Spirit Lake Ep. 1.41

Julie sat in her bedroom, the sound of people moving about the house an oddity to her ears. She had gotten so use to being alone, with only her memories to keep her company. Now there were people, actually living beings invading her space. It was an odd feeling. Part of her wanted to run into the hallway and scream for them to all leave, to leave her alone with her past. The other part took comfort in knowing that life surrounded her once more, and not just the ghosts of the dead.
She heard a knock at her door.
"It’s open." She looked up, her mind still in a slight daze.
Roy peaked his head inside the room, hesitant to enter. She nodded, and he stepped in.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay." He sat on the end of her bed next to her, his hands folded in his lap, his eyes taking in the familiar surroundings.
"I’m fine." She laid back, letting out a loud sigh. "How are you holding up? Heard the nurse gave you a pretty good beating."
"I’ll live." He grew silent, his eyes falling on her dresser.
She sat up, and saw that he was looking at Brian’s picture.
"You miss him?" His voice shook a little as he spoke.
"Yeah." She walked to the dresser, picking up the picture. She handed it to her cousin.
"It feels like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it?" His eyes were glued to Brian’s face. "You weren’t there were you?" He looked up. "When it happened?"
She shook her head.
She had stayed on the dock, sunbathing with Carla when the guys took out the boat. At the time she hadn’t had a great feeling about letting Brian go, but how many other times had they all followed that same routine? Almost every weekend during the warm months it was hanging out on the dock or taking out the boat. Brian had practically grown up on that speedboat.
Julie sat down, taking the picture back.
"How did it happen?" Her fingers traced Brian’s face over the smooth glass.
"I don’t know." Roy looked towards the window, then the door, but never at her. "We were just hanging out, talking. Then Brian was at the front of the boat. We were moving, and I guess we must have hit a wave or something, because the next second he was gone." Roy paused, his hand gripping the bed spread. "Then the next thing we saw was a red cloud forming in the water behind the boat."
Julie knew the rest. She had seen Roy and Paul diving off of the boat, searching for Brian. She could remember the fear twisting in her gut as she watched, waited for her brother to break the surface, okay. He didn’t.
Paul had been the one to pull him from the water, and the first thing Julie had noticed was that her brother’s right arm didn’t look right. It seemed, from the elbow down, to just be a tangled, red mess of flesh. There was no hand, just this stringy flesh.
His head had been hit as well. The doctors said that was what had killed him. They had retraced his actions before dying for her parents, and she had been unlucky enough to overhear.
Brian had tried to block the propeller with his hand, but it hadn’t worked, and he had been pulled into the swirling blades, one of them connecting with his skull, cutting off the left half of his scalp and cracking his skull.
Roy stood, not looking at her.
"I’m sorry." His voice gave away the fact that he was crying.
"For what?" Julie reached out, placing her hand on his.
"I should have been watching him." He looked down at her, his face streaked with tears, his lips trembling. "I should have kept him from going out on the front of the boat. I was... I was to caught up in Paul. I wasn’t paying attention."
"Brian knew what he was doing. He wasn’t a little kid Roy. He was a teenager." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "So were you. It was an accident."
Roy nodded, but he couldn’t speak. He leaned down and kissed Julie on the forehead, then left the room, leaving her alone with the vivid memory of her brother’s death now newly refreshed in her memory.
She stood, placing the picture back on the dresser. She couldn’t take her eyes off of her brother’s face. The picture had been taken a year before he had died. He was only fifteen, she was seventeen. Still, he looked older. He had gotten so tall over the past year, and his face had seemed to fill out more, loosing the softness of childhood, replaced by the refined edges of a growing man. His brown hair had been long, falling in front of his face in strands, blocking his left eye from the camera’s view.
She left her room. It suddenly felt to small. She needed space, life.
She rushed to the main staircase, through the kitchen, and out onto the back porch.
The lake air hit her, and she realized she had been holding her breath. She let the cool, slightly humid breeze enter her, fill her lungs. Instantly she felt calm. The sounds of the lake, the birds and frogs, blocked out her thoughts.
She leaned against the wooden railing, closed her eyes, and let herself vanish into the dusk that surrounded her.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.40

