The Skin of the Lake
horror◐ MatureHalfway up, my lamp caught a row of photographs still hanging on the wall, glass intact. A family of four, smiling on a dock. But in every single photo, their faces were turned away from the camera now, looking down the stairs, toward me.
I climbed past the photos, telling myself faces don't move. At the landing I found a wet trail of small footprints leading into one room. I followed and found the family seated at a second table, just like the kitchen one, but this set had a place for every member of my crew, name cards and all.
What happens next?
2 ways forwardI leaned in to read the name cards. They had us all spelled right, even the spare diver who never showed. The chairs were already pulled out. From the hall behind me came the soft scrape of more chairs being added, one for each of my crew still up on the boat, who I now knew would all be joining me down here by morning.