Ancestors from Lake Lanier

The sky is a warm orange color with clouds that look like sheep wool. Kennard Jr’s eyes have barely blinked since being on the road for 45 minutes. Kennard turned head slightly towards Hunter to see that he is still sleeping, not exactly in the same position he fell asleep in, but wild sleeping was a characteristic of his. Kennard looked out the window at the passing barns and animals on the beautiful green pastures that rests comfortably on the land. These were beautiful to him, but not the most impressive thing he has yet to see on this trip. Kennard was mostly impressed by the shadow man that decided to race the car after stopping at a gas station in Suwanee on their way to Lake Lanier.

The shadow man stood about 6 feet tall with abnormally long arms and legs. He didn’t have eyes, just two small white holes where his eyes would be. He looked like a walking shadow and after staring at it for a little bit, he could see that the shadow man wore overalls and a small hat, no shoes though. If Kennard looked closely enough, he could read “Oscarville Convenience”. Kennard talked to the shadow man while Ms. Patty got snacks and Mr. Lowe got the gas for the car.

“You wan’ a race me round the gas station?”

Kennard planned to sprint away regardless of if the shadow man accepted or declined, but the shadow man gave Kennard a nod of agreement that sent a rush through Kennard; no one has ever willingly decided to chase Kennard unless trying to foil one of his many escape plans. Kennard was curious to see if the shadow man would tire out like everyone else does.

“Aw’ight, we gonna start here and first one to beat the other around the gas store wins!”

Kennard got into a running start position and the shadow man did the same. Ms. Patty was stepping out of the gas station biting into a twinkie in her left hand and pulling her oxygen tank with her right. She let out a sigh of relief after chewing, and then a sigh of annoyance when she saw Kennard kneeling.

“Kennard! You know ain’t chasin’ yer ass no goddamn where! Git in the car boy!” Ms. Patty raised her voice as she marched over to the car, trying not to give Kennard the implication nor satisfaction of chasing him.

“On your mart…get set…GO!!!” Kennard shouted.

Kennard made a dust cloud from the dirt beneath him, causing Ms. Patty to start one of her coughing frenzies. Kennard tried to stay light on his feet so that he could keep going and win the race in one fell swoop. The shadow man proved to be a worthy opponent. The shadow man galloped on all fours, going well ahead of Kennard, but Kennard didn’t give up. Almost finishing the lap, Kennard closed his eyes and sped up to reach the finish line.

“Wait for me, wait for meeeeee!” Kennard yelled after the shadow man. Suddenly, Kennard’s legs stop moving and when he opens his eyes, he sees he’s reached the goal and saw the shadow man a few feet behind with his arm out as if he is catching Kennard.

“I won! I won!” Kennard exclaimed. “Yeah, you won, you won a poppin’ in yuh mouth that’s what you done won! Get in this damn car NOW!”.

Kennard jumps a bit at Ms. Patty’s voice and hurries back to the car. Ms. Patty gives Kennard a quick pop in the corner of his mouth before he gets back into the car. Kennard held his check and looked out the window at the shadow man, who seems to be looking at Ms. Patty. The car pulls off, and after a few feet of driving the shadow man begins following the car.  

The shadow man is effortlessly keeping up with the moving vehicle, gleefully jumping from one hill to another, running on top of water, and swinging from trees like it’s a monkey’s mother, all while looking at Kennard. Kennard immersed in the shadow man’s skills. Nobody could ever keep up with Kennard, not his parents, his teachers, his intervention specialist, nobody could catch or keep up with Kennard unless it was his choice. But the shadow man is different from his middle aged and out of shape teachers who chases him up, down, in and outside of school but instead, someone (or something), that could consistently keep up with him.

Kennard decided to name the shadow man Jameson.

“Wake up Bubba! We made it!” Ms. Patty wheezed. Kennard’s eyes followed the Jameson swinging from a tree branch and diving into a nearby lake after waving goodbye to Kennard.

“Buh bye Mista Jameson!” Kennard said. “Whose dis Mista Jameson now?” Mr. Lowe asked stepping out of the vehicle. “He’s my friend!”

Kennard stepped out of the car and scanned the area. The water was beautiful, but Kennard had a lot more love for the lakes and rivers he gets to play in daily. On any given day, Kennard would cannonball into the uncharted waters. He was thinking about trying this, but Kennard felt a spirit tell him,

“Git in dat dere water and watch, imma pop yuh in de mouth!”. Kennard, shocked, heeded this warning. “Now gone git de stuff out the car now!”. Kennard obeyed.

“Am tell yuh,” Ms. Patty whispers, not so silently, to Mr. Lowe, “That boy dere got that schizo disease. I wish Shonda would put his ass on dem pills, I don’t got da energy or time to be chasin after the lil spook or dealin’ with dese lil imaginary friends!” all Mr. Lowe did was smile in response.

“You invited em” he said as he began unlatching the boat on top of the car. Ms. Patty rolled her eyes and rolled herself and her oxygen tank into the vacation house. Mr. Lowe called for Hunter.

“Come an’ help me dock the boat, Kennard you gone ahead and bring the bags in the house”. Hunter dropped Kennard’s bag and happily rushed to help his father. Kennard was already feeling upset from overhearing what Ms. Patty said, but he continued to gather the bags. Kennard unloaded all the bags out of the car himself and this tired him out. Kennard watched Hunter and Mr. Lowe at the dock cleaning the boat and occasionally tossing a rock into the lake. He wanted to ask if he could help too, but he just felt like he couldn’t. Kennard sighed at the though of having to carry each bag he unloaded into the house. When he turned around, all the bags disappeared. Kennard’s heart raced with anxiety as he questioned every possibility there could be as to where the bags went. Kennard went behind the car to silently cry from frustration. He feels like he ruined the trip already for everyone.

