Facing Evil Read online

  “You weren’t prying. It was a reasonable question,” Abby said, her voice once again relaxed and casual as she offered a broad smile.

  Sarah was confused by Abby’s pensiveness, but she tried not to let it show as she threw out her line. She could tell that although Abby’s eyes were on the water, her mind was definitely elsewhere. Nothing was said for a long time while they relaxed in the warmth of the afternoon sun, swaying lazily with the movement of the canoe.

  Then unexpectedly, Abby began to talk. “We came here quite a bit when I was younger. Some of the best memories I have are of us fishing out here in the mornings. There’d be a light haze over the water and the lake would be so still and calm. Sometimes it would scare me, especially when those damned loons would start up... but Dad would be there and... Well, that was a long time ago.” She paused for moment, pondering a thought as she sighed out a long breath. "I love the sounds of the loons now."

  Abby grew quiet and Sarah watched her struggle with her emotions. She found herself wanting to reach out, but thought better of it. “You spoke in the past tense. I take it your father has passed away?” she asked quietly.

  “Yes, they...they’re both gone.” Abby lifted her head and looked to the mountains, “They died here at the resort.” She looked at Sarah, “But that was a long time ago.” She offered a small, polite smile, her sunglasses hiding the emotions that might have shown in her eyes.

  “I’m truly sorry to hear that, Abby. Both of my parents are alive, or they were the last time I heard from them. They were on their way to Morocco and then on to... or were they going to Morocco, or was it Monaco... Hmmm. I can’t remember. Either way, it doesn’t matter. I haven’t set eyes on them in, oh six or seven years.”

  “Really? That’s a shame. If my parents were still alive,” Abby looked to the shoreline, “my life would be so much different.”

  This time the pain in her voice was clear and Sarah felt an overwhelming need to reach out to her. “Why’s that, Abby? What would be so different?”

  Abby didn’t answer right away. Instead she looked down at her broken hand. “I...I don’t know exactly, but I know it’d be different.”

  Without warning, Sarah’s fishing reel began to spin as a fish took the line. Both women looked up to see the rod bend sharply down toward the surface of the lake. “Hang on to it,” Abby yelled while Sarah gripped her rod. “Let me get my line in and out of your way.” Abby started reeling as fast as she could manage with her injured hands.

  “Oh man, it’s a big one!” Sarah’s voice bubbled with laughter and excitement.

  “Don’t lose him! I almost have...okay, my line is in.” Abby secured her hook and then carefully put her rod down in the bottom of the canoe. She turned toward Sarah, and a smile spread across her face as she watched her new friend fighting for her catch. “Slow it down, play him out a bit or you’ll break your line.”

  “He’s a feisty one,” Sarah said with a grin.

  “He’s not the only one,” Abby said under her breath.

  “Yee hee, did you see that?” Sarah let go of her rod with one hand so she could point out the rings left behind where her catch had just broken the surface.

  Abby saw the rings, though was more concerned about the powerful flex on the rod. “Sarah, hang on— ” She leaned forward to grab the bouncing rod, but just as she got close, the line snapped, sending Sarah’s hand backward into Abby’s face.

  “Ah!” Abby cried out in pain, her eyes shutting as her sunglasses went flying.

  “Oh, my God! Abby!” Sarah dropped her rod and reached for the grimacing woman. “I’m so sorry, Abby. I didn’t realize how close you were. Are you okay?”

  “Ahhh,” she groaned in pain and frustration.

  Pulling Abby’s hand away from her face, Sarah winced at the sight of the red welt already swelling under her left eye. “Oh, Abby.”

  Sarah reached out as she started to kneel on the bottom of the canoe.

  “Sarah...your rod!”

  The warning was too late as Sarah’s knee came down on the fiberglass rod. The resounding crack sent Sarah back on her heels, which tipped the canoe wildly. Sarah attempted to steady herself, but the only thing within reach was Abby’s fiberglass cast. Not wanting to hurt her any further, Sarah searched desperately for an alternative, realizing belatedly that there wasn’t one. “Abby!” she cried out in panic while tumbling backward.

  “Sarah!” Abby lunged, but could do nothing as Sarah toppled into the lake.

