A Shadow In The Lake

Chapter 1: Emerson

 Summer camp is a place of great expectations, experiences, and memories. Most summer camps are. Some like to play around, and break the rules by implementing a no-scary story rule or lights out at eight. Blue Sun, however, decided to break those rules in half, toss them in a meat grinder, cook them into a burger, and serve it to the campers for lunch.

Emerson shouldn't have been so hopeful, and she knew that at the beginning of the summer. She just didn't know how far her hopes would be dropped.

"Are you even listening to me?" Her mother snapped, slamming her fork on her plate.

Emerson looked up from her gaze stuck to the tablecloth. "Yes."

Her mother raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

She turned back to the tablecloth to stare. "Nope."

"I said," she paused to take a bite of her salad, crunching the leaves between her molars. "If you don't take care of your dinner plate tonight, you're not going to that camp tomorrow."

"I always take care of my plate, every night." She replied.

"Well, you haven't done it yet tonight."

"I'm still eating." Emerson waved her fork toward the four carrot slices on her plate.

Her mother sighed. "Well you better do it, or we're not sending you to that camp tomorrow."

"I know, you already told me."

"Don't get snotty with me Emerson."

"Sorry." She ate two carrot slices.

"You will be. Now finish your plate."

"I am." She pointed at her mouth, still chewing her food. "And I'm going to clean it up when I'm done, Just like every single night."

"I already warned you once not to get snotty, got it?" Her mom suddenly snapped. "Do you want to go to that camp or not?"

"I mean not really, I don't care that much." She did care, very much.

Her mother furrowed her brows in annoyance. "Eat your dinner and then go to your room."

"Fine."

"I don't like your attitude, Emerson."

"Okay, I'm sorry. Can I just finish my dinner? Then I'll go straight to my room."

"No, you must clean your plate and clean up from dinner before."

"Now I have to clean up all of your dinner too?" she asked.

"That comes with your role as a child." Her mother dropped her form on her plate with a loud clatter and stood up, forcing her chair backward.

"My role as a child should be to go to school and be responsible. That's what you told me last week."

"How many times do I have to say this, I don't want to hear your attitude right now! And I would never say that's your only job. Your job right now is to clean up your plate, take care of dinner, and then leave. I don't want to talk to you anymore!" She shouted.

"Jeez," Emerson made a face.

"That's it, I don't care if you're not done eating." Her mother slammed her chair into the table. "Go clean."

"Okay."

"Emerson Harmony Smith! That is it! Leave! Now!"

"What did I do?"

"I'm not even gonna answer that question young lady. Go to your room."

"No, what did I do? What's the problem?" She asked, backing away from the short woman in front of her.