Grim and Gore

Chapter 1- Addison's lake

Grace Valley remained a peaceful, farming community, residents each owned at least 4 acrebattled s of land, most lived a luxurious and plentiful life-

I wasn't one of them.

Several years of pain-staking labor had finally paid off, and my single mother and I were filled with happiness and hope at the sight of our new home. It was a 1 acre farm with a picture-perfect view and a refreshing lake. And as a hard working family, we had planned to dedicate our lives to agriculture and escaping from the bustling city life.

My father wasn't particularly a family man, he never stuck around long enough and soon left my mother and I in exchange for alcohol and wealthy women. The farm was our escape, an escape from him and our peculiar past.

And the troubles never really ended; it was a cycle you see, I would go down to that haunting lake whenever I had a dispute with my mother over unimportant matters, the lake would provide temporary comfort, but then again, I always had a negative impression afterwards I left.

Soon it became to me that I was addicted, spending 24/7 by that murky lake right beside our farm, that lead to a vast forest, sure left an impression on a 12 year old's imaginative life. That's when I began to hear a little voice in my head;

"Never leave..." It would repeat, the hours and days it took to finally understand this phrase had passed, and my mind became a corrupted field of woebegone agony.

A cloudy day it was; rain poured down on my auburn hair and I sat by the bank of the lake as usual. My hand cautiously made its way underwater, I could feel the stillness that surrounded the abnormally inhabited area.

No movement, no life.

I had done this several times before, I was sure of it. Never had the lake been so isolated, at least that's what I began to think. Until...

A hand protruded from the darkness, grasping my hand in a forced manner. Adrenaline began to kick in; my body struggled to escape from an unfortunate fate. But alas, all my attempts failed, leaving me to fall into the lake with whatever was awaiting my presence.

All I could remember were the scrawny bones that pierced into my skin and the sunken eyes of the deceased perpetrator.

__________________________
"Addison! Where are you?!" My mother would scream every morning, every afternoon.

I could hear her frantic cries from underneath the lake where my body carelessly wandered, my conscious aware but my body was a long way from alive.

No recollection of what had occurred to me when I passed, brought certain curiosity and anger;

And that's exactly what happened to mother. She would come to the lake and investigate herself, and when it wasn't enough, she called the authorities.

The varying voices of the forensics increased my impatience, awaiting to be released from this sufferable hideaway.

It seemed like centuries until they eventually reached my decomposed body, after those long 7 months of searching.

As they raised me up, I could sense my mother, she came running towards my barely recognizable corpse. Her face screamed terror and despair; but deep inside I knew, I knew that she longed for relief, a sense of peace and closure.

And she never got it.

"Doctor? Why do you think she did it...?"
"Ma'am, your daughter seemed to suffer from extreme schizophrenia. Our team found several clippings of a specific lake located off the coast of Oregon, her diary was filled with utter nonsense of the 'visits' she would make to that lake."

"Schizophrenia? My poor, little Addison..."

"I'm very sorry for your loss, Mrs. Clement. Unfortunately, we do have to inform you about a peculiar occurrence that we had encountered while recovering your daughters' body."

Mrs. Clement's face held confusion and mere curiosity as she listened closely to what the dismayed doctor had to say.

"Alongside your daughter's body, we found other corpses-most barely unrecognizable. We might have an idea as to how they got there..." The doctor handed Mrs. Clement a light pink journal with black stick-on letters that read 'ADDISON'. Warm tears began to form in the middle-aged woman's eyes at the sight of a pain-staking memory;

And she wavered her fingers over to the bookmarked page...

"October 8th-
Today, dad brought in one of the rude women he usually likes to hide from mom. She insisted on giving me a 'drink', but I knew something was in it...
So, when dad wasn't looking-I slipped in some of the poison mom told me NEVER to touch, and I think I put in a little too much.
The woman's blonde hair is slowly sinking by the river next to our apartment, and it's a good thing dad isn't awake to see it.
I just know he would hurt me again...
But never would I allow those women to hurt me either.

Goodbye for now, the lake is calling for me!"

~K