  The whole situation was really quite comical, and if not for the pain of her damaged face, Abby would have been laughing as she waited for Sarah to resurface. Seconds ticked by before she finally saw Sarah come to the surface, spitting and sputtering. “Ab-by... can’t swi—” Sarah disappeared from sight.

  Without a thought, Abby dove into the lake. She could feel the pounding of her heart in her ears as she spun in circles under the water. Resurfacing, she struggled for breath and looked around, but saw nothing. Down she went again. It seemed forever before she finally spotted Sarah. Reaching out, she grasped her and pushed hard for the surface, her lungs burning. She felt Sarah’s grip loosen as they emerged from the water.

  “Sarah!” Abby gasped for air as she called out, “Sarah, are you all right? Sarah!” The woman’s eyes remained closed and Abby frantically reached around to check for a pulse while continuing to call her name. “Sarah! Come on, Sarah!”

  Holding Sarah’s body tightly against her own, she felt it move. Sarah’s muscles were reacting and Abby knew that was a good sign. “Come on, Sarah, open your eyes!” The demand was obeyed as Sarah began to cough and sputter. “That’s it, come on, Sarah.” The coughs came harder, pushing water from Sarah’s lungs.

  Kicking hard to keep them both afloat, Abby looked down into the face inches from her own, just as Sarah took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

  “You’re okay, I’ve got ya,” Abby said calmly, hoping Sarah wouldn’t panic. She knew if Sarah began thrashing about, she wouldn’t be able to hold her. “Look at me, Sarah. Look at me. You’re okay.” Sarah’s eyes were open wide in terror as she looked from the surface of the lake to the woman holding her so tightly. Abby saw the fear in her face and she tightened her grip. “Sarah, you are okay.” She kept her tone firm and steady.

  “Oh, my God,” Sarah cried out, “Don’t let me go! Please! I can’t swim.”

  “I know. I know. I got ya,” Abby repeated over and over, until she felt some of the tension leaving Sarah’s body. “Okay, we’re just going to swim over to the canoe.”

  Feeling Abby’s body move, fear flashed in Sarah’s eyes and she began to panic again. Her arms wrapped around Abby’s neck and they went under as Sarah fought against the terror of the water.

  Abby kicked hard to the surface, aware of her own waning strength. “Sarah! Stop it! Sarah! Look at me. I’m not gonna let you go, I promise.” She meant every word, but Abby knew she had to do something and quickly. The cast meant she had only one arm to hold on to Sarah as her legs kicked to keep them afloat. The canoe was now a good thirty feet away and moving in the opposite direction, so that was of no use. Holding tightly onto Sarah’s shivering body, Abby scanned the shore and the lake for help, but there was no one in sight. Looking back at her dock, Abby guessed that it was almost a hundred yards away, a distance she wasn’t sure she could make. The answer howled at her from the dock.

  “Buck, come!” The moment the dog heard her voice, he launched himself from the dock with a splash. “Just hang on, Sarah,” Abby whispered into her wet hair as she placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

  “Ab...by.” The word was a quivering whisper.

  She watched Buck paddling hard toward them. “I’m here, Sarah, I’m here.” Abby leaned back and started to kick in the direction of her dog. “Sarah, I need you to help me.”

  “I hit y-you in the face, d-didn’t I?”

  The voice was faint and the teeth were chattering, and Abby knew that shock was taking it
s toll. “Sarah, I need you to trust me, okay? Buck’s going to help pull us in, but you have to remain calm. Can you do that for me?” There was no answer. “Come on, Buck, hurry up,” Abby whispered.

  Her legs were burning with strain as she continued to kick toward the shore. She heard Buck and knew he was close; Abby turned to see his head almost within reach. “Easy, Buck.” She reached for his thick leather collar. “Steady, boy. Sarah, just hang on and let us pull you.” Abby felt Sarah’s hands tighten around her neck in response.

  “Okay, Buck, pull! Pull, boy.” His instincts were true, and he did what was commanded of him. His large paws powered them through the water, Abby assisting with her legs as best she could. She had spent last summer training him for competition in sled and power pulling, never thinking the training would be used to save a life.

