The girl in the lake

Camping

Edward waited a few days to go camping. He was feeling both excited and anxious. He was anxious because he wasn't sure what he saw at the lake. Maybe it is just a rubbish, nothing to worry about. Was he thinking about that too much? Was he sure he saw something in the lake? "But Chris saw it too" said a voice in his head. "So it is real" Edward agreed with that. If Chris could see it too, he wasn't wrong. "But that was at night and you were both sleepy. Maybe you just saw hallucinations" said another voice. But was it a hallucination? Does hallucinations can be seen by two people?
Edward didn't know, however, he was gonna go camping tonight. There was a positive feeling inside him about camping. And if there is nothing in the lake, thought Edward ,we will just have fun.
Edward packed up and went downstairs. He didn't take a pillow or something. Samantha and Lisa was gonna do it. He just took his phone with him, and some snacks.
"Ready?" Asked Edward to Chris when he went outside.
"Yeah" said Chris quietly.
"Hey" said Edward,patting him from the back.
"What's up?"
"Nothing" said Chris. "I was just-"
"Thinking is it real or not?" Completed Edward for him. " I was thinking about that too. But look at a positive way, at least we are camping. We will have fun!"
" Yeah, you're right" said Chris.
"Let's go,then. Shall we?"
"All right" Said Chris, he grabbed his bag. "OUCH!"
"What is the matter, Chris?"
"My bag" answered Chris, trying to hold hid bag. "Is so heavy"
"Come on," said Edward trying not to laugh.
They set out for cafe Appaloosa.
"Whoa!" Said Chris, he putted his bag to the floor. "What the hell did my mum putted inside it?"
He opened his bag and looked inside it.
"What the hell?" He said again. "Look at that!" He showed a sandwich, pillow, blanket and some other stuff. "What does she think?" Said Chris, putting them back to his bag. "Does she thinks I am going abroad?"
Edward couldn't help himself and laughed.
"Who is it?" Said a familiar voice from inside. Edward looked up and saw Lena was coming. She looked at Chris.
"Christopher!" She gasped. "Why did you bring all of that stuff? Are you all right? Do you think we will camp for a century?"
"Don't exaggerate it" said Chris grimly, trying to close his bag. "And say that to my mum. She putted them." He closed his bag and looked up at Lena. "And don't call me Christopher!" He added. "My name is Chris! How many times do I have to tell you?"
"Well, it's just came out from my mouth." Said Lena, apologetically. "And" she added. "Does your mum packing your stuff? Don't you do it yourself?"
"I have another things to do." Said Chris.
"For example?" Said Lena, sharply.
"A-another stuff, you know" said Chris, looking Edward for help. Edward didn't say anything. He preferred watching them.
"I perfectly know what you mean by "another stuff"! You were playing playstation, were you not?" Said Lena angrily.
"Yes, I was" said Chris, turning from Edward to Lena. "What is wrong with that? Can't I even play a game?"
"But it is not a real game! It is on computer! Don't you think playing outside is better?"
"Playing outside? Tell me, can I be a soldier outside?"
"Well, if you just study-"
"What about flying a plane? Being a pilot?"
"You can make a paper plane-"
"Being a pilot?"
"I already told you if you study-"
"SHUT UP! You three!" Shouted someone from the back. It was Lisa, Edward looked at her in surprise.
"Three?" Said Edward. "I wasn't talking at all!"
"Oh, sorry, Ed" said Lisa, winking. "Shut up! You two" she said the word "two"so sharply.
"Going to camping before it gets dark, then?" Said Samantha politely. "Yeah" said Chris, throwing a last look at Lena. "Let's go"
They didn't go so far away. Cafe Appaloosa wasn't so far to the lake. When they went front of Edward's house, Edward tried not to look at it. If his mum saw him, Edward knew she won't   make them relax. When they arrived, they found a place near the lake. Edward looked at the old house which is at the other side of the lake. It was looking different from when Edward saw it for the first time. Was the door open? Or was he imagining it? Don't be stupid, said a voice in his head. No one is living there, probably it's because of wind... But the weather is not windy, thought Edward.
"Hey, Ed!" Said Lisa. "Will you help us to make the tent?"
"What? Oh- yeah, coming" said Edward awkwardly.
