Ma stands near the window, doing her red lipstick.
“Dad doesn’t like it,” I say, shrinking behind him.
The one who shall not be named fastens his pace. I jog along, watching his hand around mine.
It’s familiar.
It’s safe.
It’s… happy.
“I miss you.” My voice trembles. “It’s lonely without you. Ma goes to them monsters sometimes.”
“Shh.” He points ahead.
He’s tall so I lean aside to see past him.
I come to a screeching halt, feet gluing to the grass.
The lake.
The murky, black lake.
“No, no…”
“Shh!”
“No! I won’t go in there. I don’t want to go there!” I shriek, my voice crackling with sobs.
My heartbeat skyrockets and everything in my chest aches. I try to pull away from the one who shall not be named, but his grip tightens.
It’s like he can’t let me go even if he wanted to.
No, please.
The murky lake appears almost black under the gloomy weather.
That lake took everything from me.
Everything.
“Eli, please. It’s scary.”
He stops and his face turns into a blur. “You shouldn’t have said my name.”
His hand slips from mine.
My fingers fist around the air as I try to grab him.
No.
No.
His back is the only thing I see as he walks with purpose towards the lake.
“E-Eli?”
He doesn’t turn around.