You Don't Recognize the bodies in the Water

"You don't recognize the bodies in the water"

I was surrounded by trees because up ahead that's where I needed to go. I picked up where I had left off, but it wasn't long before I gave up. I didn't know if it was because I had given up early or I never left because both could have been true. I had no way of knowing for sure. Time didn't move, so the only thing telling me what time it was the sunlight. I reeled in my hook and looked at my watch. It had been exactly seven minutes since I had caught the one fish. It wasn't much of a fish, but in comparison to others in the lake, it was pretty nice in size.

As the sun started to set I thought it was a good time to pack everything in for the night.

I really needed this break from work and my family's cabin was just the place away from everything. No TV, no relatives, no cell phone, and no internet. Just me, the fish, the woods, and the sunrise. The cabin's run-down look was not because of its age; it just had that look you get when the elements of the natural world apply its pressure on it.

As I was packing everything away, I saw cleaning brushes under the tarp on the back of the truck I used to haul the equipment to the lake. I went to get them but couldn't see quick enough because it had gotten dark. I remember I tripped at first on some fallen branches on the way out, so I figured I would just get them first thing in the morning. As I loaded the last bit of equipment into my truck I thought I noticed a figure floating in the water a way out from the shore. I guess the fact that it was getting dark made me think there was someone there, but I didn't want to get my hopes up for nothing like I do with most things. Besides, I had tried to fish in there earlier and caught nothing, but at least I could say I tried. So I loaded up in my truck and started the trip back to the cabin.

"You don't recognize the bodies in the water"

When I made it back to the cabin I started to unload my equipment when my mind went back to the thought of the body in the water. I figured a nice hot meal and drink would help me relax before I turned in for the night. I heated up some of the deer stew that I made the other night along with some hot coffee. After settling down to relax, I grabbed the book I had been reading and started to read a chapter from a story. The story was about a man who had a dark secret he was pretty much determined to keep secret, even from those close to him. Sadly I couldn't focus on the story long enough as my mind kept drifting back to the thought of a figure of a body floating in the water. Should I go back and check and see what I really saw out there?... no... no, I'm just overthinking things, what I saw was just probably some driftwood or log floating on the water... I said to myself, "You don't recognize the bodies in the water."

After finally falling asleep I couldn't get the thought of the body out of my mind. The same thing kept on repeat, "You recognize the bodies in the water." I tried going back to sleep, but sleep just wasn't coming easily to me. It kept on creeping up my subconscious until I finally woke up to even more of the same. I had to be sure, I wasn't going to just sit here wondering what I have seen. I just kept thinking about the body that haunts my thoughts. Was there really someone floating in the water? Did I really even know them? Am I possibly getting paranoid, or is it possible for me to go completely insane?

"You don't recognize the bodies in the water"

Hitting the button for the television I tried to relax some more, but my mind kept on going back to the lake and the thought of the bodies in the water. I really tried to get my mind on something else, but every time I tried I kept on getting back to the same thought, "You recognize the bodies in the water." By the middle of the day, I couldn't take it anymore, so I gathered my camera, my fishing rods, my tackle box, and the lantern I had left on the kitchen counter by the sink. By the time I made it to the lake, it was going to be almost pitch blackout. On my way out of the house I grabbed my rifle and some more ammunition for it, if this was a body I'm not taking any chances with my own protection. With my weapons and tools in hand, I set out for the lakeside.

"You don't recognize the bodies in the water"

When I got to the clearing I couldn't see anybody, or anything really. The trees had grown so thick since the last time I was here that I couldn't even see any of the lakes. I used my lantern to stare down all the way to the water. It looked like this was the spot that I saw the body just last night. Nobody or anything seemed to be floating in the water. I could have sworn that I saw a body floating, maybe I was losing it. Not taking any chances I decided to take the small boat docked on the edge of the lake and paddle to the middle. While I was moving and checking out what was down there it started to get dark much faster than it should have, "Where the hell is the time going?" I wondered to myself. Finally, I reached the middle and found nobody, or anything close to it. I sat there in my boat cursing my brain for bringing me out there. I didn't bother to start my lantern, so I was only relying on the moonlight to shine on the top of the lake's waters. As I was getting ready to head back and chastise myself again... I noticed a silhouette just below the water's surface...

Just below the moonlight waters was the shapely silhouette of a women's body. I pull out my camera and set it to night view and try to get a clearer image. It was a woman in her mid 30's... fair skin and... she resembled... my younger sister...

No, no, no there's no way this could be my sister! she was at home with her husband and children when I spoke to her last... there's no way this could be her. As I look closer and longer at the body I soon realized that there was no mistaking it... this is my sister with the same birthmark on her waist and not only that... more bodies started floating to the surface as well...

"You don't recognize the bodies in the water"

I started to see the bodies of my mom and dad floating in the water, their skin pale and eyes white staring into my soul. Soon close friends and other familiar faces came to the surface all with the same pale gaunt faces with white glazed eyes staring back at me. I couldn't do anything my body was frozen in fear, what was going on?!

"This can't be real! You're all supposed to be back at home, you ca..."

"H-h-help-p u-us..."

"W-what?... w-who was?..."

"H-h-help u-us... i-its s-s-so... c-cold..."

I turned to see my sister's, or what was impersonating my sister's mouth move slightly as it spoke in a dry gargled voice that was once her own.

"B-b-bro...the... p-p-pl..ease..."

Without a second thought, my body started to move on its own, slowly leaning over the boat to lean other the water that was nearer to what I've come to know is my sister. I had my arms wrapped around her and was feeling her arms and what was left of her torso for a pulse, but her body was stiff and cold, and I had no clue as to what I was supposed to be doing.

"What happened to my sister?"... "What's going on!?"... "Please... no... no.." as tears started rolling down my face as I kept on searching for a pulse on her body... I had lost her, I had no clue as to what was going on, where she was, what happened to all these people!? How could I let this happen? As I tried to lift my sister into the boat I felt... a slight tug on her body. was there a rope around her ankle? I searched the water only to find another attached to her, I pulled more only to have more resistance as her body began to be pulled into the water by some unknown force. "no! Stop! Stop!" I screamed as I began to fight against the force that was pulling my sister into the water, it wouldn't stop. I tugged and pulled until I fell overboard from the boat into the icy waters beneath me still holding onto my sister.

As I broke the surface to fill my lungs with air I felt a hand wrap around my ankles. I tried to pull my legs away from the hand that was touching me, but they wouldn't budge from the grip of the deceased. I looked around for some tool or weapon to fight back or escape from the figure of my sister's body, but to my dismay there was nothing, I didn't have anything to defend myself against this force that was pulling me along in the cold waters. Before I could fight to free myself I felt the cold waters pulling my sister into them, I felt myself being pulled in as well, then I felt myself get submerged beneath the freezing waters feeling my lungs burn from the lack of oxygen. I got pulled gown deeper and deeper under the water and icy shards fill my lungs, as I looked up I saw the light of the moon fade behind a floating body. Soon the world began to fade around me, my body stiff and cold unable to move. as my world collapsed into darkness, I heard the twisted soft voice of the creature who pretended to be my sister...

"You recognized the bodies in the water..."

"... You are the bodies... in the water... "