What Lies Beneath

Eleven

"Tyler, how often do you do this? You're like a pro." Patty's voice was loud behind me as we trotted along the lake, even though she was speaking in a whisper. I've come to realize talking was her way of calming her nerves. Well, rambling to be exact. Bringing her was a bad idea.

"Enough to know my way of sneaking around"—I shrugged and scanned the water pushing up against the lake's edge—"remember to keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

"Okay," she murmured. I thought that was the end of the conversation, however, she proved me wrong when she spoke up again. "I'm surprised you haven't gotten caught yet."

"I guess you could say I've had loads of practice."

"Really? So, no one's ever seen you snooping around? You're lucky! The locals would recognize me in a heartbeat. Wait, the locals. Crap, did we pass anyone on our way here? Did you feel or see any eyes watching us? Oh God, what if someone saw us and told my parents I was hanging out with a boy after school? I told them I was out studying! I can't afford to—"

My eyebrows pinched close together as I frowned at her. "Patty, maybe it's best if you just went back home. It's not too late to back out. . ." Gosh, this seriously was a bad idea. No matter how much she'd insisted she wouldn't freak out, I should have just turned her down like I did the first two times she told me she'd come along.

Another thing that could be added to the list of Patty's firsts: Lying to her parents. My bad habits were starting to rub off on Patty Lane in all of the wrong ways (in only a time span of twenty-four-hours too), and I highly doubted her parents would appreciate that. Especially if they found out who the bad influence was. Maybe I shouldn't have dragged Patty into this, after all. For both her sake and mines.

"No! I'm fine. I won't say anything else. Let's keep looking," she rushed out.

"Why are you so insistent on bending the rules all of a sudden?"

"What you said to me earlier"—she paused, fidgeting under my stare—"I thought about it a lot, and I realized my life revolves around studying. And I know once I go home, that's exactly what will be expected of me. I just want a . . . break. Yeah, that's what I want. A break. . ."

"Okay." I cleared my throat, turning away from her. "Keep looking then." Silence overwhelmed us again; joined by the soft whispers of the lake being carried on by the breeze, moments later. Nothing in particular stuck out to me besides the average fish, ducks, trash, and any other small items that might've been dropped, or had even gotten tossed into the lake.

Patty dropped to her knees to examine the lake at a closer angle. As she tilted her face near the water, she peeked at me from the corner of her eyes. "So, how many times have you visited this place? I don't think I asked before."

"Three times, counting today," I answered. "The first time was with my brother. The second time was on my own." Patty nodded slowly, as though my words weren't registering fast enough in her brain. Then, she hummed.

"Coming back here on your own twice, huh? You're pretty fearless."

"When you've seen all that, I have, not much can scare you anymore." I could see a hint of curiosity deep in her stare pressuring me for answers she wasn't going to get anytime soon. And if she knew me like she thought she did, she probably knew that too. I wasn't even comfortable enough to tell Christian about my visions, and he was my brother. There was no way I'd just spill everything out to her—a girl who I could only consider an acquaintance from school.

Finally, Patty's stare had let up. She pushed herself up straight again, glancing back over her shoulder. I followed her line of vision, wandering over the darkness overwhelming the wooded area behind us; with only a few splotches of sunlight left to guide us around. It was darker than the last time I was here. And this time, the evening sky had already settled.