"All right, thanks" said Lisa, opening the informational booklet about how to make a tent.
"Erm- it says- er- for heaven's sake!" Shouted  Lisa, angrily. "And it says informational! Where is the information? It-" she closed the booklet. "Is" she threw it to the ground. "Rubbish! Completely rubbish! And look at that! Just an advertisement!"
"Calm down" said Samantha, taking the booklet from the ground. "Maybe there is- oh, no" she closed the booklet again. "Yeah, you  are right. It is just an advertisement. "
"You guys are really bad at reading, you know" said Lena, she took the booklet out of Samantha's hands. "Wait a sec, I will read it." She opened the book and started to read it silently. Everyone looked at her blankly. Lena looked up at them after a few seconds.
"What are you waiting for? Just try to do it while I'm reading!"
Chris took a stick from the tent's packet.
"I suppose it will go there" he said, trying to put two sticks together. But Edward found them incompatible with each other. Of course, he didn't say that to Chris.
"And it needs to be there" said Lisa taking another stick which is so much longer than the others. She tried to putted the three of them together but that was impossible.
"I don't think we are doing it true, actually" said Edward looking at the stuff on the ground.
Some of the sticks were completely incompatible with each other, and the stick which Lisa just putted was nearly broken. Edward took it from there quickly, and all of the sticks fall apart.
"Ed!" Said Samantha. "What are you doing? "
"What?" Said Edward, examining the stick to find out is it broken or not. "Do you think they were compatible? And you were gonna break this stick" he added, putting the stick to the ground.
"Done!" Said Lena suddenly, closing the booklet.
"Excuse me" said Chris, looking at Lena straight the face. "But what is done? Did you not see what we did?"
"Yes, I did see" said Lena, looking at the sticks on the ground. "Wish I didn't see it" she added quietly. Lena took two sticks and began to make the tent.
"What are we doing now?" Asked Lisa curiously to her twin.
"Well, it is easy" said Lena. Chris muttered "no it's not" to Edward's ear. Lena continued and ignored him.
"Firstly, we need to put stick A and stick B together. Then we need to put stick F like horizontal. When we did that, we need to put stick G diagonally. And we need to make sure tent's cover is not shriveled at the same time too. Then we put stick H-"
"I can't bear all of these in my mind!" Cut in Chris. "How could you remember all of these information?"
"I'm reading, Chris"
"So did we" said Chris. "But neither of us can understood anything from that stupid booklet!"
"Firstly, Chris. It is not as stupid as you think" said Lena, looking thankfully to booklet. "And secondly" she turned back to Chris. "I am sure Ed could have understand that booklet."
"But he didn't" said Chris, he turned to Edward. "Did you, mate?"
Edward felt anxious. The he muttered to Chris.
"Leave me out of that, please"
"Did you give that booklet for him to read, Chris?" Asked Lena sharply.
"Well, he-"
"You didn't!" Continued Lena like Chris didn't say anything. "If you-"
"Lena" said Lisa, trying to change the subject. "Can you please continue making the tent? It is getting dark and we need to get inside the tent before it gets cold"
"All right" said Lena, throwing a last look at Chris. "But try and help me, will you? I am not your slave!"
"Yes, of course we will help" said Samantha before Chris say anything to argue.
"Right" said Lena, turning back to tent. "Chris!" She called, Chris groaned and said "What?"
"Don't say what! Say 'yes?'"
"All right! Yes?"
"Can you please put this stick vertically? Near stick H."
"Which is stick H?" Asked Chris, looking blank.
"This one, near stick G"
"Which one is stick G?"
"For goodnesses sake!" Said Lena, standing up and throwing a stick to Chris's face. "This is stick H! And that one which is diagonal"
"Erm-" said Chris, sitting down with Lena. "Last question" he said, Lena looked at him angrily again. "Please?" Added Chris, trying to grin.
"Yes?" Said Lena. "What is your question?"
"What is diagonal?"
Lena looked surprised. "Don't you know?" She asked.
"No," said Chris. "No need to remind me, if you please!"
"Diagonal is crossing lines"
"And vertical?"
"Up to down"
"And horizontal?"