“Kennard!” Ms. Patty yells out from the front door. “Come on an’ git a piece of this peach cobbler, you deserve it for getting in all dese bags so fast!”

Kennard was confused as he hurried to the door and inside. Kennard saw a few of the bags in the living room. “Where are the rest?” he asked. Ms. Patty raised her eyebrow. “This boy I tell ya”. Ms. Patty cut and put a warm slice of peach cobbler in the microwave. “You took em’ to our rooms, remember?” No, no he did not. “Oh yeah”, he said.

Ms. Patty grabbed her an ice-cold diet coke and went to the living room to watch Judge Judy. Kennard took his warm piece of peach cobbler out the microwave and sat at the table next to the kitchen window, with an amazing view of the stardust sprinkled lake. It didn’t take Kennard long to notice Jameson crouched down by the lake skipping rocks. Kennard scarfed down his peach cobbler so that he could catch Jameson before he left again.

“Jamesoooooon!” Kennard happily called out as he ran towards him. Jameson perked up and turned to Kennard to wave at him. “Whatcha doing?” Kennard asked. Jameson didn’t say anything, but he picked up and placed a pebble in Kennard’s hand. Kennard instinctively threw the rock at the lake. “My friends, we likes to skip rocks back home too!”. Jameson nodded at him. Kennard picked up another rock and tossed it to the lake, making it a bit farther than the first. Kennard picked up another rock and tried to toss it a little further. The rock skipped for longer than expected, to Kennard’s amazement. It wasn’t until the rock suddenly dropped into the water mid-skip in the air. Kennard had a very weird feeling come over him, he was a little scared, but a bit curious too. Kennard chose a bigger rock to throw that was too heavy to skip at all and threw it as far as he could. Before the rock could hit the water, it was quickly grabbed and pulled into the water.

“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!” Kennard screamed, falling on his behind. “Boy what the hell is going on back here?!” Mr. Lowe yelled following the scream with Hunter not too far behind. “Itsa monster in the lake Mista Lowe…” “Boy ain’t no such thing! Stop playing in these here waters and gone git in the house! You doin all this damn screamin at nothing, got me thinkin you do got that damn crazy man disease…git in the damn house!”.

Kennard looked back and saw that Jameson was no longer there. Kennard’s eyes quickly watered, and he began crying as he ran into the house. Kennard went right inside and upstairs to his room. He flung himself on his bed and began bawling in his pillow, drowning out the yelling Ms. Patty is adding from downstairs. Kennard cried and sobbed himself to sleep in his soaked pillow for the rest of the late afternoon.

Kennard woke up to the smell of gumbo and a dark, starry night sky. He wiped the crust from his eyes and the corner of his lips before getting out of the bed. When he opened the door to the hallway all the lights were off. Kennard went downstairs to the living room and nobody was there nor left a trace. It wasn’t until he heard a familiar heave outside that he looked out the living room window to see Mr. Lowe, Ms. Patty, and Hunter all sailing on the boat enjoying smores. Kennard fought back tears, he was emotionally and physically tired of crying any further.

“DAAAAD! THE BOAT!!!” Kennard jumped at Hunter’s scream. Kennard looked out the window again to see the boat rocking viciously with no real cause. Ms. Patty’s oxygen fell into the water which made her break into panic. “JERRY GET US BACK TO THE DAMN DOCK PLEASE!!!!” Ms. Patty’s frenzy causes the boat to shift even more than it already was. A hand could be seen slowly running up the side of the boat, paralyzing Kennard in fear. Kennard didn’t know what to do. Does he help? Yell? Try to save them himself?

“JAMESON!” Jameson appeared behind Kennard, jokingly startling him. “Jameson! Look! Look! They about to drown! You gotta help em!”

Jameson looked at Kennard and then the boat that seemed to have two new hands rubbing the boat. Jameson then looked around the living room at the old pictures that read Forsyth County in many of them. “What’s wrong?! You gotta help em! You go- “Jameson cut him off breaking through the living room window and jumping into the lake. Kennard was able to get a closer look through the broken window at the situation at hand. Jameson was under the water for a few seconds now and Kennard began to get worried. Suddenly, the boat tips over enough for Ms. Patty to tip over into the water. “I’m okay baby I’m okay!” Ms. Patty yelled, until she was pulled down into the water.

“LINDAAAAAAA!!!” “MOMMY!!!” Kennard’s heart dropped. Where the heck is…Jameson?!

Kennard saw Jameson rise out of the water and run his hands along Mr. Lowe’s back before snapping his neck and letting him slide and sink into the lake. Kennard was at a loss for words at this point. He didn’t know why, but he knew that this won’t end well. At this point Kennard is trying his best to process what he is seeing and how he’s going to explain it to his mother.

“Hunter…” Kennard whispered as he saw him crying in the boat. Jameson picked up Hunter by the collar and slowly maneuvered his way through the water without swimming or walking towards Kennard. Jameson still holding on to his collar, lowered him to Kennard’s level. Kennard and Hunter reached out to one another and was able to grasp hands until Jameson broke the link and flung Hunter across the lake and forest.

Kennard couldn’t utter a word. Kennard couldn’t construct a thought. Kennard sat himself on the couch in shock of what he had just seen. Jameson sat down next to him and sat a phone on the table in front of him. Tears started forming into Kennard’s eyes. Jameson scratched Kennard’s head to get his attention. Jameson then pointed to his overalls that had the name Kennard Sr. sewn into the front pocket. Confused and traumatized, Kennard began sobbing into Jameson’s lap.