AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“There’s the real reason, you’re just as impatient as they are.” She says, standing up with a sarcastic huff as she puts her plate and cup into the dishwasher before closing the distance between us with a tight hug. “Happy Birthday again sweetie. If you need anything, you know you can call me, right?”
“Of course, the same goes to you.” I squeeze her back before releasing her to pack her suitcases while I get ready for work. Once we’re done getting dressed, we meet at the door and both give each other one last hug before going our separate ways.
The remainder of the day passes with a blur at work and I feel like I’m on autopilot as I filter through test results that are nearly exact replicas of one another.
None of this makes any sense.
I sigh loudly and groan, rubbing at my temples.
This has to be some sort of prank.
That should be my new mantra.
My exasperation is interrupted by a knock at the door.
Henry.
Frustration pours out of me as I stomp over and swing the door open, cutting my friend with a glare.
“Come in.” My tone earns me a soft chuckle as Henry takes a few steps in and leans back against the wall next to the door.
“I see the results of the tests are coming up empty. Though, I could already deduce that from the sighs and stomping echoing down the hallway”
I stalk to the chair and throw myself dramatically into it.
“Make it make sense! The results are essentially carbon copies but somehow the overall composition, performance of the soil, the micro-organisms, the flora itself..” I stick my hand in the air and count with four fingers to emphasize my point, “It’s all indistinguishable from the other lakes on paper but is somehow just.. Superior. There has to be something we’re missing.”
Henry crosses his arms, one of his hands rubs his short beard along his jawline.
“What if we brought back some of the plants, and transplanted them to monitor performance from there, or in a controlled environment like the lab.”
My jaw goes slack as I stare at him.“You’re absolutely brilliant, Henry.” I sigh deeply in an attempt to cleanse the negativity from my body.
This has to give us something.
Henry cocks his head to the side and grins, “That’s why you keep me around and pay me well.” He winks and pauses before continuing, “I’ll go to Grace Lake and grab a few plants from there tomorrow. I’ll text you pictures of the flora I collect so you can aim to grab the same variation.”
I nod and Henry is silent for a long moment, we hear Candace cackle from the front reception and share a look.
“Candace and I are finally giving it a shot. I just wanted to say thank you for all your advice and listening to me vent.”
I toss him a conspiratorial grin and chuckle, “I knew it would work out. She just had to open herself to seeing someone she works with. I hope you’re both happy and stay that way.”
He nods and turns to leave, “Oh, before I head out you should know, there were reports of a murder last week, a town over. They’re saying it’s some serial killer but they can’t find his motives and his target selection varies. There’s a chance he won’t stop through here, but we should be careful.”
I nod as his words sink in, settling in my abdomen like a bag of rocks, “I’ll be careful. I always have my bear spray on me and almost always have a knife but I’ll be extra cautious. Thank you, Henry.”
He waves over his head as he leaves me alone with my thoughts. Part of me plans another trip to gather more plant life from the lake, the other considers the possibility of a serial killer in our midst. All while a pair of green eyes flutters around my mind.
Who are you, mystery man.
Chapter 8
Lara
I open my eyes and glance around.
The fireplace of the cabin is lit, but a bitter chill nips at my skin from where I’m seated on the hardwood floor, piecing together a puzzle in the middle of the bedroom. My mom sits inches away, her light brown hair is a stark contrast from my nearly silver locks. Her hazel eyes gaze back at me with encouragement as I compare the last few pieces to a small gap in the center. The image is a picture of a night sky with northern lights over a body of water.