William sat on Paul’s bed, examining his patient’s wound. He was glad to find that it hadn’t gotten infected, but it wasn’t healing as fast as he had hoped either.
"It still hurt?" William began applying a new bandage to Paul’s side.
"Not to bad." Paul looked out the bedroom door and into the living room where Roy was talking to Carla and Stephen.
"You need to keep physical activity to a minimum." William pulled Paul’s shirt back over the wound. "That includes sex."
Paul glanced at him, and gave a weak smile.
"We couldn’t help ourselves." Slowly he sat up, leaning his back against the large wooden headboard on the bed. "What are they talking about?"
"We’re all getting moved into Julie’s house, at least for the time being." William picked his black leather bag off the floor and started loading his equipment into it. "I’m going to get an ambulance to take you over there."
"Roy is coming?" Paul couldn’t take his eyes off his boyfriend, and the way Stephen kept touching his shoulder, or the looks he would give him. It made Paul’s skin crawl.
"Of course. He wouldn’t let you out of his sight for two seconds." William glanced over at the three people talking in the living room. "You’re going to hate this part though. Stephen’s coming to."
"Why?" Paul tried to lean over quickly, but was greeted instead by a stabbing pain.
"Take it easy! He’s just there for protection." William gently helped Paul get into a normal seated position.
Paul hated that he was in such bad shape. They were all stuck in a life or death situation, and at the moment he was of no use to anyone. God forbid they had to run from anything.
He knew Roy would be there for him, but after what he had put Roy through over the years he refused to be the one who got him killed.
"Great, we’ve got Johnny Wad protecting us." Paul crossed his arms over his chest, sighing. "I feel safer already."
"Jealous?" William smiled, his right eyebrow arching.
"Of Stephen? Of course not!" Paul tried to laugh, but he knew how forced it sounded. "It’s just... I led him around for so long, and I mean, yeah, now I want to make this a serious relationship, but..."
"Roy doesn’t love Stephen. He loves you." William patted Paul on the leg and stood up. "He has for years. Why do you think he put up with you for so long?"
"William," Paul looked the doctor right in the eyes. "Take care of Carla. Watch out for her. She’s strong, but not as strong as she thinks, and she’s stubborn, but she’s a good woman. Protect her."
"I will." William looked at Carla. "They’ll have to kill me first before they get to her."
"Don’t say that. They just might."
Paul and William’s eyes met, and they both knew they had to be ready to either die for the ones they loved, or watch them die. Paul was not ready to die, but he wasn’t going to let Roy go. Not now.
-*-
Julie opened the main gate and led the small procession of cars up the long drive towards the front door. She parked, and got out of her car.
She could see the sky changing from blue to a light orange and pink. It would be night soon, and she had a feeling that this night in particular was not going to be an easy one.
She opened the front door and let everyone in. She watched as Roy helped Paul up the stairs, his hand around his waist, taking each step slowly. Carla brushed past them, William right behind her.
Roxanne stood at her side. Her one small, bright red duffel bag slung over her shoulder.
"Never thought I’d get to sleep in a mansion." She looked around the foyer. "This place is huge."
"Tonight that may not be a good thing." Julie closed the front door.
Stephen would stop by in an hour after he set some stuff up at the station. Until then, the whole group was on their own.
She motioned towards the stairs.
"Go find a room."
Roxanne slowly started towards the stairs.
"Just not the last room on the left. It’s... it was my brother’s room."
Roxanne looked back at her and nodded, then made her way up the staircase.
Julie crossed her arms, her eyes closed. She sighed, rolling her neck.
She was sure this was going to be another long, sleepless night.
They were going to need coffee.

Double Episodes Today

I'm posting episode 1.39 today due to the fact that because of a commitment at work I won't be able to post it tomorrow.  Yay for double episodes!  Posting will resume its regular schedule friday.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.39

Roxanne stood at the sink, the water running hot. She could see little wisps of steam evaporate over the small plastic basin. She couldn’t seem to focus. Her eyes never seemed to stay on just one thing, and when they did the whole world seemed to just stop, vanishing into a cloud of white.
She shook her head, trying to snap back into reality, but it wasn’t happening. She was to tired, to frightened and to hung over to deal with any of this.
She looked in the mirror and frowned. Her make-up was smeared, and she had a nice sized bruise forming on her right cheek from her little fight with Harvey.
She was guessing that Moira hadn’t liked that Harvey had lost that round.
She closed her eyes, her hands gripping the side of the sink. The sobs started again, but the tears were few and far between. She just didn’t have anything left in her. She was so drained.
She had dealt with so much in Chicago, but nothing compared to this. She had seen violence, but nothing this brutal. She was in over her head, and all she wanted was out.
She took a deep breath, tried to calm herself down. If she didn’t get a hold on things she would go insane. She could feel her mind right on the edge, getting ready to let go.
She turned the water to cold, and waited for it to cool before taking a handful and splashing it against her face.
Blindly she reached, her hand grabbing for a paper towel. Instead she found her hand resting on a bare, human shoulder.
"Welcome to Spirit Lake, Roxanne." The voice was a whisper. "I hope you enjoy your stay."
Her eyes snapped open and she screamed. She expected someone, something to come at her, but all she saw was empty space.
She was alone.
She checked the stalls, but no one was there.
She couldn’t stay in that room, alone, for one second longer. Even though she could see no one, she could still feel something. She rushed to the door, grabbing the handle and froze.
A soft, warm breath hit the back of her neck, followed by a small sigh.
It was as if an electric bolt had shot up Roxanne’s spine. She pulled the door open, rushing into the bar.
She saw Julie doing the same thing at the front door.
Their eyes met, but they said nothing. They just walked back to their table and sat down. She could feel Julie’s hand grab hers, then give it a squeeze.
"I don’t really feel like being alone right now, do you?" Julie’s voice shook as she spoke.
"Not really."
"Good."

