Lights Over Cloud Lake

by Nathan Hystad

  July 15th – 2020

  John wouldn’t answer his phone, and I wasn’t about to be a desperate Betty about it, so I took off, deciding to stop at the sheriff’s office to see if there was any news on Frank. It was quiet there, only two marked cars in the parking lot, and I doubted McCrae was around. I went inside after the streetlight flipped on, the daylight sensors activating the bulbs as the sun crept beyond the treeline.

  McCrae was occupied in someone’s office, his back to me, and I stood there patiently waiting for him to finish his conversation.

  “We have to let Teddy Martin go,” he said, and the room began to spin. Teddy Martin. Peter Martin’s son. What was he doing here? I listened, taking a step farther into the room and trying to stay undetected.

  The other voice was muffled, and I couldn’t hear their side.

  “There’s not enough proof, and we searched the place a week ago. Squeaky clean. He’s got a business, and there are a few testimonies of his character these days. We can’t take every anonymous sighting of the guy trading pills for cash that we hear. We just don’t have the resources,” McCrae said.

  I managed to hear the other man in the room. He must have stood up and walked toward the door. “What about Mark Fisher? His brother’s blaming Teddy. He said they were in it together, and things went sour.”

  “Scott, you know we need proof. Evidence. Something we don’t have in this case. We’ll keep an eye on him, but there’s not enough to detain him any longer,” McCrae said, and I cringed as he turned, seeing me.

  I tried to look nonchalant, like I hadn’t been listening.

  “Miss Heart. What can I do for you?” he asked, unable to keep the annoyance from his voice.

  “I wanted to follow up on Frank. Have you found him?” I asked, still reeling from the news on Teddy Martin being in town. I hadn’t even considered that a possibility. I could recall the few times I’d seen him; the first when he was smoking weed at Local Beach behind Zoe, while she drank her first beer.

  “Turns out Oscar Neville is a devious man. Frank was inside Henry’s house the whole time. Thought it was a good way to add some excitement to the whole Alien Adventure thing.” McCrae sighed and crossed his arms across his expansive chest.

  I wasn’t surprised. “Good. Well, you know what I mean. Sorry to come over here so late,” I said. I wanted to ask about Teddy, but what reason did I have? I decided to try. “Is there a drug problem in Cloud Lake?”

  “You find any small town, big town, city, or otherwise in the world, and tell me there isn’t a drug problem. We have weed, even a bit of heroin sneaking up on us, but mostly pills. They’re easier to obtain and far more dangerous than the old days of homegrown pot,” he told me.

  “Who’s Teddy Martin?” I asked, using my reporter voice.

  “Just a local man. Been here a long time. Spent some time in the slammer, like his old man before him. Not a great lineage there. Again, every town has a family that messes up the community. Ours is the Martins,” he said, regret forming deep lines on his forehead.

  I wanted to ask more, but his expression told me he was closed for business. “Have a good night, Sheriff. See you tomorrow?”

  He looked confused, before a light bulb went off. “Summer Kick-Off. I’ll be there. I thought you were leaving town?”

  “Friday. Going to stick around for this last day of fun in the sun,” I said, my light tone sounding fake even to me. McCrae didn’t seem to notice.

  It was dark by the time I drove to the Cloud Lake Cabins, and when I pulled up, my beams shone on my porch, bathing Clare in their bright light. She was sitting there in a white bathrobe, holding a coffee cup. I turned the engine off, and the lights dimmed, leaving her to form a dark shadow.

  I hesitated but left the car, throwing a smile I didn’t feel across my face. “Clare, what are you doing here?”

  She held the cup with both hands, and I saw she was barefoot. “I wanted to apologize for yesterday.”

  I considered her erratic behavior. Drinking far too much wine, taking pills that weren’t hers, and talking about drowning. It was all unnerving. “Don’t. You’re in a tough spot.” I glanced over, seeing Dan’s truck gone… again. “Where is he tonight?”

  “Celebrating. Probably the Sticky Pig Pub.”

  “Did he secure the land?” I asked.