"Right to left or left to right"
"All right"
They made the tent together. Chris was usually forgetting what is vertical and what is horizontal. When they made the tent, they went inside it and sat down.
"Whoa! I'm tired" said Chris, sitting down and looking relieved.
"So do I" said Samantha, sitting next to Lisa.
"What is horizontal, Chris?" Asked Lena wryly.
"Erm-" said Chris. "Was that- was that up to down?"
"No, it's right to left" said Lena laughing.
"Whatever it is..." said Chris, looking uncomfortable.
"Anyway," said Lena,still smiling. "We are here for seeing the thing in the lake. Ed" she turned to Edward. "Can you look out of window and tell us what are you seeing in the lake?"
Edward looked out, lake was looking normal, completely normal, and there was nothing at the middle of it.
"Nothing" said Edward, disappointed.
"Maybe it is just coming out once a week" said Samantha.
"I don't think so" said Edward. "I am looking at the window as much as possible and I just saw it for two times. And think about that, I am living in here for one month and looking out of the window every day"
"Mate" said Chris. "You sound too much like Lena. Saying funny thinks and talking like a riddle"
"What is wrong with that?" Said Lena.
"Don't start arguing again" warned Edward. "I am just saying it is not coming out once a week, nor once a month. "
"What time is it?" Asked Lena to Samantha.
"Erm-" said Samantha, checking her watch. "23.36 p.m"
"You don't need to say p.m. " said Chris. "We already know it's night"
"You-" said Lena angrily, hitting Chris with her hand. "Are-" she hit him again. "So-rude" she hit him with the tent booklet this time.
"OUCH! STOP HITTING ME! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Gasped Chris, looking furious.
"You are so rude! I just asked her to tell me what time is it! THAT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" She shouted.
"I think we'd better ho homes." Said Lena, she went to the tent entrance.
"What?" Said Lisa. "Now?"
"Yes, now" said Lena calmly. "We could search it later, its late. And" she added. "Just double check if there is something at the middle of the lake." She went outside, Edward went behind her.
"Don't you believe me?" Asked Edward, his voice was shaking.
"No, no, no" said Lena quickly. "I just-"
"No problem" said Edward, not looking at her. "See you later" said Edward and went inside.
"I haven't thought it will be as short as that." Said Samantha. "I thought it will be much longer. And maybe we will stay here..."
"Yeah, me too" said Lisa. "I counted days to go camping and look at that! We are not staying at all!"
"Lisa?" Asked Lena, her face appeared at the tent entrance. "Coming?"
"Erm-" said Lisa, looking at the other three. "All right" she said finally. "Look" she added to Edward. "I do believe you, but let's just leave it for now. Maybe we could search more or something."
"LISA!" Said Lena from outside.
"Coming! Just a sec, please!" Called Lisa. "And take a picture of it if you could, OK?" She added to Edward, Edward nodded.
"Can you wait for us?" Said Samantha quickly, trying to packing up. "Then we could go together!"
"Right" said Lisa "I am waiting outside with Lena"
They packed up as quickly as they could. Edward was disappointed of both Lena and himself. He thought Lena believed him, he thought she was wanting to search this mystery... He thought they could find out this together. He always imagined this searching with Lena and the others... Why there was nothing in the lake this time? Why wasn't it appearing when they all together? Why always Edward could see it, not the others?
They went outside, it was cold, so they all putted their coats on.
"Hey, Ed" said Chris from Edward's back. "Look" he pointed at the lake. "It's water level is low. I was telling you that."
Edward looked at the lake. It was looking less deep when it's always been. They went to the way which goes to Edward's house. Samantha's house was at the other side. So they went to different ways.
"Bye bye" said Samantha. "Let's continue searching tomorrow, shall we?"
"Ok, bye,"
"See you later"
"Goodbye"
"See you"
When they went to Edward's house, Edward said bye to the  others and opened the door.
"Hey,Ed!" Shouted Lisa. "Quick! Come here!"
Edward ran to the door.
"What the-?"
"Look!" She pointed at the lake. There it was, that thing in the lake. "Does anyone have a phone with them?" Asked Lisa both anxious both excited.
"I have" said Edward, he opened his bag and found his phone. His fingers were shaking from adrenaline, so he couldn't enter the password of his phone.
