Lesley lay on the couch, wrapped in her pink robe. The remote control was clutched in her hand as the voices from her favorite cooking show blared through the television speakers. However, her mind was consumed with yesterday's event, so she consciously tuned out the sounds.
The image of the girl haunted her every waking moment. It had become a real-life nightmare. Nick and Jackie didn't believe her, though. They thought she was hallucinating. But Lesley didn't understand how or why they didn't see the girl.
She was right there! Flailing her arms, splashing in the waters of the lake, and drowning in the depths of it. Lesley shook her head in disbelief.
"Nick, are you sure you didn't see a girl in the lake?" Lesley inquired, her eyes heavy and dark, revealing the lack of sleep and stress that invaded her entire being.
Nick shook his head, "Lesley, I didn't see a thing."
Frustrated, Lesley cupped her head into her hands, "I don't understand Nick." Lesley breathed, "There was a girl drowning in that lake, and you're telling me you didn't see a thing?!"
Nick shook his head once again, "Lesley, I don't know how many times you want me to say it, but I didn't see a girl drowning in that lake."
***
On the other side of town, not too far from Nick and Lesley, Jackie devised a plan to ease Lesley's nerves and reassure her there wasn't a girl lurking in the depths of the lake.
"Charlie, we have to take the boat out onto the lake," Jackie informed as they stood in their Farmhouse-styled kitchen. "The Livingstons, the new owners of 5560 Gillian Place, supposedly witnessed a girl drowning behind their home."
Charlie's mouth hung agape. "What?!" he asked in disbelief, struggling to process the words that escaped his wife's lips, "That lake is too shallow for someone to drown in."
"Remember, the Meyers's daughter drowned in the lake after a drunken night of partying, so it definitely is possible," Jackie informed.
Charlie shrugged, still confused by his wife's initial message.
"I'll explain more in the car," Jackie headed for the front door. "Grab your scuba gear, and let's get going!"
Jackie and Charlie stood at the dock before the lake, where their boat was moored alongside those of numerous Arcaden residents. As they stepped onto the large white vessel, Charlie unhooked the boat's rope from the dock, setting it in motion. It gently swayed beneath their feet, and they slowly sailed away.
Bright green lily pads floated on the lake's surface. And the sun's rays glistened against the waters.
As they ventured further away from the dock, the Livingston's residence soon came into view.
"Charlie, that's it!" Jackie exclaimed urgently, pointing her finger to the area of the lake that met the edge of the forest. "That's where Lesley saw the girl drowning."
Charlie immediately steered the boat in that direction, heading towards the point where the waters met the lush, green hills of the forest. He was an expert swimmer, having gone scuba diving on multiple occasions during his overseas vacations in Mexico, Aruba, and Australia. These scuba diving experiences allowed him to venture far beneath the ocean's surface.
With his scuba mask securely in place, he plunged into the waters. He was swimming into the depths of the lake. A few trout and bass swam past him. As he dived deeper down, he was graced with the colorful aesthetics of the aquatic vegetation- fresh green pondweed and hydrilla stems with serrated leaves.
After searching for over thirty minutes, Charlie decided it was time to give up. As he emerged from the lake, he lifted himself, holding onto the ledge of the boat. He removed the scuba mask from his face, and water dripped from his soaked brown, partly gray hair.
"Jackie, there's nothing down there." He began. "I don't see anything that even indicates a person was down in the lake."
That evening, Jackie called Lesley to relay in detail the specifics of Charlie's expedition into the lake. She shared the results, explaining that Charlie had found nothing.
However, beneath the surface, Lesley didn't find solace in Charlie's venture into the lake. She believed it was time to assemble a team of professionals to launch a comprehensive investigation, leaving no stone unturned. Only then would she be genuinely content with the results.
"Nick?" Lesley called out, "Did you at least call the police so they can send a search team out?"
The thoughts of the drowning girl circulated in her mind, giving her no sense of peace.
"Yes, I called. They're sending two officers out straight away to investigate the area," Nick explained, "They'll let us know if they find anything."
Lesley took a deep breath and stood up from the couch, making her way upstairs to take a nice hot shower. It had been a long day, and she was exhausted, both mentally and physically, as the memories of the event flowed effortlessly through her head.
Nick was preoccupied with his wife's mental health. With Jackie's support, she introduced him to the town's family doctor, Dr. Benson. After meeting with Dr. Benson, Nick knew he would provide Lesley with the care she needed.
Back home, Nick and Jackie persuaded Lesley to go in and visit Dr. Benson.
"Maybe it's exhaustion," Nick suggested as he opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of sparkling water. Twisting the cap open, the bottle emitted a fizzling sound as he took a swig.
Lesley lay on the couch with a wet towel on her head. "Possibly," she responded to Nick, "but I honestly don't think I needed to see a doctor."
Jackie intervened in a compassionate tone, "Lesley, you should listen to your husband. I think he has a point."
Seating herself on the beige chair opposite Lesley in the living room, Jackie continued. "It wouldn't hurt to see Dr. Benson; he takes great care of all his patients in Arcaden. It may very well be exhaustion. Buying a house and moving to a new town is no easy feat."
"I'll think about it," Lesley responded apathetically.
Nick stepped closer into the living room where Jackie and Lesley were.