  She nodded. “Looks that way. Guess he’ll be here a lot more.”

  “And you?” I asked, not wanting to outright say it.

  “I’m going home. Tomorrow. I told him we were through.” Clare set the cup down, and I sat beside her, grabbing her hand.

  “Are you okay? Do you have somewhere to go?” I asked, thrilled she was leaving the man, but worried she wasn’t in the right frame of mind to deal with it.

  “My mother’s in Ohio. She’s a good woman. Kind of feels like I’m heading home with my tail between my legs,” she said.

  “It’s the right call. I can already see the change in you, Clare,” I squeezed her hand, and she finally broke a grin.

  “Thank you. Thanks for being there for me yesterday. I don’t think… I don’t want to think what I might have done,” she admitted.

  “Do you want to stay with me tonight?” I asked, unsure if that was the right move. I tried to imagine Dan coming home from the bar, angry with Clare. One last beating before she left him for good.

  She shook her head. “Dan said he was going to find a room at the motel. He took his stuff already.”

  “How are you getting to your mom’s?” I asked.

  “Bus, I suppose,” she said.

  “At least let me drop you off at the station tomorrow,” I offered, and she nodded.

  “That would be nice. Thanks again, Eva,” she said.

  I had to know. “Clare? I know this might be in bad taste, but I have to ask you something,” I said, the words sputtering from my mouth.

  “What?”

  “Where did you buy those pills?” I asked, and she stood up.

  “A local guy.”

  “Who?”

  “I guess he was found in the lake,” she said quietly.

  “You bought them from Mark Fisher?” I asked, thinking about what I’d heard in McCrae’s office.

  “Yes.”

  I didn’t push her any further. I could tell she already felt like a terrible human, somehow mixing herself into the affairs of dead homegrown drug dealers.

  “See you tomorrow?” I asked her, and she agreed before slowly walking home. Her cup was still on my porch, and I thought about calling to her, but picked it up instead. There was a note taped to my door, and I snatched it off and unlocked the cabin, turning on the interior light.

  I flipped the deadbolt, suddenly not feeling safe in Cloud Lake, not now that I knew Teddy Martin was still lurking around. It all rang a bell in my head. The Martins, the drugs… his father dealt them too, and was only caught because of me. I shoved the thoughts away and read the note, scrawled in messy handwriting.

  Miss Heart,

  Please stop by the office at your earliest convenience. There is an issue with payment.

  Trevor

  I lowered the message and immediately assumed Barns had gone bust and his credit card was no longer any good. Worst case scenario, I pulled out my own card to pay for the nights, and I’d have to fight to get reimbursed. I was sweaty after spending hours in the sun cleaning up Grandma’s cabin, and I slipped into the shower, brewing a pot of coffee while I did so. By the time I was finished, the mirrors were fogged, and I wrapped a towel around my wet hair, smelling the fresh brew. It instantly perked me up, and I opened my laptop, reviewing my notes. I scratched out the completed items from my to-do list, and only one remained.

  Talk to the local Sheriff’s department

  Locate Chester Brown’s address and interview him

  Locate Mark Fisher’s brother

  Talk to Summer Kick-Off committee council member

  Locate Carly Miller family, friends, and/or parents

>   Go to the feed store and talk to Henry about the Tourist UFO watch group

  Find out of Clark still lives in Cloud Lake

  Find out any details about Chester’s cousin Carol. How many people have gone missing here?

  Chester Brown claimed his cousin had been taken by the Grays, but there was no supporting evidence. Just like the fact that Frank’s disappearance was a hoax, and Jess Carver, a scared fourteen-year-old version of myself, had been returned. So had Carly Miller, and no matter what my own faded and blocked memories said about that week, people were behind our abductions, not lean gray aliens.

  It made me think about my mother, and I fiddled with the chain around my neck. I held the small golden cross, and for a moment, I let myself imagine that she’d been taken by a flying saucer against her will. That she’d never intended to leave Zoe and me, even our father, alone and behind, but she’d had no choice. Maybe she was still out there somewhere, thinking about me.

