by Chase Connor
“What does that mean?”
I just stared at him. He sighed again.
“Okay.” He shrugged. “So, maybe I have premonitions. So what?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged back. “That’s not normal though, right?”
“I guess not.”
“How long have you had premonitions?”
“Long as I can remember.” He replied evenly. “But I didn’t recognize what they were, or that I was even having them until I was in college. So I’m still adjusting to it myself.”
“What does that make you?” I asked. “Clairvoyant? Psychic?”
“Why does it make me anything?” His brow furrowed. “You seem awfully concerned with the arbitrary characteristics of everyone around you.”
“I wouldn’t call that arbitrary but a very big part of who you are and what makes you who you are, Lucas.”
“What are you?” He actually snapped.
My neck jerked back.
“Sorry.” He looked down.
“I don’t know who I am,” I said evenly. “I couldn’t even begin to tell you who I am, Lucas.”
With that, I turned and continued the journey towards the lake. After a few moments, I heard the shuffle of other footsteps through the loose snow, and I knew Lucas was following. We didn’t speak again on our journey through the snowy woods, but once we exited the other side, the shore less than ten yards away, Lucas came to stand beside me.
“Do you ever feel like Robert Wagner and Jacob Michaels are not all you are?” Lucas asked gently. “But you can’t put your finger on it?”
My head turned of its own accord to look at him.
“Yes.” I shrugged. “And no.”
“Explain. Please.”
“I’m Robert Wagner. Robert the youngest.” I said. “My parents are gone. My Oma raised me. I grew up in a household with weird shadows and weird happenings. I ran away at sixteen to join the circus, essentially. When I don’t know who I am—it’s a developmental thing. A personality quirk. I don’t know how I feel about relationships and love and sex and whether or not I know the people nearest and dearest to me as well as I thought. I don’t know what I want to do with the rest of my life. I don’t wonder if there’s a hyphen at the end of ‘human.’ That’s what I mean.”
Lucas looked out towards the lake, thoughtfulness and concerned etched on his face. Maybe he was starting to get a hint at the mess of a guy he was trying to build a relationship with. Was he concerned that he was making a bad choice in trying to make our relationship into something more—or was he just concerned for me? I didn’t know. And I wasn’t sure that I wanted to know. Nothing would have upset me more at that moment than knowing that he had changed his mind about caring about me in that way. I didn’t want my own hang-ups to make Lucas run away. I wasn’t sure that I cared for Lucas in the same way that he said he cared for me—but I didn’t want to lose him either. Which was crazy. I barely knew him, after all.
“Why can’t you just accept that you know who I am, Rob?” He asked softly, his face still turned towards the lake. “I mean, why does it matter if I have some weird premonitions? I don’t turn hairy at the full moon. I’m not going to try and attack you. I don’t have any ulterior motives. I’m not some creature of the night. I just have some quirks. Just like everyone else.”
“Because I haven’t lived with this knowledge for as long as you have, Lucas,” I replied. “I didn’t know werewolves were real. I didn’t know that Oma was a witch. I didn’t know that one day I would say those words so casually and not mumble incoherently at the craziness of it all. I’m trying to adjust. And the only way I can do that is by asking questions. Trying to quantify and validate all of this new information.”
“I suppose so.” He sighed.
“Staying with me…I mean, doing this…is not going to be easy for me.” I shivered at the feeling of being nearly knee deep in snow as we stood there. “Or for you. You seem to have knowledge about a world I’ve only just discovered. It’s normal for you. It’s not for me. It’s going to be confusing and weird for a while. If that bothers you…”
“What is that?”
“I just meant that—”
“No.” He interjected. “That.”
