranberry bogs. Around the first corner, there was a small pond that followed their path just inside the woods. The high dirt path had water on both sides. The sound of frogs and birds mixed in perfectly with the trickling water from the drainage of the bog into the outer ponds.

Eventually their path wound along the grid of paths and bogs to meet a large lake. A few swans floated around in the distance. Eddie gazed off into the lake. Joanie melted when he wrapped his arm around her.

“This place brings back so many memories” Eddie said drifting off into a lifeless stare at the lake. Joanie imagined her own memories growing up at another local park where she attended a summer camp. As Eddie turned to look at Joanie, his normally bright blue eyes look ominously dark. His loving eyes seemed almost angry with his brows furled, momentarily frightening Joanie. She began to take a step backwards, but the sun hit his eyes bringing back the normal bright color. He once again looked like the sweet man she believed him to be. He pulled her in for what was their first of many kisses.

A splash ruined the beautiful moment. Joanie looked down at the lake and gasped, falling backwards. For just a moment a terrified and familiar face appeared in the water looking back up at her. Joanie’s arms were immediately covered in goosebumps as a chill overcame her whole body. The face disappeared as Eddie laughed. “Are you ok beautiful? Did you see that frog?” Joanie laughed as she realized she couldn’t possibly have seen what she thought she just saw.

“It’s getting chilly”, She said as she rubbed her arms, trying to understand what she saw. Eddie smiled and quickly took off his sweatshirt and placed it over her head. As she poked her head through the hood, Joanie gazed dreamily at Eddie’s strong arms and shoulders in his T-shirt. She completely forgot about the face in the water as she smelled his sweatshirt and felt warm and safe.

Their walk back to the car followed a path along the lake and eventually looped back to the original path that came out of the woods. The sounds of children, barking dogs, and the train horn were now eerily silenced as the wind picked up and clouds blocked out the sun. The duo picked up speed hoping to beat the approaching rain back to their cars. In the parking lot Eddie pulled Joanie into his arms and thanked her for going on a walk with him. “I know you joked about dating safety and a walk in the woods with a stranger could have been very dangerous,” he laughed as he leaned in for a kiss. “You’ll always be safe with me beautiful”.

The first drop of rain interrupted their goodbye, and they both rushed into the cars.

“Text when you get home safe”, Eddie yelled before he closed his door.

“Of course!” Joanie said as she sat down in the driver seat of her jeep. “Thank goodness I had the doors and top on with this weather!” Joanie thought when she warmed herself in Eddie’s sweatshirt. “Isn’t he the sweetest?”

Her dreamy state came to an abrupt stop when she started the car and looked out the windshield. The familiar face she had almost forgotten about stared right back at her. The wind gusted and ripped the soaking wet missing poster off her windshield and into the woods. Overcome by fear, Joanie tried to slow down her breathing. She looked out her passenger window and Eddie waved happily as he began to back out of the parking spot. A chivalrous man, he waited for Joanie to get out of her spot to make sure she got out of the lot safely. At the end of the driveway he beeped twice as she pulled onto the road. Joanie half smiled and honked her horn back at him.

Joanie drove home in silence. “The date was perfect,” she thought unsure of why she was still so shaken by the missing woman’s face. She decided to break the silence and made a phone call. Rita was thrilled to hear all about the date. Both Joanie’s sister and best friend, they had been through a lot together. With the recent breakup finally in the rear-view mirror, Rita was almost as excited as Joanie was about this new man. She sensed something off while Joanie rambled on.

“So, what’s wrong?” Rita interrupted. Joanie took a deep breath and told her all about the face in the water, the chills, and the missing poster. Rita laughed. The history and local legend geek that she was, Rita reminded Joanie where she had gone for a walk.

“You know the swamp that the Native Americans avoided?” Rita started. “The park you walked in today used to be connected to it through the woods before the train was there. Those bogs used to be part of the swampland. The curse on the land is probably why that family got rid of the property when they did.”

“You’re right,” said Joanie. “I probably just spooked myself with that in the back of my mind. Let’s get dinner tonight and I’ll tell you more about Eddie!”

Joanie hung up feeling much better about her date. As she approached a red light, she once again shuddered at that terrifying familiar face staring back at her. The same missing poster was hung on the telephone pole outside her passenger window. Joanie gathered herself and said out loud, “I hope they find you.” When the light turned green Joanie was relieved to get away from those sad eyes desperately looking at her, almost asking her specifically for help.

After dinner with her sister, Joanie snuggled into bed. She had a lot on her mind. That face that stared back her. Eddies dark eyes. Her sister’s theories on the haunted forest and swamp. What she would wear on her next date with Eddie. Once her mind was done racing, Joanie drifted to sleep.