  “Stop being so stupid,” I told myself out loud. She left you, and you were taken into a dark room by Peter Martin. You were kept there while he drugged you; the very same drugs that were found in his house could have done that to your body. I mentally scanned the toxicology reports that had come up inconclusive so long ago, the very same ones the judge chose to ignore. They saw a girl taken by a self-proclaimed drug pusher, and threw the book at him.

  I closed my eyes, the light of my laptop suddenly too oppressive, and I recalled my dad’s face when the verdict came guilty. He was so elated, and I’d only watched him with a knot in my stomach and detached emotions.

  My fingers found the fresh Word document, and I stared at the blinking cursor before typing.

  Cloud Lake is a seemingly perfect tourist location for the summer months. The beach is idyllic: clean sand, and big open skies. Skies that many claim to have seen flying saucers hovering over in the last few decades. Stories date back to before the great Roswell conspiracy of the nineteen forties, but evidence is lacking in the mysterious sightings, as usual.

  While Cloud Lake looks calm on the surface, below the gentle waves, we find a tumultuous past, full of drugs, abductions, and abuse. Not from aliens, or Grays as the locals call them, but from the tangled web the tourists and residents weaved.

  I sat there, staring at the words, hating every one of them. With one fell swoop, I highlighted and deleted the batch, closing the document. This was one story I wasn’t going to tell. Barns was going to have to suck it up and accept my resignation from the Brownstone Beat. That life felt so far away at this moment, like it was someone else’s, and all I had was myself and Cloud Lake.

  My coffee was hot and dark, all the cream used up throughout the week. I could leave right now. Pack my things and head home, away from this place that somehow felt like I belonged here. It wasn’t real, though. It was all a trap, one that I was leading myself into knowingly.

  I grabbed my phone and found Clark’s number. He’d given it to me at Henry’s, and I had the urge to ask him here. To explain everything to him. He would understand why I couldn’t tell him who I was. He’d hug me, hold me tight, and keep me safe from this place.

  My phone beeped, and I almost dropped it in surprise. Maybe Clark decided… Nope. It was from John’s number.

  I’m so sorry about today. I got caught up on a job, and there was no power out there, so I couldn’t charge my phone. Forgive me?

  I read it, feeling relief that he was indeed okay. I couldn’t be angry with him; it was, after all, only a boat ride during the week. He was busy trying to make a name for himself in Cloud Lake, and there was no faulting him for that.

  No problem at all. I was busy too, I texted back.

  Was that your handiwork?

  He could only be talking about Grandma’s place. I hope you don’t mind. I borrowed some stuff, but put everything in its place when I was finished.

  It looks great. I don’t mind one bit. Kick-Off tomorrow?

  I wasn’t sure if he was implying we go together, or if he was just asking if I was still going. I didn’t have room to complicate my life anymore. I was going to stop by, make my peace with Clark, and leave. I’ll be there for a bit. See you if I see you? I hoped the text wasn’t too dismissive.

  Perfect. Casual cool.

  I laughed. I really did like John. He was handsome, hard-working, had a sense of humor, and he really seemed like the type that would dote on you. In another lifetime, I suspected we’d make a good pairing, but not in this one. In this one, my heart was a teenage girl’s, and it belonged to a young man with blond hair, blue eyes, and a sideways grin.

  Talk later.

  I set the phone down. The compulsion to call Clark and spill the beans had passed. I’d tell him tomorrow. I had to. It was the only way I could leave and never feel the need to come back to Cloud Lake. I needed to end my affair with the place; the trauma was too deep-rooted, and it was time to cut it out and move forward. Texas was sounding better and better.

  Scrolling through my contacts, I found Zoe’s number, and I knew she’d be heading to bed if she wasn’t already in it, reading a worn paperback romance.

  Ready to talk about visiting. Still have that spare room with my name on it? My finger hovered over the send button, and I bit my lip as I tapped it.

  Zoe must have had her phone beside her, because the response came quickly. I’ll wash the sheets tomorrow. Just tell me when. I love you, dude.

