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“Doesn’t everyone do that?”
Cricket laughed, ahead of her on the path. “No, not everyone. For example, Joshua doesn’t seem to do any deep thinking at all. That’s what I love about him. He’s about food and sex and good times.”
Hannah gasped. “Did you just say theLword again?”
Cricket covered her mouth, looked with big eyes at Hannah. “Maybe?”
Something rustled in the bushes, something big. Both of them shrieked, their voices echoing in the silence. Glancing back the way they came, Hannah couldn’t see the house at all anymore.
“What wasthat?”
It came again, and this time they took off running. Hannah lost a flip-flop but didn’t go back for it. They ran up the path shrieking.
Then they were laughing. Yes, there it was, that lightness, that bubbling happiness she remembered from the days when she still partied. How it took her away from all those deep thoughts, her worries, whatever darkness in the world.
“Oh my god,” breathed Cricket, slowing, breathless. “Was there something out there?”
“If there was,” said Hannah. “We scared it away.”
Around the next turn, they were at the lake, which was really more of a large pond, still and inky black, dappled with silver moonlight, tall trees all around whispering.
“Tearwater Lake,” breathed Hannah, coming to its edge.
Hannah stared at its blackness, thinking about the little girl who died there. She couldn’t help it. She started to cry.
“Hannah,” whispered Cricket.
“I’m okay.”
Cricket grabbed her arm. “No, Hannah. There’s someone there. On the other side of the lake in the trees.”
“What?”
“Look, there, right across.”
Hannah stared, and then yes, she detected a shift in the black. As her eyes adjusted to the distance and the blackness, she saw it, a tall form standing among the trees. She could see the legs spread, arms akimbo.
A jolt of fear moved through her. “Oh my god.”
“Someone’s there,” Cricket breathed. “Someone’s—watching us.”
“Hey,” Hannah called. “Who’s there? This is private property.”
Was it? She didn’t even know.
The form stood rooted like the trees around it, unmoving, impervious.
Hannah felt like the world stood still, as she watched the strange form across the lake. Who was that?Whatwas it? Man? Woman?Ghost?
“Hey,” she called again. Cricket tugged on her arm, and she took a few steps back, one bare foot cold against the earth. “Do you hear me?”
No answer, maybe the slightest shift of movement. Then as she watched the form seemed to leak back into the darkness like ink soaking into cloth.
“Hannah,” Cricket was pulling her, harder now. “Hannah, let’s get out of here.”
Then they were running. Hannah stooped to grab her lost flip-flop on the way, looking back into the night where there was nothing.
21