As she opened her eyes Joanie panicked in the darkness. The new moon above her didn’t shine enough to illuminate her surroundings, but as her eyes adjusted, she began to realize where she was. Her bare feet felt the cold dirt path underneath them. The distant sound of water trickled from the bog into the surrounding ponds. A gust of wind blew her long brown hair, almost with the sound of a woman’s voice calling her name from afar. Joanie looked over the bog and into the forest. How did she get here? Is she alone? She felt eyes staring at her, and she slowly began to turn around and face the lake. Joanie froze in fear as the ripples in the water began to make the shape of a face. The familiar eyes looked terrified. The mouth opened up as if screams could be heard from under the water. There was no sound, just the breeze. The face slowly rose out of the water and Joanie remained frozen. The face levitated from the water and exposed a large gash on the top of her head. The woman reached out her hand and mouthed the word, “beautiful”, Joanie let out a blood curdling scream when she felt the wet hand touch her hand.

Joanie quickly realized that she was safe in her bed. She laid frozen in bed. “Those eyes,” she thought. Joanie couldn’t get the woman’s eyes out of her head. Too terrified to go back to sleep, she turned on her favorite painting show and waited for the sun to finally fill her bedroom.

After her next dinner date, Joanie fell asleep blissfully thinking about Eddie. The wine at dinner may have helped her quiet her mind enough that she melted into her blankets.

Suddenly, she once again stared into the lake. Joanie felt the dirt road on her feet and the breeze in her hair. The ripples in the water formed the familiar face of the missing woman. As the face rose from the water more ripples formed and another face appeared in the water. Then three more. In an instant, Joanie stood on the dirt path face to face with five women who had risen from the lake. Each face was terrified and reached out. Joanie felt more eyes on her. She realized that the women weren’t reaching for her, but pointed to a person who stood behind her. Feet still frozen, a gust of wind blew her hair past her face and she heard a soft voice. The wind blew harder and this time the voice came from behind her softly saying, “beautiful.”

Like a gunshot, Joanie sat up in bed. She hadn’t just heard the word, she felt it climb up her neck and cause a chill over her whole body. Terrified, she called her sister and told her about all the dreams. Rita tried to calm her down and apologized for making the park seem so scary.

“What if Eddie has something to do with the missing woman I saw.” Joanie asked almost in tears.

“You just have to trust your gut instincts.” Rita laughed, “it’s not like we’re in a horror movie.” Her sister had calmed her down, but Joanie still laid in bed wide awake the rest of the night.

Her next date with Eddie was approaching and Joanie had reservations about it. How could she not be nervous with the dreams she had. She remembered her sister’s words and knew she had to go with her gut. Go with how she felt when she was with Eddie. Not just the butterflies, but whether or not she truly felt safe. She had gone on dates in the past where something was just off. With Eddie, she felt safe.

Eddie picked up Joanie the next afternoon. He knew how much she loved sunsets and wanted to surprise her. What is more beautiful and romantic than to watch the sunset over the lake.

During the day, the park felt different than in her dreams. It felt lighter and safer. It was peaceful and filled with other people. As the couple walked the path between the bog and the woods, they passed other couples and families. When they approached the lake, she wanted to face her fears. Cuddled into Eddies arms, Joanie felt safe looking over the lake. The sun reflected its orange glow off the lake surrounded by shades of pink and purple. The ripples were just that. Wind-blown ripples. No faces, no women, no fear. As the sun got lower the couple started their walk back to the parking lot. As they finally approached the lot, a missing poster flew off the board and landed in front of them. That familiar face stared back at Eddie and Joanie. She froze in fear as he knelt down to pick up the picture. As Eddie’s eyes met Joanie’s, they were once again dark. He didn’t look like the same loving man she had spent her time with. He looked so serious as he once again looked down at the poster in his hand. A gust of wind came from behind and Joanie felt a chill come over her whole body. The last of the sun had set and the woods and the parking lot glowed with the last bit of dusk.

Eddie broke the deafening silence. “I dated this girl.” A gust of wind came from the woods and Joanie once again heard a voice almost surround her. “Beautiful.”

Terrified, Joanie ran back into the woods. The rising new moon above her barely illuminated the path.

“Joanie! Come back.” Eddie yelled as he chased her into the woods. Frightened, Joanie kept running, hearing the footfall of Eddie getting closer and closer.

“Joanie!” He yelled again. As Joanie broke from the trees and onto the open path by the lake, she turned to see the dark figure of Eddie had closed in behind her. As she approached the spot on the lake where she originally saw the face, she felt a sharp pain on her lower leg as a large rock fell to the ground next to her. Joanie’s leg gave and she collapsed onto the ground. She heard the steps get closer. In the distance she again heard Eddie yell. “Joanie!”

Confused, Joanie looked up at the figure that approached her. She began to cry as the ripples in the water began to once again form faces. This time it wasn’t a dream. The familiar and terrifying face actually rose from the water, along with the four other faces.

“You’re just like the others. I’m the only one he loves.” A woman’s voice yelled as the five figures in the lake pointed towards her. The woman picked up another large rock and held it high above Joanie’s head. “Did he call you beautiful too?”

Dating is awful.