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.38

Stephen had told Julie the plan, his eyes begging her to go along with it. She couldn’t argue that it was a good idea, but she had to wonder if the Kramer Mansion was the best place for everyone.
Still, she agreed.
The storm was coming, Moira had told her that much, and after seeing what she had done to Harvey, and what Nurse Fitch had tried to do to her cousin, she knew Moira was making good on her promise. It would better if they were all together to face it, then divided and vulnerable.
Once Stephen had finished talking to her, she sat at the same center table they had all been around last night. Roxanne sat there, chewing on her nails, her face pale, her eyes bloodshot.
"You guys will be safe up there." She didn’t look at Julie as she spoke, and her words were mumbled because of the fingernail she had locked between her teeth.
"You’re coming to." Julie closed her eyes as the front door opened. The bright sunlight was making her hangover worse. "You’re part of this. Harvey made sure of that."
Roxanne looked at her, eyes wide. She shook her head, her brown hair swinging from side to side. For a brief moment she looked like a child.
"I didn’t sign up for this. Julie, I’m not from here. I got no ties here." Tears were welling in Roxanne’s eyes. "Why’d he have to come after me?"
"For those very same reasons you just listed. You have no ties. No one would think twice if you vanished." Julie didn’t know what to do to console her new found comrade.
Truthfully she was just as big a wreck as Roxanne was, at least on the inside. Her throbbing head and sour stomach just made it harder for her to express it.
"I could just leave." She pulled her finger from her mouth, the gnawed nail starting to bleed, and crossed her arms over her torso. "I could just pack up my things, and get the hell out of here."
"You know to much, and you know that. Moira would never let you go." Julie was starting to get frustrated. "Listen, you’re going to get yourself killed unless you calm down."
"Calm down?" Roxanne stood, the chair she was sitting in crashing to the floor. She pointed towards the window, right at the view of the library, where two police officers were taking pictures of Harvey’s body. "I don’t want to end up like that Julie. I don’t want to end with my guts wrapped around my neck, hung from some building, naked. I just want to leave."
Julie stood, not sure what to do. She grabbed Roxanne wrapped her arms around her.
Roxanne burst into tears, her body shaking. Julie gently ran her hand up and down Roxanne’s back, trying to calm her like a mother would calm her baby. It wasn’t working.
"I’m so scared." Roxanne’s voice was moist mess.
Julie sat her down, but kept her hand on Roxanne’s shoulder. The contact seemed to be working, but not quick enough. She was still a hysterical mess.
"We’re all scared." Julie’s voice was soft, sweet.
Roxanne looked out the window at Harvey’s body one last time, and then stood, walking towards the bathroom.
"You okay?" Julie stood, ready to run after her.
"I’m going to be sick." Roxanne didn’t look back as she spoke. She just pushed open the door to the lady’s room, and vanished from Julie’s view.
She collapsed on her chair, her head swimming. She could feel the alcohol sweating from her body. She wanted a hot cup of coffee and a shower so badly, but she was stuck in the Hub until the police said it was okay.
She needed fresh air. The bar was getting stuffy, and a few of the officers had lit up cigarettes, making the air near unbearable. She pushed past the door, letting the officer know she would just be outside. He gave her a look, but let her through.
She leaned against the worn wood side of the bar, the black paint was warm, absorbing the heat from the sun.
Main St. Was mostly empty, but it was still early. She was pretty sure that by noon the place would be packed. Harvey’s body would be gone, and all that would be left would be idle town gossip.
She looked out over the lake. The way the light reflected off of the slight ripples made it look kind of like tin foil. The trees surrounding the shore were bright green, lush. It all looked so peaceful, so beautiful.
She knew better.
A young couple walking by glanced her way, and at first she thought nothing of it, but then they kept watching her. The young man pulled a flower from his pocket and handed it to the girl. She sniffed it, and as the blossom touched her nose Julie felt her stomach knot up.
The young girl was holding a black rose. They both smiled at her, then kept on their way.
Suddenly she didn’t feel like she needed any more air.

