The Blood Lake

The interrogation

I hardly slept last night. Between the anxiety and Miles, I don't know what to do anymore. I just need to focus on my statement and get out of the station as soon as possible. I shower and get dressed, I wear a navy blue knit sweater and some black leggings then throw on Mel's necklace same as every day. I brush and dry my hair then check my phone, there is a text from Miles, Good morning beautiful, good luck today. He acts like we are already dating, and how does he know about the meeting I have with Officer Anderson today? Whatever, I could care less. I type a response: Good morning Miles, thank you. Ok, now time to head out the door and get this shitshow over with. I walk downstairs and greet my parents who are both anxiously waiting on the couch. "Are you ready Dell?" Mom asks
"Ready as I will ever be."
"You'll be fine just tell them everything you remember in order and try not to leave anything out, okay?" She sounds nervous but I nod and head out to the car.
"You are going to do great Delly Belly," Dad says as he puts his hand on my shoulder.
We get in the car and we are on our way. I don't know how I'm going to get through this without bawling my eyes out but I will try. My phone dings and Miles's profile pic pops up: You wanna hang out after your meeting?
I responded: Why not.
He types: ok good see you at Myra's cafe? I can pick you up at 3:00 pm
I type back: see you at 3:00 pm :)
I have never been like this with boys but he just goes against everything I believe in but I can't help myself. I'm in so much trouble.

We pull up to the police station and my stomach drops, I feel sick. The feeling worsens when I see the news van parked near the front door.
"How do we get in without getting ambushed?" I ask my mom worriedly
"Your dad can fend them off don't worry Dell."
"I can scare them off Delly Belly." Dad jokes. He is trying to keep things upbeat but I'm not in the mood for it.
"Stop calling me that I'm not five." I snip, he frowns and Mom pats his shoulder
"She's just having a rough day Andrew she will come around." Mom whispers as if I can't hear them. I roll my eyes and open the car door. I get out and start walking toward the front door, naturally, the news junkies hop out of the van and swarm me. My dad jumps out of the vehicle and chases me, before the guy can get a word out my dad is on him like flies on shit, "Don't you have anything better to do than bug a traumatized teen girl?" He waits, "Thought so, get lost." The man and his interns walk away. What is up with men swooping in and trying to save me? Whatever, I have an interrogation to worry about.

We walk up to the front desk, "Dellah Anne Everdeen." I quip, and the lady nods "Ok sweetheart it says here you're a minor, are those your parents?"
" Yes, this is my mom and my dad.." I start to explain but she cuts me off
"Ok, you have to pick one parent you can't have both." She sounds pitiful but I comply
"Ok, Dad let's go.." He looked shocked I chose him over Mom but he would probably cope better with the gory details than her
"I see how it is." Mom jokes. I smirk and we head down the hall to the Interrogation room.
"Hello Ms. Everdeen, take a seat." Officer Anderson directs me to a chair at a table that is bolted to the ground.
"Dellah.." I grumble
"Play nice," Dad whispers.
"Ok so let's start from the beginning, tell me what you remember from start to finish." He already knows most of it but I'm sure they want all the gore and I am not sure I have it in me.
"Ok, so we arrive at the lake and we get out of the van and start to unload. Mel is already complaining about mosquitoes and Marcus is teasing her which is not out of the ordinary." I start to tear up at the thought of how none of us knew what was going to happen next. "Anyway, we go...settled in and..I said we should go start a fire.." I start to choke; this all feels like my fault. "We get to talking and Marcus starts a joke about a lumberjack with a chainsaw that has been on a killing spree in the area." "We were just joking about it, we had no clue how real it was." "Mel didn't like Marcus's joke so she went...for a walk in the woods." "And I just...let her go" I couldn't hold it in anymore and I started crying. My dad rubbed my back and gestured for me to continue. "I was scolding Marcus for hurting Mels feelings and told him to tone it down." I took a deep breath. " that's when Marcus heard the saw and Mel screaming..." "I didn't hear at first so I thought he was teasing...that's when he sprinted into the woods after her and that's blood-curdling blood-curdling scream...my whole world stopped and when I couldn't hear her screaming anymore I knew she was gone."
"And Marcus?" Officer Anderson said, urging me on. "I ran after him and ten stumbled across Mel's body on the way.." "The man had. cut her head clean in two." Suddenly I'm nauseous. "I kept running and found Marcus dead with the saw in his middle...he was hanging in the oak tree...and then I felt breathing on my neck and smelt rotting flesh...when I turned around there he was and I'll never forget what he said to me. "He said..I'll give you a head start doll...I like the chase.." "So I ran as fast as I could out of the woods..he had grabbed the chainsaw out of Marcus and turned it on...I remember thinking about how this was my last day alive when I fell on the dock." "He caught up and taunted me..he said I wasn't fast enough..he put down his saw to do god knows what to be before he ends my life...I saw the opportunity and I picked it up and drove it through his middle and thrust upward then I pushed him into the lake." Anderson was straight-faced through the whole story but my dad looked like he had been punched in the gut. " I went inside, cleaned up, and grabbed our things." "Then I drove home." I was done, and a wave of relief washed over me. Anderson turned off the recorder
"That's all, for now, thank you Dellah, that was very brave of you, you're free to go."
We walked out, got Mom, and left. The car ride home was quiet, I read my watch, at 2:30. We arrived home and I went to my room to get freshened up when I was done I went downstairs to tell my parents I was going out with Miles. They think that I'm only hanging out with him as some form of grieving Mel so they don't ask why.

I walk outside, it's 3:00 pm and like clockwork there he is, pulling up in his jeep. I climb in with much effort being that it's lifted and I am short, he's wearing a Maroon crew neck and khakis paired with some white Converse. He looks nice.
"You clean up nice," I say trying to start a conversation
"You look beautiful as always." He says trying to turn me red, he succeeded.
"You are shameless with your flirting, you know that."
"It's working isn't it?" He smirks.
"No comment." I quip
"So did you consider letting me shamelessly flirt with you every day?"
"I pondered the idea..."
"Oh do tell." He says with sarcasm and humor lining his voice.
"I will decide by the end of today, okay?" I say egging him on
"You drive me insane Dellah Anne Everdeen."
"I do try," I say ending our conversation

"Here we are." He says as he puts his car in park. I go to hop out but I swear if I try I might break a leg, I'm sure it looks farther down than it is but I don't want to risk it. Miles sees my hesitation and walks over to my side grinning ear to ear. I hate him for what I'm about to let him do. "Need some help Delly?" He asks even though he knows the answer. "Mabey.." I say, embarrassed. He grabs my waist and pulls me forward to give me a lift down, I have butterflies in my stomach from the amount of intimacy the action entails. I must be so red right now. He pulls me down and sets me on my feet but doesn't step back right away, he towers over me for a moment and smiles. "There you are my lady" He chuckles and puts his hand at the small of my waist to urge me forward then it drops as soon as it appears, but the heat from his touch lingers. It's strange yet endearing how comfortable he is touching me. I don't know if I love it or hate it.