  Abby held on to Sarah as they slowly but steadily moved through the water. Buck showed no sign he even felt the weight of the women while he paddled to shore.

  “We’re almost there, Sarah,” Abby said as she looked back over her shoulder and saw that they were only yards from her dock. “Easy, Buck, slow...slow.” She reached out for the dock. The change of movement frightened Sarah and instantly her grip tightened. Thankfully, Abby could feel the sandy bottom of the lake under her feet.

  “Sarah, come on. The dock is right here.” Abby peeled one finger at a time from around her neck. “Reach out, come on.” The moment Sarah’s hand touched the wood, Abby felt her body relax in relief. Standing behind her, Abby guided her hands and feet up the ladder. Once she cleared the top rung, Sarah collapsed into a ball on the dock.

  Ignoring the pain in her hand and face, Abby made her way up the ladder, her legs trembling with exhaustion. She scooped up her small companion and carried her up to her cabin. She could barely feel her weak, wobbly legs as she focused on her destination. Once inside, Abby took her directly into the bedroom and placed her gently on the bed. She turned away to get an extra blanket, and Sarah suddenly gripped her arm.

  “Please don’t go,” she whispered, her voice cracking as she started to cry.

  The pain in Sarah’s sobs changed Abby's mind, and she reached out to wrap both arms around her. Sarah clung to her tightly as Abby nervously did her best to soothe her shattered and shaking friend. She had no idea how long they stayed like that, but when she felt Sarah’s shivers getting more violent, she knew she had to get her warm and dry.

  “Sarah, I need to get some towels and I want to check on Buck.” There was no verbal response, though the tight hold around Abby’s neck was released. “I’ll be right back, I promise.” She leaned down and kissed the top of Sarah’s wet head.

  Stepping silently from the room, Abby was not surprised to see Buck lying patiently in the doorway of the cabin, his tail wagging, totally oblivious to what he had done. Abby knelt and buried her face in his wet fur. “Thanks, buddy. You’re a good boy, Buck, a good boy.” Abby didn’t realize she was crying until Buck lifted his head to lick her tears. “Yeah, I know...you like her, too.”

  Chapter 7

  There was nothing but water — deep, dark, murky water — and it was cold. She couldn’t breathe. The weight against her chest was tightening, with sharp fingers that burned her lungs. Frantically her hands searched for a way out or a way up, but there was none. Her thick jacket was pulling her deeper into the water and she didn’t have the strength to fight it any longer, so she relaxed and floated freely with the weeds. She gazed at the rays of sunlight that were swallowed into their shadows; it was peaceful and quiet.

  Then someone grabbed at the back of her jacket and yanked her to the surface.

  Sarah wasn’t scared so she felt no need to cry out when her Aunt Patty pulled her from the lake. She heard everyone yelling her name as they ran down the dock.

  “Is she breathing?”

  She vaguely heard the screams of her mother in the distance as she looked up at her aunt’s face.

  “Sarah, sweetie...Sarah, it’s Aunt Patty. Sweetheart, talk to me.”

  She loved her Aunt Patty, the youngest of her mother’s sisters. She had blue eyes and the reddest hair of anyone she had ever seen. Sarah lay there quietly, watching all that was going on around her, saying nothing. She felt the wooden dock shaking under the running footsteps of people coming to help as she looked from her aunt to her mother.

  “Patricia, what happened?”

  The fear in her mother’s voice was not something she’d heard often, but she still did not feel the need to say anything as she continued to stare up into her aunt’s blue eyes.

  Patricia’s words came in gasps as she looked at her young niece. “She was walking...down the dock and...and she didn’t stop, she...she just kept on walking. Thank God it’s...only a few feet deep there and...and I could reach her.”

  “Why weren’t you watching her? You were supposed to be watching her. She is only four years old, Patricia. You have to watch her every second!”

  “I was watching her!”

  “Obviously not well enough. She almost drowned!”

  “Maggie, enough!”

  Sarah heard her father’s voice and instantly her mother’s recriminations ceased.

  “Pat, is the child all right, or should we call for medical help?”

