Malachi and I

The sun was setting which meant that anybody who’d been fishing around the lake would be going home. So they’d have to come ashore, right? And most houses would be right off the lake, right? I mean why live by the lake if you didn’t want to see the lake…

I don’t know how long I walked but I saw no house, no boat or fisherman, and eventually no sun. Instead of looking for help I walked over to the rocks by lake and sat down.

I muttered to myself, “Lieber Falls, I don’t feel very welcome right now.”

MALACHI

“Is she there?!”

I didn’t know what to say to him other than the truth. “No.”

“MALACHI!”

“Alfred, I’ll find her alright? Just…just let me call you back.” I hung up quickly. I didn’t like hearing him like that. The panic and fear. He’d always been levelheaded and I needed him to stay like that. Leaning forward to grab the handlebar of my motorcycle I was just about to kick off when I saw a ripple on the surface of the water. Then something small, too small for me to see in the darkness of the night, bounced off the top of it. It wouldn’t have been odd if it weren’t for that it kept happening over and over again. It was a man-made lake. So other than the minor waves brought by the wind, the ripples could only be done by someone or thing falling inside.

Leaning back, I dismounted my bike and placed my helmet on the handle before walking down the slope with the aid of the little flashlight that hung from my keys. The path was clear enough that I could see footprints at the bottom near to the water’s edge. Following them around the side of the water I didn’t have to call out to see if anyone was there because I heard the

singing. It was loud and it wasn’t very good, in fact it was strange…mostly for the song choice.

“I simply must go.” Her voice was high and then dropped to what I guess she thought a man’s voice sounded like. “Baby, it's cold outside.” And then went up again.

The figure of her, sitting on a rock with her knees drawn up to her chest as she swayed back and forth, and her dark brown hair, which stopped a few inches past her shoulder, swayed with her as she sang the oddest version of Baby, It's Cold Outside I’d ever heard.

“Baby, it's cold outside…”

“It’s not really that cold,” I said as I moved a little closer.

You’d think someone who was described as “scared of her own shadow” and had a tendency to “jump to the wildest conclusions” would be a lot more disturbed that some man she’d never met before was walking up to her. However, she was not, which meant that either her grandfather really didn’t know her well or she had no concept of self-preservation at all. It had to be the latter of the two because she stretched out her legs and stepped into her flats before walking up to me.

Even with the moonlight reflecting off the lake I couldn’t see her until she was close. I’m not sure why, but each step she took felt like it slowed down time until she was finally in front of me. The smile on her face was so wide and so genuine it threw me off. Her brown eyes glazed over but she held back her tears.

“I knew Grandpa would send you. Hi, Malachi. Sorry I’m so late…” And just like that she collapsed and I instinctively reached out to catch her.

Did this woman really just faint?

“Zzzz.” She snored softly giving me my answer…Mid-sentence, while standing, she’d fallen asleep. I wasn’t sure if I should be amazed or annoyed, so I went with both.

“Aye.” I shook her but she didn’t even budge. “If you think I’m the type of man who will leave my bike on the road to carry you through the forest, you’re mistaken.”

I tried again. I tried everything and she still didn’t budge. If it weren’t for the snoring, I would have thought she was dead.

“If anything happens to that bike I’m going to be pissed.” I muttered as I lifted Sleeping Beauty up and started to walk.

***

“You’ve reached Alfred Benjamin Noëlle, leave a message after the…” I hung up and stared at the phone again. That feeling…that feeling I hated…rising in my chest again. It was already morning and he hadn’t answered any of my calls. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d call and he didn’t get back to me within the hour no matter the time of day. Especially given the circumstances of last night and the fact that he didn’t even know what had become of his beloved granddaughter.

But you’re going to have to get used to this. The rational of part of me thought and yet I found myself redialing the only number in my phone.

“You’ve reached Alfred Benjamin Noëlle, leave a message after the beep…” BEEP!

“Alfred…um…I found her. She’s fine. She’s sleeping…hurry up and answer, you know how I hate…I mean…just call me back.” Hanging up I sat back against the wall of my room and sipped my now cold cup of coffee. I finished the cup before I reached over and turned off the lamp, which wasn’t effective anyway since sunlight was already streaming through the smallest gap between the dark drapes. I contemplated getting up to close them but I didn’t want to get up. Instead, I closed my eyes hoping that I was uncomfortable enough to not dream.

THUD. “Oua… gosh bul-ah!”

My eyes snapped open and I glanced at the wall to my right. What in the hell? That wasn’t even words…followed by the sound of the floorboards creaking as she walked.

“Hello?” she whispered softly.