Page 96 of A Curse On Black Lake
Winnie dips her head up and down, stomping her hoof. I lean over and kiss her long neck before I hop down, take my hat, boots, and clothes off, tossing them to the side, and dive in.
Uncaring.
The Spirits dull, and I’m finally able to take a breath.
There are gators and snakes in these waters. Both could equally kill me. We wouldn’t be able to get to an antivenom fast enough. The other I’d probably bleed out before Killian could get to a phone. I have no interest in killing myself, but I have to admit, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, go to the people I’ve lost in my life.
I’m tired.
He needs you, child.
“I know,” I grunt to them, and float on my back. I don’t resent the fact someone else needs me, but the pressure is overwhelming to be what he needs, even if I want to ensure that I am. It’s confusing and I’m not sure how to work through these emotions, old and new.
Water splashes, and I slip beneath the surface. The water is dark. I don’t know that I could call it a phenomenon. But people have come to study this lake, with no explanation as to the color. It’s literally black. Grandma Lily said it changed after Cassandra said those fateful words. It’s been so long since the tragedy happened, no one would remember its change.
Hands wrap around my arms, and yank me to the surface.
Killian’s large hand pushes my white hair out of my face, and his expression is twisted in fear and anger.
“I’m sorry,” I mumble. My chest hurts because my heart is beating so fast.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
His arm tightens around me, and I feel like I’m suffocating. Pushing off of him, I float back into the water, but he grabs my leg before I can get far enough from him.
“Talk to me!” he commands.
I stand and dip back under the water to push my hair back from my face.
When I rise above the surface, I jerk back at his piercing eyes. His beard and hair, drips with water. His t-shirt is still on his body, but his hat is gone. I spot it over his shoulder laying next to my clothes.
When my focus returns to him he looks like he’s about to burst.
“I’m fine,” I rasp.
“Then tell me what the hell is going on. You know this water has gators and snakes. You didn’t check. You just went in.”
I shrug, and that seems to make him angrier.
“I don’t know how to explain what I saw, but it’s like you were running from hell itself. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to upset you, if I did. Did I?” he asks, no,begsme to tell him.
“Gators and snakes are typically father east. I wasn’t worried,” I mutter.
“Could’ve fooled me!” he yells.
I look up at the beautiful cypress trees standing proudly in the water. They are old, strong, and have seen more than most. I wonder what the trees would say if we could talk to them?
Killian grips my face between his hands, forcing me to look at him. “Please,” he rasps.
The anxious fight to ignore my feelings bleeds out of me. I’m not angry at Killian. I don’t want to fight him. That’s not what this is about.
“I wanted to go for a swim,” I offer.
“Bullshit,” he grunts.
“I wanted to see you naked?” I offer, hoping to avoid talking about any of this because I don’t understand it myself.
We don’t have much control over our lives. Humans struggle with that. Especially when it’s ripped from them. I had it ripped from me at such a young age that it has become something I’m used to. Grams helped me work through what surrender truly meant.
