Chapter 5 - THE WATERY GRAVE
Facebook Headline: "A Shocking Rescue!" — An Unexpected Ally Rises From The Depths, And A Desperate Struggle For Survival Begins!The gunshot was deafening in the confined space of the boathouse.
My mother screamed as she was dragged toward the edge of the open water slip where boats were usually docked. The figure clawing at her ankle was soaked, covered in lake weed, his face pale and grotesque.
It was Michael.
He was supposed to be in a coma. He was supposed to be dying in the ICU.
But here he was, his hospital gown torn and muddy, his eyes wild with a manic, desperate energy. He had escaped. Or perhaps... he had never been as close to death as the doctors thought.
"You double-crossed me, Evelyn!" Michael roared, his voice raspy and wet as he dragged her toward the water. "You tried to frame me! You told the police I did it alone!"
"Michael! Let go of me, you lunatic!" Evelyn shrieked, kicking at his face with her leather boots.
One of her kicks connected with his temple. Michael groaned, his grip slipping just enough for Evelyn to scramble backward, her hands scraping against the rough wooden planks.
She looked around frantically for her gun, but it had slid into the dark water.
I didn't waste a second. I rushed to Lisa, my fingers tearing at the thick duct tape on her mouth.
"Emily! Behind you!" Lisa screamed the moment the tape came off.
I spun around just in time to see my mother standing up, her face twisted in rage. She didn't look like my mother anymore. She looked like a cornered animal.
She grabbed a heavy wooden oar from the wall and swung it at my head.
I ducked, the wood whistling past my ear and smashing into the wall behind me, sending splinters flying.
"You ruined everything!" Evelyn screamed, swinging the oar again. "If you had just died, we would have been safe!"
I scrambled backward, my heel catching on a loose board. I fell hard, my elbows barking against the wood.
Evelyn stood over me, raising the oar high, ready to bring it down.
Suddenly, Michael lunged out of the water slip, his wet arms wrapping around her waist. With a roar of pure desperation, he threw his weight backward.
"No!" Evelyn screamed.
Both of them tumbled over the edge, falling into the deep, black water of Lake Charles.
A loud splash echoed through the boathouse, followed by the sounds of thrashing and muffled screams.
I scrambled to the edge of the dock, shining my flashlight down into the dark water. The beam penetrated only a few feet into the murky depths.
Beneath the surface, I could see two shadows, locked in a deadly embrace, pulling each other down into the cold, silent dark.
"Emily! We have to go!" Lisa yelled, struggling against her ropes.
I tore my eyes away from the water and ran to Lisa, using a pocket knife I found on a nearby workbench to quickly slice through her bonds.
The moment she was free, she collapsed into my arms, sobbing.
"They're going to drown," Lisa whimpered, looking toward the water slip, which had now grown terrifyingly still. The bubbles were fading. The thrashing had stopped.
Suddenly, the bright, blinding sweep of searchlights cut through the cracks of the boathouse walls.
"Police! Nobody move!" a megaphone boomed from outside.
Sirens wailed, and the sound of multiple car doors slamming echoed through the rain.
Officer Davis burst through the door, gun drawn, followed by a dozen officers. He saw me holding Lisa, the empty water slip, and the discarded oar.
"Where are they?" Davis demanded.
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I pointed slowly to the dark, still water.
"They’re down there," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Both of them."