Looking over at Lucas I saw, even in the low light that the moon provided, that he was staring off west along the shore of the lake. With a frown, I followed his gaze, looking for whatever it was that he was seeing. Finally, my eyes landed upon a figure standing out all alone on the shore, on one of the higher overlooks over the lake. It was about twenty yards away from our position on the shore. All alone and cast in shadow, the figure seemed to be doing a weird jig of some kind or thrashing uncontrollably. My eyes grew wide as I watched the gangly figure doing its bizarre dance on the overlook, wondering who in the hell, besides Lucas and me, would be out by the lake on such a cold, snowy night.
“What is he…”
“I don’t know,” Lucas whispered back.
We both watched with morbid fascination as the figure “danced” a few moments longer, then seemed to lose its footing. As if in slow motion, the figure tumbled off of the overlook and plunged towards the water as Lucas and I both yelled out. The figure hit the icy water with a resounding splash and then Lucas and I were running through the snow towards the overlook. Snow pulled at our feet, but we ran as fast as we could until we were standing on the overlook, looking down at the dark, glassy water—which was surely just shy a few degrees from freezing over.
My breath was caught in my throat as we gazed down at the water in horror, wondering who had fallen into the water and if they could swim. The water surface was still rippling, but there was no sign of the person who had literally danced off the side of the overlook. Lucas and I glanced at each other before looking back down at the water below us. We both gasped as a shockingly white arm breached the surface of the water, flailing, as though begging for help.
Without thinking twice, I stripped off my coat and pulled my shirt off over my head. Lucas grabbed at me, trying to stop me.
“Rob, don’t be ridiculous!” He pleaded. “There’s no way that you won’t freeze to death before you can save them.”
“Are you kidding?” I scoffed as I started to unbutton my pants. “I can’t just let them drown in front of us.”
Lucas sputtered for a retort as I stripped off my pants and kicked off my shoes, standing there in only my boxer briefs and socks. Without another thought, I leaped from the overlook towards the water below. When I hit the water, my whole body screamed out in pain and terror. The water was so cold it was suffocating. Every breath I had left my body, and my instinct was to kick towards the surface, to get out of the water any way that I could. Pins and needles stabbed every inch of my body. It took several moments before I could clear my mind of all instinct to merely survive and I began groping for whoever had fallen into the water.
Seconds ticked by as the iciness of the water stabbed and pricked at my body and made me feel like I’d never be warm or breath again. Finally, after several painful seconds, I felt my hand wrap around another smaller hand. I grasped it tightly and pulled it towards me. Then my other hand had ahold of a forearm, then a bicep, and I was pulling the person towards me. I couldn’t see under the water, even though my eyes were open—I think—but I pulled the body into me and kicked towards the surface. This was a child, not a man or woman. The body I was holding against me was too small to be an adult.
When I breached the surface of the water, I gasped for air, my lungs burning as I did my best to keep mine and the other person’s head above water. I glanced at the person I was holding and could only make out a mop of hair in the darkness. Lucas was screaming from twenty feet above, still up on the overlook. Glancing around in the water, looking for the nearest shore where I could drag the person out, I began to swim, pulling the person with me.
The other person wasn’t moving, at least as far as I could tell, as I pulled us towards the shore. When I finally got i
nto shallow enough water, I grabbed the person under the arms and drug them towards the shore through the shallow water. My body felt numb and so cold that even laying down in a lit fireplace wouldn’t thaw me out. Shivering violently, I pulled the person up onto shore and laid them down on their back. I fell to my knees beside the person and looked down. My whole body froze, but differently, when I saw what I was staring at on the ground before me.
This person was me. The way I looked as a kid.
Then the person’s eyes shot open. I jumped back, falling to my ass in the dirt and sand covered shore. The person jumped to his feet, laughed maniacally, and dashed towards the woods. I began babbling to myself as I watched the person disappear into the woods, wondering if I was going crazy, but also terrified that I wasn’t. Then I heard Lucas shouting in the distance, getting closer. I looked up, my face twisted in horror, icy water dripping off of me, threatening to freeze at any moment against my skin.
Lucas was suddenly next to me, squatting down and pulled me up. He pulled me into his body, and I was babbling yet incredibly grateful for the warmth that his body provided against mine. As he began shoving me back into my clothes, haranguing me with questions, I got myself under control and managed to stop babbling.