A Call To Writers (Sorry About the Cheesy Title)

So, here is my little call to writers.  All you writers out there, I want you to start your own serial web novels.  Why?  So many talented writers go by never having anyone read their work.

Web comics have been doing this for years, and it is time for those of us who have writing talent to take a risk and jump into the deep waters that are blog publishing.

The other reason I want more people to attempt to write web serials... I want to see what you guys can come up with.  I would love to find a series out there and get hooked on it.  I would love to see the community grow, because I want to see what comes of it. 

So, my call to all you writers out there.  Create a serial web novel.  Do it however you want, about whatever you want.  Put it out there, and see if people react.  Stick with it.  Complete it.  Give it a try.

Spirit Lake Ep. 1.37

Carla now found herself tucked in the back office of the Hub, a blanket around her, and cops milling about. Stephen Roberts sat in front of her, a concerned look on his face.

"Three murders in two days. What the hell is going on here?" He rubbed his mustache, his eyes on the floor.

"You wouldn’t believe me if I told you." She couldn’t look at him. She closed her eyes, wrapping the blanket tighter around her body.

"Try me." He stood and began pacing. "Carla, if you guys are in some kind of trouble let me know. I can help you. I want to help you."

He placed his hand on her shoulder, attempting to comfort her, but she could only pull away. She didn’t want to be touched, to even be looked at. She just wanted to curl up into a little ball and vanish.

"You can’t help us," she snapped. "This... thing that Harvey had gotten himself caught up in is powerful. More powerful than some small town police force." She stood up, pushing past Stephen, and out into the bar where the cops were questioning the rest of her friends.

He grabbed her arm, stopping her. She turned and slapped him.

"Don’t touch me!" Her voice was a shrill shriek.

"Tell me what you know Carla. This town is going crazy pretty damn fast, and I need to know what’s causing it." He was screaming now, his face red.

Carla was shocked. Stephen looked genuinely scared. She was guessing he didn’t get many mutilated bodies in Spirit Lake. She stopped, then motioned her head towards the office.

Stephen followed her, closing the door behind him, locking them away from the rest of the world.

She had known Stephen for most of her life, but at that moment she wasn’t sure she could trust him. She knew how old the Black Rose Society was, and how deep its roots were, but right now she had to take a risk.

So she told him everything, every last detail. He sat there in stunned silence as she went on about the messages, and Charles Kramer’s diary, and seeing Harvey with Moira in the library.

He didn’t speak for a few moments, and she was afraid he was going to laugh, to tell her to knock it all off. She didn’t know what she would do if that happened. If Stephen didn’t believe her after what he had seen, then no one would.

"I don’t know what to do with that." His fingers went back to rubbing his mustache, his eyes darting around the room. "You’re serious."

"Do you think I would joke about this Stephen?" She leaned forward, looking right in his eyes, and when she spoke her voice was a low whisper, almost a growl. "Three people are dead. One of those people tried to rape Roxanne last night, and another one tried to take out Paul and Roy. I would not joke about this."

He met her gaze, but could only hold it for a few seconds. He stood, turning his back to her, his hands running through his hair, over his face. He turned, and she could sense his fear.

"Do you know where they are? Like, a headquarters or something?"

"I doubt they would advertise it, and it probably isn’t a good idea to tail Moira Clawson, considering she’s a psychotic, murderous witch." She could feel her face growing hot with anger. She knew the police would be useless.

"Then you all need to stay together. If she comes after you, you’ll be better in a group than alone." He glanced out the office door, into the bar. "Maybe you guys could stay here."

"I am not living in a bar for the rest of my life. Roy and Paul may be able to put up with it, but I can’t." She leaned back in her chair.

"Then what about Julie’s house. It’s big enough, and it’s gated." He looked back at her. "I could stay with you guys for tonight, maybe tomorrow, and we can have a police guard around you at all times." He sat down, closing his eyes, his fingers rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I can’t believe I’m actually believing all of this. If it was anyone else telling me this... fantasy, I would have them committed. You, on the other hand..."

"Stephen, it’s not just me and my friends. It’s the whole town." She leaned forward, placing her hand on his knee.