Weekend Getaway: Friday

“Ugh finally. That drive was absolute murder,” moaned Zoe as she shoved printed-out directions into the glove compartment.

“It was only 3 hours, Zo,” said Riley, carefully navigating the car past the house sign and down a winding gravel path. The lowering sun cast long ribbons of light through the tall, bare-trunked pine trees.

"Yeah, but unlike somebody, I couldn't get off work early so after I did an entire shift, I had to listen to your singing for three hours. You guys tortured me to death with your yodeling and now I'm dead." The radio-accompanied singing from the back seat increased in volume and decreased in skill. Pulling over to a flat patch near the house, Riley turned off the overheated sedan and her passengers spilled out of the doors and onto the scrubby grass. The landscaping was dry and dying in the heat of the sun. Only weedy crabgrass thrived between the cracks in the dessicated soil. Even the naked pine trees looked parched, though the thick underbrush was lush and dense in the shade. Unseen blue jays screamed in greeting.

While Riley and Zoe stretched their backs and re-tied their hair, Mackenna and Mackayla, anxious to get their girls' weekend underway, went around to the back and retrieved their suitcases, fishing gear, and coolers.

“Why did you have to bring so many clothes? It's only a weekend,” whined Mackayla as she hefted an overlarge duffle bag over her shoulder.

“You brought just as much makeup! You need it though - you’re uglier,” shot her twin.

“Seriously? Can you two just not argue for a weekend? It’s two days. I am here to relax on the beach and catch fish, not listen to you sniping,” scolded their exhausted driver.

The twins bared their teeth with identical toothy grins and threw their arms around each others’ necks in a sarcastic hug. 

Before the girls took in the full view of the rental cottage, they were greeted by a family of rabbits making a hasty escape out from under the wide white porch. Riley yelped in surprise while the others oohed over the adorable cottontails. 

Mackenna and Mackayla carried the baggage up to the porch and dropped them down with huffs of complaint, though their dissatisfaction was cut short upon seeing the house. A butter-yellow single story cottage, the lakeside getaway was built just for such weekends. A large white wrap-around porch boasted potted plants, hanging lanterns, decorative ornaments and chairs, and multiple entrances to the house. The woods kept a respectful distance, allowing the flowerbeds, although browning in the summer heat, to shine. 

"I'm going to go check out the beach!" Zoe dashed off to the right of the building, leaving her friends to carry the luggage and open the house.

Riley fished the keys out from underneath one of the flowerpots as the owner instructed. "They probably should have used an actual pot of flowers if they meant to be discreet." A lightweight pot of faux tropical flowers revealed a false bottom especially designed for spare key storage. 

The door unlocked smoothly and Riley was greeted by an open plan cottage that felt even larger on the inside than it appeared from the front. It was complete with two comfortably furnished bedrooms, a shining kitchen area with a granite breakfast bar, two seashell-themed bathrooms, and an entire wall of windows. Beyond the windows was the back side of the enormous deck complete with matching white Adirondack chairs, a covered jacuzzi, and a built in fire pit. The picture was completed by an unobstructed view of a weedy lake with a small fishing pier, the sun dipping lower in the sky and illuminating the smooth green water.

"Yay! It looks just like the pictures!"

"Um, but I was promised a beach. This is rocks. Like, a cliff of rocks."

"That's a bit of an exaggeration, Zoe. Anyway you can see a beach over on the other side of the lake. It's like twenty yards away, we could swim there if you really love the feeling of sand up your -"

"What lake is this again?"

"I don't remember. Aren't there supposed to be like ten thousand lakes here anyway?”

“That’s Minnesota.”

"I don't care, I'm not here to swim anyway. We have a jacuzzi, a view, and booze. I'm set!"

“I’ll be happy as long as you two don’t start singing again and scare away the fish.”

Over the chatter, the girls heard a clatter from the kitchen and Riley wandered out onto the deck. "Dammit! The last renters stole all the silverware. How are we going to cut the cake?"

"You brought cake?" chorused the twins. 

