Page 2 of Lake Hollow Curses

All four of my boyfriends rush at me when the door opens.

“Christ, James, did you feel that energy?” Wilder asks in my ear with a quick hug.

“I was afraid you passed out with all that smoke inhalation,” Cal says smoothing a hand down my back.

Charlie edges in closer. “Are you okay? Your eyes are red… were you crying?”

With my hand in his, Grady adds, “We didn’t need to burn the damn trunk. Are you regretting it?”

Am I okay, do I regret anything? Only time will tell.

Right now, my mind can’t stop going over the details. “You’re all being dramatic. I’m better than okay. The costumes are gone, I’m letting go of the past.” Taking a big breath and wiping my hair from my face, I add, “It’s been a long couple of days.” I don’t regret the trunk, but I’m regretting finding those pages. I can’t unsee it. I pick at the words on the page not obliterated by water damage.‘I told him I saw him with Sara, he pushed her down into the lake. I saw her hands come up then she disappeared.’

‘He looked right at me when he turned from the lake.’

Then Charlie, whose lap I was sitting on not even an hour ago, while I tried to force feed him my terribly burnt smores,myCharlie says, “There’s more going on here.”

Wrapping his arms around me from behind, he whispers, “Please tell us what’s wrong.”

Blinking tears away, I laugh abruptly, pulling away from all of them. “Last person out of this cabin is doomed to eating that gloppy casserole Ceily made… with tuna, peas, and I swear raisins in it.” I stick my tongue out in disgust.

Falling all over each other and me, they try pushing through the door en masse while chattering away, Wilder turns to grin at me, but he pauses. I’ve come to a halt, feet from the door. Inever noticed that initials were etched into the wood door frame inches from the floor.

I move to the door, squatting to look at what’s etched there… WPL… I’ve seen those initials before…

“James?” He looks around the room. “Let’s get out of here. I’m getting a bad vibe. It feels oppressive, something’s not right… let's get the hell out of here.”

I want to run from the whole mess.

But there is no outrunning my problems now.

I’m ready to admit that it’s no coincidence I’ve come across Katie’s diary, there’s been forces pushing me towards it. I steel my heart for my mission ahead. Katie Gibson witnessed a murder, Carlotta Marlow was onto the suspect, Wilder’s visions are increasing… it’s time to get pushier.

Restless spirits aside, the victim’s families deserve to know the truth. The residents of Lake Hollow need to know that the drownings were no accident.

Chapter Two

Charlie Gibson

There was hesitation when Cal asked Remi to leave with us last night.

Something changed after she’d been in the cabin, and if Wilder hadn’t been standing across from me at the bonfire, I would have sworn that he’d been whispering in her ear. She’d mentioned his visions are getting worse. I refrained from asking him anything about them, because I don’t trust him. I’d been willing to try, based on Remi’s urging, but I can’t anymore. Wilder is getting to be a problem. His motives are murky. As far as I’m concerned, they always have been.

Coming to a halt before the patio doors, I hear Natalie say, “Ew, I don’t think I’m going to eat gummy bears anymore.”

Mitchell’s response is muffled, as he walks back towards her, and I lose sight of him.

“Because it’s a product of turkey, it says so on the package and I hate poultry.”

As the village idiots examine the candy wrapper, I step outside. “It’s made in Turkey, not madeofturkey.” It’s unfair to lump Mitchell in with Natalie James and her fluff headed comments, but they’ve been attached at the hip. I haven’t had a chance to talk to him since our meeting with Detective Hemminger.

“Are you going fishing with me this afternoon or not?” I could care less about what activity we do, but ever since Natalie took a hook in her arm from a cast by Mitch, she’s squeamish about fishing. It gives me an opportunity for some time alone with him. He’s been avoiding me.

Guilt over what he told the detective? Why else would Hemminger ask about Katie’s whereabouts the night Sara passed away?

Natalie looks between us, twisting, slightly in place. Mitch drops her hand, tucking both of his under his armpits. Sighing, he says, “Can we fish off the dock?”

An alarm sounds in my mind. He’s being weird about the lake again. “Sure. We don’t have to fish, I’m up for a run to Beau’s. We need to discuss the paperwork dad had drawn up.”

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