Page 44 of Lake Hollow Curses

The dichotomy is one that intrigues me. Lake Hollow is ingrained in the very marrow of my bones. The iced over winters, the thawing spring. It’s a part of who I am.

I grew up hearing about the loss of my uncle Daniel. I’m his namesake… Charles Daniel. He became canonized as a saint in our family all due to losing his life in the lake. Immortalized, made bigger than life in his passing. I heard, when I was twelve, the truth of who Daniel was…

Did it make me curious? Propel me towards my fate?

Or would I have come this way full circle regardless?

I don’t question it anymore.

I firmly believe that some people are only here to shake things up. Like me.

To balance life out.

Cal, Wilder, Grady… my Remington. None of them were ever safe from me. Because they all belonged to me, mine to do with as I wished.

The best friend whose actions I studied from an early age and often copied.

The town outcast that I helped shape into the villain.

The enemy's closeted spawn who was always going to choose poorly.

And Remington. The unpredictable girl that lives life unapologetically. Am I able to feel love?Isthis love I feel? Sure… as much as I believe someone is a part of me, belongs to me. She showed me facets of life I never considered. She could see what I wanted her to, perfectly. The way she envisioned me was exactly what I wanted to be seen as. The bird understander, the fixer, the protector.

They were all limited by a false sense of morality. They all let emotion carry them away from being logical. Precise. Determined.

Am I cursed?

Or amIthe curse?

The first time with Mark Tullery was intentional.

He had to go. Not only did he get compared to Daniel too much, but he was also trying to get my friends to stay away from me. He should’ve kept his opinion to himself. It was his own fault.

“Charlie thinks we should quit the team because it takes up too much time,” Cal told him, shoving the bats into a bag, while Carter stood to the side tossing the baseball up in the air to catch it. He nods in agreement. No one can see me, standing at the side of the dugout.

Mark huffs out a disgusted laugh. “That kid is nothing but trouble. Mark my words, he’s going to drag both of youdown. Get away from him if you know what’s good for you. Seriously.”

Cal and Carter exchange a concerned look, before Cal says, “That sounds kind of mean. Just because he doesn’t play baseball?”

“No. Because he’s a manipulative little brat.”

I’d already buried the medication I found in our boathouse fridge. Medication mom had been prescribed after her bout of bulimia that left her potassium deficient. I knew enough that it was untraceable after death. After watching his routine, I determined the best time to attack him was while he was on a run near Lakeside Park. I would take our rowboat in the middle of the night to dump his body near where Daniel had died.

There was a symmetry in it that appealed to me.

The second time was unintentional. Sort of.

I was only going to confront Mia. Tell her that I knew about her and my dad.

But instead of listening to me, she mocked me. Insulted me.“What are you talking about? You’re such a little psycho. You don’t think I’ve noticed the way you watch people? I told Carter that he needs to stay away from you. Wait until I tell your parents about this.” Spinning away from me, towards the parking lot of Lakeside Park, she laughs before looking over her shoulder at me. “Besides I’m not the person your dad is screwing.”

Calmly, I move silently through the dark behind Mia. The syringe in my pocket, my fingers moving over the cap. A jab to her neck. Untraceable… the tiny prick almost impossible to see. I take off her precious necklace, sliding that into the other pocket. “I’ll show you crazy,” I whisper near her ear, “All you had to do was listen, but you couldn’t even do that. This is your fault.”

The second time in the rowboat to dump someone in the lake, she wasn’t dead when she went in. I held her under, giving her a benediction of sorts, “Remember that you are water. Cry. Cleanse. Flow. Let Go.” I gave a final shove as her muscles locked up.

The third time felt like the universe was giving me a sign, I had dumped Mia’s necklace in the trash. Somehow the girl staying at The Bends found it. She was getting on my nerves anyway.

“Why are you being mean to me?” Tera asked following me from the Lodge down to the shore. Her flirting with Cal at the Funpark hadn’t worked, now she’s trying it with me. She’s become annoying. It’s her fault for not taking a hint.

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