Page 66 of Amnesia

Outside, there were large pots where they cooked the lobster, a couple big tanks (without fish), and a few other things scattered about. The building was white, weathered, and the roof was pitched. Perched on top of the triangular roof was a giant red lobster, and in its claw was a sign that read: Shack.

The air around us was tinged with the smell of fish, something I wasn’t sure I liked.

Grinning, Eddie caught my hand and towed me toward the door. “I’m telling you, Am. Best lobster rolls in the state.”

“What’s a lobster roll?”

He jerked to a stop and abruptly spun to face me. “Stick with me, kid. You have a lot to learn.”

I laughed. “That wasn’t an answer.”

“You’ll see.” He wagged his eyebrows and tugged me inside.

“Eddie!” a man yelled the second we stepped in the door.

“Frank!” Eddie yelled back. “We’re here for the rolls.”

“Ahh, this must be the infamous Amnesia,” Frank said, stepping out around the crudely made counter. He was a large man with a big white apron tied around his clothes. He had a hat on with (surprise) a big lobster in the center. Surprising me, Frank grabbed me by the shoulders and looked me over. “Ya look good, kid,” he said.

Seemed like an odd thing to say.

“Um, thanks?” I said.

He laughed and pulled me in for a hug. Shocked, my eyes went right to Eddie. He winked.

“A few rolls coming up!” Frank announced, retreating behind the counter.

I slid over to Eddie’s side. Casually, he draped an arm around my waist.

Frank worked quickly, pulling out some rolls (that kind of looked like hotdog buns but were squarer) and then stuffed them with some kind of mixture, which I assumed contained lobster. When he was done, he packed them all in a white cardboard box and closed it up.

After placing it in a plastic bag, he added two bags of chips and two bottles of water.

“You’re all set,” he told us.

Eddie handed over some cash and picked up the sack.

We carried the food away from the shack toward the lake and settled between Main Street and the water in a patch of grass that wasn’t overly long. We had a good view of the water from where we sat because we were on a hill that sloped down to the shoreline.

“So,” I said, tucking the dress around me and reaching for a bag of chips. “Tell me about the Loch Ness.”

“You’re so sure there’s a legend of the Loch here, aren’t you?” Eddie asked, taking out the box filled with lobster rolls.

“Isn’t that why you picked the picture for your store logo? And why else would this place be called Lake Loch?”

“Technically, it’s Lochlain after the man who founded this town.” Eddie corrected. “But we all just call it Lake Loch, and yeah, there’s been some sightings of the infamous Loch Ness.”

“I knew it!” I squealed, leaning forward, ready for the details. “I need the deets.”

Eddie laughed. “It’s just stories, just like all the rumors about Rumor Island.”

“Most stories are based off a single truth,” I rebutted, sticking a chip into my mouth and crunching it.

“How do you know?” he teased.

I shrugged. “Everyone knows that.”

The sound of his low laugh drifted on the wind and wrapped around me. I loved being here like this with him, with the sun on my face, the wind in my hair. These chips were pretty tasty, too.

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