"Be quick!" Said Lisa.
Edward tried to enter his password but he couldn't. He touched the finger print and opened it. He opened the camera as quickly as he can. Then he did it. He took the photo few times.
"Done!" He said, closing his phone again. "Done! I took the photos! Now we can search them!"
"E-excellent" said Lisa. "B-but w-what do you t-think it is?" She pointed at the thing in the lake. Edward wasn't sure what it is. But it was looking like a girl. Edward could just see the shape of it, just the figure of it. He really wanted to jump into the lake and see what it is. To see it more closely, more detailed...
"Ed! What are you doing?" Said Samantha's voice, Edward looked up at her. She was grabbing his hood, and Edward found himself leaned on to the lake.
"N-nothing" said Edward, standing right.
"Are you believing me now?" He asked to Lena, trying to forget what he just did. Lena was looking blankly to the lake. "Yes," she said. "Sorry, I just thought- its- " her voice broke apart, she looked blankly to lake.   Edward looked at it too, now, the figure wasn't there. It had disappeared.
"Where is it?" Said Samantha's voice from Edward's back.
"It is disappeared!" Said Lisa excitedly.
"Oh, come on now" said Lena, like she was turning back to Lena who is talking bossy. "It can't have disappeared." She was laughing now. "It is contrary to the rules of physics. Nothing could disappear within seconds-"
"What happened, then?" Said Chris, gritted teeth. He too, was like turning back to normal Chris who is always arguing with Lena.
"Maybe it just-"
"It is disappeared" cut in Chris. "There is not an explanation for that"
"It is the matter" said Lisa, joining to the conversation. "There is not an explanation for that!"
"Don't be ridiculous" said Lena. "Like I said, nothing could disappear! And there is an explanation for that. Every problem has a solution, and everything has an explanation."
"Explain it, then" said Chris, folding his arms.
"Well, it could be an animal, maybe a type of fish. Not a megalodon" she added to Samantha, who was gonna argue about that. "Megalodons cannot live in lakes"
"You can't prove it, can you?" Said Chris. Lena stared at him. "You can't prove there is not a megalodon there nor you can't prove it didn't disappear."
"Yes, I could prove it, Chris" said Lena sharply. "And I will. Firstly-" ("Boss is speaking again" muttered Chris to Edward's ear.) "Nothing could disappear, like I said. But maybe it dived to the water. Don't look at me like that, Chris!" She added to Chris. "You were the person who tells us Ms Li is a witch!"
"Well, she could be-"
"Well, then, that thing could dived. "She could be!" " Chris make an angry sound, Edward understood Chris didn't like the imitation of him.
"I didn't say that thing couldn't dive, parrot..." he added quietly.
"Beg your pardon?" Said Lena, but Edward knew she heard the word 'parrot'
"Nothing" said Chris.
"Don't you lie to me! " yelled Lena. ("Here we go," muttered Lisa to Edward's ear. "They are arguing again") "I heard what you said!"
"Why are you asking then? "I beg your pardon?""
Edward felt uncomfortable, this arguing was getting dodgy. Edward knew how the girls shout when they get angry. His mother was an example.
"Look, you did it, too!" Shouted Lena. "Parrot boy"
"They need not to be together" muttered Lisa again, to Edward's ear. "Dunno how they were talking normally at cafe"
"Yeah" muttered Edward.
"Don't you dare-"
"You are daring to say that! Why not I?"
"I-"
"ENOUGH!" Shouted Lisa and Edward together. Edward looked at Lisa, she was looking at him like you-do-it.
"Look, Lena, Chris" said Edward. "It is getting stupid. You two are always arguing! What is wrong with you? Why are you not talking like normal humans?"
"I-"
"We weren't-"
"Don't open your mouths again" said Lisa. "Let's go home, all of us" she added when Chris opened his mouth to protest. "We will examine the photograph tomorrow at library. See you"
"Wait!" Shouted Chris at her back.
"Yes?"
" Tell us when you are going to library, will you? We can't find the way."
Lisa smiled.
"All right, bye, good evening"
"You too!"
"See you!"
They disappeared at the corner of the street, living Edward with Chris.
"Er-right, see you tomorrow" said Edward, he opened the door and went inside.