“What the hell were you thinking, Rob!?!?” He admonished me. “You could have fucking died!”
“I duh-don’t nuh-know.” My teeth chattered as he pulled my shirt on over my head and began pulling my coat on around me. “I juh-just duh-did it.”
“Where is he?”
“Huh-who?” I chattered.
“The guy you pulled out of the water!”
“He ruh-ran into t-the wuh-woods.” I pointed a brittle finger towards the woods near the shore.
Lucas frowned and looked off towards the woods. Then he was putting my shoes on me as I did my best to balance and keep on my feet. I looked off towards the woods, wondering how crazy I could be. Was I going crazy bit by bit the longer I stayed in Point Worth? How was it possible that I had pulled my younger self out of the lake? The nearly frozen lake.
“How the hell did he just run away?” Lucas grumbled as he stood up and pulled me into him again, trying to share his body warmth.
“It was me,” I said.
“What?”
“Th-the puh-person I pulled out of the lake.” I shivered violently against Lucas. “It was me. As a kid.”
I felt Lucas’ body tense against mine.
“What are you talking about, Rob?” He pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes as he held me.
I shivered and shrugged. Then a maniacal cackle sounded from the edge of the woods. Lucas and I both turned our heads violently towards the woods. A pale face peeked out from the tree line, finding the light of the moon perfectly. I gasped at the sight of my younger face staring out at me, an evil grin on his face. Lucas jumped against me at the sight of the face. We held onto each other as the younger me laughed maniacally again, its face twisting up grotesquely, then disappeared into the woods once again.
“What the fuck…”
“I don’t know,” I whispered in fear.
“What is going on, Rob?” Lucas gasped. “Where is…it…going?”
I stared off toward the woods for the space of a few breaths, then my eyes grew wide in terror. It was heading in the direction of Oma’s.
“Come on!” I shouted as I grabbed Lucas’ hand and drug him towards the woods.
Chapter 9
Lucas was one step behind me as I slid across the threshold of the front door to Oma’s house. We had seen the footprints in the snow leading up to the house. The two of us had left the house through the back door to walk down to the lake, so unless Oma had left the house through the front door, only one person could have made the prints. When I burst through the front door, I nearly slipped and fell. Water spotted the floorboards beneath me, which made my head whip back and forth, looking for Oma and signs of an intruder at the same time. Lucas looked down and saw the water on the floor as well and started shouting for Oma.
“Mrs. Wagner!” Lucas bellowed from behind me.
I moved from the foyer and into the living room, frantically looking for younger me while I searched for Oma.
“Mrs. Wagner!” Lucas bellowed again.
The fireplace was still lit and keeping the living room comfy-cozy, the lights were still on, and everything seemed as we had left it before we went on our walk. My heart was racing, and I was trying to catch my breath after trudging through the snow in the cold on our run back to the house.
“I’m in here!” Oma hollered from the kitchen.
Lucas and I glanced at each other, relieved to hear her. We both dashed into the kitchen like madmen.
“What are you two bellowing about?” She grumbled from her spot by the stove.
The tea kettle was on the stove, and she was waiting for her water to come to a boil.
“Is someone here?” I asked quickly.
“Besides you two assholes?” She put her hands on her hips as she frowned at me. “Why?”
“Did you hear someone come in the front door?” Lucas asked quickly. “Before us, I mean.”
Oma frowned at us a moment longer, looking back and forth between the two of us before finally answering.
“Well, no.” She shrugged. “But I’ve been in here making my tea. What the hell is going on with you two idiots? Robbie, why do you look like you had a bucket of water dumped on ya’?”
“Long story,” I mumbled as I moved to the back door, checking to make sure it was locked.
Oma watched me for a moment, then turned to Lucas, searching for answers to what was wrong with the two of us.