"It's your birthday! Of course we have cake! But apparently we can't eat it. I'm going to go run to the gas station we passed on the way in and get some plastic spoons or something. It's only like 20 minutes out, I'll be quick."

"Aw okay, hurry back! The sun is going down."

“Nothing beats a lake sunset.”

"And bring some rocky road!"

Riley promised a quick return and left the trio to explore. 

Mackayla took the opportunity to snoop through desk drawers while Mackenna peeked in a closet. She found a pack of matches and passed them to Zoe, who attempted to light a fire in the built-in fire pit. Mackayla unpacked a cooler full of drinks and snacks, producing a pack of marshmallows. She wandered off into the twilight forest to find sticks to serve as skewers.

While Zoe coaxed the fire into life, Mackenna returned to her investigation. Though the open area left little to be explored, a short hallway between the larger bedroom and its bathroom had several unlabeled doors. She opened one, expecting a linen closet, but it opened to the outdoors. Without warning, the threshold gave way and she tumbled out of the house and onto the ground several feet below.

“Ah! My ankle!” 

Hearing her cry out, her twin emerged from the trees and cast aside the skewers she had collected. “Are you okay? Did you break it? What happened?”

“I don’t think so - it feels like it’s just sprained. Why was there no porch there? I just fell out of the house!”

“Did Zoe give you one of her signature cocktails? I think that happened to me once before at a party.”

As if on cue, Zoe appeared from the house and handed a beer to Mackenna. She held the ice-cold can against her rapidly swelling ankle.

“Huh, I thought you’d drink it, but that works too, I guess!”

“Let’s open the jacuzz’ and see if the heat helps your sprain,” Mackayla suggested. She and Zoe unlatched and lifted the wooden lid and unfastened the heavy fabric cover. A pungent smell attacked their senses and a cloud of angrily buzzing flies erupted from the stagnant water. The discolored water roiled with insect and plant life. After a few moments attempting to understand the scene in front of them, the image finally registered. The twins screamed in unison, tripping backwards over their feet and Zoe vomited. 

Floating face up in the brownish water was a bloated gray body, well on its way to decomposition. Long black hair floated across the face and clung to the sides of the tub. Dozens of filthy forks, knives, and spoons protruded from the blotchy skin. 

Stepping away from the horrific scene, the shrieking, shaking trio organized their thoughts.

“Oh my god, we need to call someone. Zo, Zoe, do you have your phone? Call the police!”

She fumbled in her pocket and effortfully dialed with shaking hands. After a moment of silence punctuated only by Mackayla’s hiccuping sobs, Zoe shook her head. “No service out here.” 

“Well there’s no phone inside and I don’t have service either. We are really in the middle of nowhere,” said Mackenna, stabbing at the glass screen.

“Let’s - uh - let’s drive to town. We need to get the police over here!”

“Kay, we can’t. Riley took the car.”

“Can’t we like, run? Run to town or something?”

“I left the map in the car.”

The twins stared at each other, disbelieving and feeling trapped. 

“HELP!” they screamed over and over, doubled over with anguish. The lake had no reply; the woods surrounding were silent and listening. The only response was a flock of crows who took flight in alarm.

“Okay, ah, let’s… just go inside. We can’t do anything out here.”

They sat inside, sobbing on the couch and could not help but stare out at the half-uncovered hot tub. The fire in the fire pit crackled cheerfully, their drinks and snacks scattered haphazardly among the chairs circling the flames. A stunning crimson sunset illuminated the sky. Narrow purple clouds crossed the skyline above the darkening trees. Crickets and frogs began their evening symphony.

“What do you think happened to her?” Mackenna wondered aloud.

“She? How could you tell it was a she? She - it - it was really a mess.” Zoe stumbled.

“We found the silverware,” mumbled Mackayla.

“That’s not funny.”

Silence returned to the luxurious lake vacation home, the three wide-eyed girls clutching each other, wondering what was taking their friend so long to return. The sun sank below the surface of the lake and plunged the woods into true darkness. The friends’ reflection, illuminated by every light in the house, was the only image visible in the wall of black glass. Outside, the fire crackled gaily beside the jacuzzi.