Page 32 of Jacob Michaels is Not Crazy

When I breached the surface of the water, I gasped for air, my lungs burning as I did my best to keep mine and the other person’s head above water. I glanced at the person I was holding and could only make out a mop of hair in the darkness. Lucas was screaming from twenty feet above, still up on the overlook. Glancing around in the water, looking for the nearest shore where I could drag the person out, I began to swim, pulling the person with me.

The other person wasn’t moving, at least as far as I could tell, as I pulled us towards shore. When I finally got into shallow enough water, I grabbed the person under the arms and drug them towards shore through the shallow water. My body felt numb and so cold that even laying down in a lit fireplace wouldn’t thaw me out. Shivering violently, I pulled the person up onto shore and laid them down on their back. I fell to my knees beside the person and looked down. My whole body froze, but in a different way, when I saw what I was staring at on the ground before me.

This person was me. The way I looked as a kid.

Then the person’s eyes shot open. I jumped back, falling to my ass in the dirt and sand covered shore. The person jumped to his feet, laughed maniacally, and dashed towards the woods. I began babbling to myself as I watched the person disappear into the woods, wondering if I was going crazy, but also terrified that I wasn’t. Then I heard Lucas shouting in the distance, getting closer. I looked up, my face twisted in horror, icy water dripping off of me, threatening to freeze at any moment against my skin.

Lucas was suddenly next to me, squatting down and pulled me up. He pulled me into his body and I was babbling yet incredibly grateful for the warmth that his body provided against mine. As he began shoving me back into my clothes, haranguing me with questions, I got myself under control and managed to stop babbling.

“What the hell were you thinking, Rob!?!?” He admonished me. “You could have fucking died!”

“I duh-don’t nuh-know.” My teeth chattered as he pulled my shirt on over my head and began pulling my coat on around me. “I juh-just duh-did it.”

“Where is he?”

“Huh-who?” I chattered.

“The guy you pulled out of the water!”

“He ruh-ran into t-the wuh-woods.” I pointed a brittle finger towards the woods near the shore.

Lucas frowned and looked off towards the woods. Then he was putting my shoes on me as I did my best to balance and keep on my feet. I looked off towards the woods, wondering how crazy I could be. Was I going crazy bit by bit the longer I stayed in Point Worth? How was it possible that I had pulled my younger self out of the lake? The nearly frozen lake.

“How the hell did he just run away?” Lucas grumbled as he stood up and pulled me into him again, trying to share his body warmth.

“It was me,” I said.

“What?”

“Th-the puh-person I pulled out of the lake.” I shivered violently against Lucas. “It was me. As a kid.”

I felt Lucas’ body tense against mine.

“What are you talking about, Rob?” He pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes as he held me.

I shivered and shrugged. Then a maniacal cackle sounded from the edge of the woods. Lucas and I both turned our heads violently towards the woods. A pale face peeked out from the tree line, finding the light of the moon perfectly. I gasped at the sight of my younger face staring out at me, an evil grin on his face. Lucas jumped against me at the sight of the face. We held onto each other as the younger me laughed maniacally again, its face twisting up grotesquely, then disappeared into the woods once again.

“What the fuck…”

“I don’t know,” I whispered in fear.

“What is going on, Rob?” Lucas gasped. “Where is…it…going?”

I stared off toward the woods for the space of a few breaths, then my eyes grew wide in terror. It was heading in the direction of Oma’s.

“Come on!” I shouted as I grabbed Lucas’ hand and drug him towards the woods.