“You two are acting like you’re drunk,” She snorted. “What’s going on with you two?”
“Rob jumped in the lake to—”
“You jumped in the lake?!” Oma bellowed. “It’s a degree shy of icing over ya’ fucking idiot!”
“Someone fell in,” I said, then gave a quick shiver, realizing I was probably going to catch pneumonia if I didn’t warm up quick.
“Well, where the hell are they?” Oma was wide-eyed.
Lucas and I looked at each other.
“Well?” Oma demanded.
“We don’t know.” Lucas sighed.
“I pulled them out of the lake, and then they got up and ran into the woods.” I shivered again. “We thought they might be headed this way.”
Oma rolled her eyes.
“That has got to be the dumbest goddamn story I’ve ever heard.” She waggled her head. “If ya’ fell in the lake, ya’ fell in the lake. You ain’t gotta make up some cock-and-bull story about it.”
“I’m not—”
“Lucas,” Oma stopped me, “run upstairs and get this idiot some fresh clothes. Something warm. And get a damn blanket for him.”
“Mrs. Wagner, I—”
“Do as I said.” She waved him off. “He’s gonna catch his death of cold.”
Lucas frowned and turned as if to head off to do what Oma had instructed. Quickly, I leaned into Lucas and whispered in his ear:
“Look out for…that thing.”
Lucas gave me a nod, then a quick kiss on the lips, ignoring that we were in Oma’s presence, and headed off towards the living room. Oma banged around for a minute, then walked over and ushered me towards the living room. I let her nudge me into the living room in front of the fireplace, then at her instruction removed my shoes and socks. I stripped off my coat and handed it over.
“What the hell are you doing falling into the lake?” Oma shook her head as she draped my coat over her forearm. “Ain’t got the sense God gave a goose.”
“I didn’t fall,” I grumbled. “I jumped in to save this person who was on the overlook.”
She rolled her eyes. “Who the fuck is going to be out there this time of night, on a night like this no less, except you two morons?”
“I swear to you, Oma,” I stated firmly. “There was somebody out there on the overloo
k dancing around like a weirdo, then they fell in the lake, and I jumped in without thinking and…”
“And what?” She asked after a beat.
“Nothing.” I shook my head. “Nothing, ya’ mean old woman. I nearly died trying to save someone’s life, and all you do is call me a moron.”
“Well—who the hell else would do such a thing?” She replied firmly. “I don’t give a shit if some idiot wants to fall in the lake acting a fool. They shoulda know’d better anyway.”
There was no point in arguing with Oma. Either she didn’t believe my story, or she didn’t care if it was true or not. Obviously, it was more important that I didn’t die than it was to save someone who fell in the lake. Someone who looked like a young teen me. I shivered at the thought, which made Oma frown more deeply.
“Lucas!” She bellowed toward the ceiling.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs, and Lucas hurried in to join us in the living room. He had a towel and a pile of clothes in his arms.
“I got clothes,” Lucas announced before glancing at me as though trying to convey something.
“Well, you get him out of those clothes and into fresh ones while I go put these shoes out back.” She instructed. “You’ve seen him naked so it shouldn’t be too embarrassing for you to help him.”
Lucas blushed at that, but Oma ignored it and headed towards the kitchen. Once she was out of sight, Lucas chunked the clothes on the couch, and his fingers went to my shirt. I held my arms up, and he slid my shirt off of me. I stopped him from reaching for my pants and unbuttoned and pulled them off myself. Then I stripped off my underwear. Lucas’ eyes shone hungrily in the light cast from the fireplace. I gave him an admonishing look, which made him grin sheepishly. He handed me the towel as he gathered up my wet clothes and set them by the fire. I dried off quickly and pulled on the boxer briefs he had brought for me. Then I pulled on the sweatpants and sweater he had gathered. Lucas took the towel from me and reached up to dry my hair better as we stood in front of the fire.
“There was no one up there, Rob.” He whispered softly.
“Any wet footprints?” I asked lowly.