  This brought a smile to my face. Everything was looking up. Love you too.

  I left the words I was thinking out of the text.

  I forgive you.

  July 16th – 2020

  It was Thursday morning, the opening day of the Summer Kick-Off and my last few hours in Cloud Lake. I felt good, better than I had in years, but coming off medication wasn’t an easy feat. I glared at my bottle of pills, almost unable to believe that I’d functioned for most of the week without them. I left the lid on and shoved them into my open purse.

  For once, I had a future staring me in the face, one that was unknown but positive. Cloud Lake and what had happened as a kid were going to be put to rest, and this trip was doing what a half dozen therapists and medications had never been able to. It was freeing my memories and barriers.

  My clothes didn’t take long to pack, and I threw on capris and a plain white tee with a deep V neck. My hair was loose and frizzy from the humidity, and I left it that way, trying to have it feel as free as I did at that moment. There was a new Eva Heart… Jessica Carver in town. I wondered what it would be like to change my name back. Maybe I’d find out.

  My computer was charging, and I gathered all my things into a pile by the door. I’d come for them later, after breakfast. My fridge was all but empty, and I took a moment to collect the last egg and an old apple from the counter, throwing them into the garbage, which I tied up and brought with me outside.

  I grabbed the note from Trevor and headed toward the gravel road. Families were already outside, and I waved to a couple of kids, who ran for the cabin shyly as they saw me. My shoes crunched against the rocky road, my steps lighter than they’d felt in years. I tossed the garbage bag into the communal bin before changing my direction to the entrance of Cloud Lake Cabins.

  The office had an open sign, and I knocked before pressing the door open. Trevor was there, sitting behind a desk, and he glanced up when I entered.

  “Sorry to leave a note like that, Miss Heart,” he said, eyeing the paper in my hand.

  “No problem at all. What’s the issue?” I asked, wallet already zipped open.

  “You were prepaid for four nights, but not last night. Are you sticking around for longer?” Trevor asked, clicking away at the keyboard.

  “No. I’m leaving today.”

  “Do you mind paying for last night, then? I can give you a great deal, it’s just, I can’t do any gratis… management likes to see sold-out bookings or else I lose my bonus,” he said, and I laughed, letting him know there was no problem with me paying.

/>   “My boss can reimburse me later.” I slid my card over to him, and he smiled as he took it, keying in the digits before printing the receipt on a clunky old laser printer. It jammed, and he went over to it, pulling the damaged paper out, and soon another sheet flowed out freely.

  “Do you mind?” he asked, holding the torn paper up.

  “That’ll do just fine,” I said, and he had me sign my name before handing me the receipts. I looked at the first sheet, the one Barns had paid for, and my world crumbled in. The name on the reservation stood out like it was in flashing lights. Theodore Martin. “What… what…” I couldn’t find the words, and Trevor stared at me, blank-faced.

  “What is it, Eva?” he asked, finally using my first name.

  “The booking. Who made it?” I asked as my pulse raced through my body, the heavy pounding filling my head.

  He returned his gaze to the computer and shrugged. “The guy didn’t say who he was, specifically. He only gave yours, and spouted off a credit card.”

  I stared at the name, trying to understand how this could be. It didn’t make any sense, and I stumbled backwards, looking for a seat. I plopped onto a sofa behind me and stared at the paperwork. Trevor was saying something, but I couldn’t hear him.

  My hands fumbled into my pocket for my phone, and I pulled it out, searching for my work contacts. I found Harry’s number and dialed it, taking deep breaths alongside each ring, my head beginning to clear.

  “Hello,” Harry answered.

  “Harry. Is Barns in the office?” I asked without preface.

  “Eva, what is it? You’re scaring me,” he said.

  “Is Barns in the office?” I asked again, this time yelling.

  “No. He didn’t come in today. No one knows where he is,” Harry admitted.

  “Do me a favor. Go into his office. Search everything for this name. Theodore Martin. Teddy Martin.”

  “What’s this about? You want me to break into my uncle’s office and search through his things?” Harry’s voice was incredulous.