"I think that's a good idea. We'll get Lesley some care, and we'll also get to meet Dr. Benson for the first time." Nick nodded his head. "Great point, Jackie!"
Lesley wished they would get off the subject about her seeing this Dr. Benson guy. To her knowledge, the girl in the lake was confirmed- there was no mistake about it.
It hadn't been exhaustion, and she hadn't been hallucinating. However, if they only would believe her, she knew neither Nick nor Jackie would. All Lesley could think about was what had happened to the girl and whether she was now safe or not.
Jackie stood up from her chair. "Well, I'll let you two be." She grabbed her keys from the toffee-colored coffee table. "I have an appointment with a client in an hour," she looked down at her silver watch, "And I don't want to be late."
She leaned over, gazing into Lesley's eyes as she lay on the couch. "I sincerely hope you get better, Lesley. If you need anything at all, please call me." Jackie's mouth curved into a frown, and her eyes conveyed both concern and compassion.
"Thank you," Lesley replied, holding the moist towel on her forehead.
The following day, they made their trip to Dr. Benson's office. Nick sat in the waiting room while Lesley accompanied the nurse to an examination room.
Lesley sat in an uncomfortable chair in a small room while the nurse took her temperature. She peered at the nurse's name tag: Anna.
Anna placed the thermometer into Lesley's mouth. The nurse's hair was short and wavy, which Lesley thought complimented her oval-shaped face.
"No fever today." Anna smiled, "That's good news!" She then picked a clipboard off the counter and jotted Lesley's temperature down.
Lesley scanned the room, the medical posters grabbing her attention like an ambulance with its sirens on.
Heart disease is the number 1 killer in the U.S.
In 2021, there will be an estimated 1.9 million new cancer cases diagnosed
Lesley gulped. The posters were too much for her to take in. She stopped looking at them and thought, how depressing!
It put a damper on her already melancholy mood. She didn't understand how people could read and discuss diseases daily. It was such a gloomy subject in her eyes, but somebody had to do it.
Her eyes then drifted to Anna's pink tennis shoes as they screeched against the vinyl flooring with every step she took. Pink was a fun color, so Lesley focused on her shoes instead, hoping the color would unconsciously lift her mood.
The doctor's office was the last place Lesley wanted to be, but she needed to provide Nick with peace of mind. Allowing him to drive her to town to be checked out by Dr. Benson was the least she could do to reassure him.
Lesley watched as Anna grabbed the blood pressure cuff and wrapped it around her arm.
"Unfold your legs, please," She instructed Lesley before she hit the button on the blood pressure machine, "It'll give us a wrong reading with your legs crossed." She smiled.
Anna read the numbers that appeared on the blood pressure machine. "One ten over sixty," she announced while scribbling down the numbers on her clipboard, "Excellent reading!" Her lips curved into a smile. She then unclasped the blood pressure cuff from Lesley's arm.
"Yeah, I am generally pretty healthy," Lesley replied.
"Dr. Benson will be in to see you in a minute or so," Anna informed as she held the clipboard in her hand, "Do you have any questions before I leave?"
Lesley shook her head. "No."
Anna opened the door and headed out of the room.
Nick was still in the waiting room, occupying himself, reading magazines he had no interest in, such as Home & Gardens, GQ, and People. He couldn't believe that people subscribed to those crap magazines. What a waste of time, was all Nick could think. He placed the latest People magazine he held back onto the table. He then reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. Looking down at it, he responded to a few text messages, one from his mom and the other from his good friend, Tony. He opened up the ESPN app and scrolled through the latest basketball updates.
Anna made her way to the front desk, where all the medical assistants were stationed, and called out to Nick.
"Nick?"
He heard his name, so he rose from his chair, standing up straight. His eyebrows were drawn inward, and his mouth was agape, "Is everything okay?" He asked while strolling toward the front desk.
"Where is Lesley?" He inquired nervously.
"Nick, she's back with Dr.Benson," She reassured, "He's checking her out now. But I don't think you have anything to worry about." Anna winked.
Nick breathed out a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness."
Anna laughed slightly, "Everything will be alright." She gave a reassuring smile.
"Thank you!" Nick was relieved. He returned to his seat when he noticed an older woman approaching him.
"I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation, but did you say you just moved into town?" The woman comfortably sat next to Nick.
Nick nodded, "Yeah, my wife and I are new in town."
The old woman smiled, and wrinkles formed on the edges of her eyes and mouth. Her gray hair was cut in a short bob, and the unpleasant scent of mothballs lingered off her clothes, flowing into Nick's nose. He placed his hand over his mouth and coughed.
"What part of town are you in?" The pesky woman asked.
Nick hesitated to tell her but realized she was just an old woman. She couldn't be of much harm.
"We're in the lake house on Gillian Place," Nick's gaze met the old woman's.
Her eyes grew large, and she hurried back in her chair. "Do you mean you live in the Meyers' old house? The same house where their daughter died?" The woman whispered as she held her purse up toward her chest like a shield that would protect her.
Nick nodded his head, "Yes."
The old woman gasped, "There's more to that house than they're telling you. You better get out of there while you can, or else it'll happen to you too." She got up and hurriedly walked toward the exit sign and out of the office.
What's that all about? Nick thought.