Cracked

There's something that hits different, moving to a new town. Especially after being pushed out by bigoted extremists, anything was better than 'happy valley', even if it landed us in small town Montana. A fresh start for Claire and I, where no one knew us, and we could assimilate to everyday life.

Claire being a nurse was able to find a job within hours of landing. It was graveyard hours, but it was something. Unfortunately for me, or fortunately depending on how you looked at it, I worked from home; as a writer. Pretty cliché I know, but hey it brought in a decent amount of income, enough that we could buy this rundown house at the edge of town.

It was an old farm house, run down barn and all. Only just on the market after the previous owner passed away and her city dwelling kids didn't want the place. It wasn't it terrible disarray or anything, just a little stuck in the past.

I'd been taking it upon myself to get everything in working order. New paint, updating appliances, refinishing fixtures, a real lumberjack lesbian or whatever. What I didn't know how to do, I'd google and learn it anyways. If that didn't work, Larry at the hardware store was always a good resource.

The bell above the door jingled, "eh look it's my favorite customer." Larry's gruff voice welcomed me. His bright smile, wrinkled dark skin, and trucker hat were always the same. Though I don't think his wardrobe ventured far from the 5 to 6 different flannels he wore.

"Hi Larry," I greeted him spinning the display of keys and things around.

"How is the sink coming? Did you get it figured out?" Larry stood from his perch with a grunt.

"Good, that purple stuff you sold me worked like a charm. You're a life saver man, I don't know what I'd do without you." I approached the counter leaning against it.

"Got that paint you ordered, some classy shit you got goin' on in there." He lifted two paint buckets on to the counter.

"Nothing too fancy, just some color." I blushed, pulling my card from my wallet.

"Good, this town needs some color in it if you ask me. 'Sepcially that old house of yours. Maybe it's gettin' the spruce it finally needs." He ran my card with mild difficulty, but that was just him learning to use the machine.

"What was it like before? A few people have said some things here and there, but it seems like it's a taboo subject in the town." I prodded the subject gently. No one, not even a deep dive google search would provide any information.

"Ms. Rosie was kind of a big deal around here, it's just people gettin' used to change is all." Larry wouldn't meet my eyes, instead trying to busy himself with organizing his pens.

"C'mon Larry, I need to know what I'm dealing with here." I grumbled impatiently.

"Have you checked out the lake? The one just behind the house?" Larry shuffled uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

"No, it's the middle of February, I'll freeze my ass off." I joked trying to lighten the mood.

"You should, er... take a look. During the day." His eyes finally met mine, a panicked look to them. "Don't be messin' 'round there at night. You understand me?" His voice lowered, something foreboding in his visage.

"Yeah, yeah of course." I nodded feeling the familiar creep of anxiety crawl up the back of my legs making my knees wobble.

The drive home seemed a bit foggy. I didn't really remember getting in my car or pulling into the drive way, my mind only clued in when I turned the engine off. 'The lake? What's so creepy about a frozen lake out in the middle of butt fuck nowhere.' I thought with a slam of my car door, startling myself. Looking up at the sky, it was just about sundown. If I just went down really quick, I would be keeping my promise to Larry, and maybe getting some answers.

"This is so stupid," I grumbled to myself as I resolved to make the trek.

The frozen foliage crunching as loud as gun shots in my head. My breathing seemed thunderous, my heart oddly ecstatic. I knew I was a little more out of shape than most, but damn I wasn't this bad.

It was anxiety, I knew that much. The fickle mistress that dictated pretty much the entirety of my life.

"Don't be so scared of everything Shelly," Claire would nudge. "That's no way to live, and will honestly end you in an early grave if you keep it up."

I knew she was right, hell everyone knew she was right, but that didn't make the tightness in my chest go away any faster. Or loosen the vice on my lungs. Fuck I'd be happy if it stopped the endless tapping of my foot.

SWOOSH! My foot caught a patch of ice, that sent me sliding less than elegantly down a ledge only stopping when my body had drifted some ten feet into the subglacial terrain. Popping up, I was facing the middle of the expanse.

Carefully I rose to all fours, not trusting myself to stand on the surface. I wiped the rug burn like patch on my chin, my hand coming away with a few spots of blood. Putting my hand back down on the ice something caught my eye.

Another hand, reaching up to meet mine. Darker... a midnight blue almost. Freckles of white instead of my brown. I blinked a few times looking at the hand. I move the snow with my other hand to see the face. It was beautiful, rapturing, I couldn't take my eyes off of it.

The same midnight blue skin met with breaks of purple, and white flecks. The eyes terrifyingly human, but white. With time (I'm honestly not sure how long I had stayed on the lake looking at this face), the white grew brighter, almost luminescent. That was when I noticed it, the moon. Reflected in the frozen water just above it's head.

Claire would be home soon, she'd be worried if I wasn't there, my eyes darted to the sky. In an instant, without warning, a loud crack broke the silence of the still winter night.

The first thing I noticed was the feel of water, it's soft form enveloping me like a hug from the one great auntie you avoid at all funerals. Then the cold, it wasn't gradual at all, a shocking plunge of a million small shards of glass stabbing nastily into my skin.

Digging desperately around the bath my hands met the ice only to see it. The same face meeting mine, but our places switched. I watched as it's evil grin morphed into mine, their eyes cat like for a split second before changing to my hazel.

"Thanks," It's mouth curled into a hideous splayed smile that glowed through the darkness. Soon the water didn't seem so cold anymore, and I drifted off somewhere else. Somewhere safe.

"Shelly," Clair's voice echoed through the kitchen. My hand twitched throwing the pen across the island. "Good to see you writing again." She smiled walking around the room to me, kissing my face lovingly. "Love, you're freezing," her brow furrowed in concern. "And you're all wet. Is everything ok?"

I barely noticed the shivering until she threw a towel over my shoulders. "J-just a bit of an ac-ac-accident down at the lake." My voice shook I half expected to still see mist circle up from my mouth.

"And you chose to write instead of warm up? God, you are a strange one aren't you." Claire laughed pulling me close to her, aiding me through the house.

"You have no idea." I felt my lips curl up into a dazed toothy grin.