  As always, his tone held authority, but no emotion. He rarely called his daughter by name.

  “I think so. She seems alert enough. Sarah, you have to talk to me. Are you okay?”

  Sarah looked into the eyes above her and all she could think about was the cold chill of the water.

  “Sarah, come on...say something.”

  The water was cold and bottomless as it reached out to pull her down. Its long fingers held her feet as it dragged her further and further into the deep and dark...

  ♥

  “Sarah, it’s okay. You’re safe now.”

  She fought to breathe, pushing hard against the water, but the chill of death was brushing against her skin. Fighting for her life, she kicked and clawed against the heavy weight pinning her arms and legs.

  “Sarah!”

  With a last burst of energy, she pushed with all she had.

  “Sarah!”

  She opened her eyes as she desperately sucked in as much air as she could.

  Abby grabbed Sarah by the shoulders and yanked her into a sitting position. Her face was pale, her eyes wide in fear as she struggled to keep her tears at bay. “Look at me, Sarah. You’re okay.” Abby held on to her while Sarah’s eyes darted around the room as if to confirm what she had been told. Still gasping for breath, she looked back to Abby, her lips trembling uncontrollably.

  “Hey, it’s okay...it’s okay.”

  The soothing words of care and concern crumbled Sarah’s last morsel of resilience, and she collapsed into Abby’s strong arms. Rocking her back and forth, Abby whispered words of comfort as she rubbed Sarah’s back. The shaking stopped, but Abby made no motion to let go. She never wanted to let go of her again. The fear of loss had been a constant in her childhood, and this afternoon had reminded Abby of just how painful that was. I never want to feel that again. If you need to be held, then I will hold you — for as long as you need, for as long as you want — but I will never let you go!

  Sarah rested her ear against Abby’s chest and let the steady rhythm of Abby’s heart lull her into a relaxed state. She swallowed several times before she finally found her words. “My family had gone to visit my grandparents who had a cabin on a lake. I know it wasn’t summer because I was wearing my winter coat. Everyone was inside, but I — I don’t know, I guess I wanted to go outside, so my Aunt Patty took me. We played on the shore for a while and then I walked down the dock and for some reason I didn’t stop walking, even when I ran out of dock to walk on. I was young and, I don’t know, maybe I thought I could walk on water.” Sarah sighed. “Thank God my aunt was right there. She grabbed the hood of my jacket before I could even touch bottom. I still remember looking at the rays of sunlight in the water and
not being overly concerned until I tried to breathe and couldn’t.”

  Abby held her tightly, waiting for her to continue.

  “My mother freaked. She started blaming my aunt and eventually my grandparents. She said they should have had a gate on the dock. Can you believe that?” She shook her head. “My mother was never the same after that. It was like she was afraid of anything or anyone hurting me, so no one was allowed near me. At the same time, she was afraid to get too close to me either. My life became a steady stream of nannies that weren’t allowed to hold me, and a mother who didn’t want to touch me. I saw my grandparents only a few times after that and I never saw my Aunt Patty again.”

  “Sarah, I...I don’t know what to say,” Abby replied as Sarah leaned into her embrace. “I’m sorry.” Abby gently kissed the top of Sarah’s head.

  Closing her eyes, Sarah reveled in the moment. “Don’t be sorry, Abby. You had no way of knowing. I eventually got over my fear of water, but I never learned to swim.”

  Pulling Sarah away from her chest, Abby lowered her head to look her in the eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “It didn’t seem to be— Oh, my God, Abby! Look at your eye!”

  She had all but forgotten the incident preceding Sarah’s plunge, but she recalled it quickly when Sarah tenderly brushed her fingers over the darkening skin. Abby felt the soft fingertips touching her cheek, sending a wave of electricity through her, charging her senses. Now it was Abby who was swallowing hard, trying to find the words through the torrent of emotions. “It’s...I’m sure it’s not as bad as it looks.” She tried to smile to reassure Sarah, but the movement of her cheek muscle caused her to grimace, which only deepened the pained look on Sarah’s face.

  “I’m so sorry, Abby. I didn’t mean to. The line broke and then I knelt down on the rod and I lost my balance.”