In the early hours of the morning the police showed up. A body was discovered in the lake, she was young. This was so out of the ordinary for a place like this nothing ever happens in this part of town.

“What do you think?” Says a handsome investigator who goes by the name of Joseph. “I think I’m going to be sick, I’ve never seen anything like this.” Says another investigator named Pete.

To say the scene is shocking is an understatement. “I don’t think she’s been dead long..” Joseph says “It’s a shame too, she’s still young maybe 23?” He continues. “Yeah.. Looks like it, does she have ID?” Says Pete. “Nope, none that we could find anyway.” Joseph replies.

Her face is peaceful aside from from her blue tinged lips, she’s well dressed. Casual but well dressed like she had a date. Her long dark hair was soaked. From the looks of her injuries whoever did this had planned it.

“It’s kind of weird isn’t it?” Says Pete.

“What’s that?” Says Joseph.

“It’s just that.. this all looks really fresh like it just happened.” Says Pete.

“Yeah?” Says Joseph, not really sure what Pete’s getting at, “we’re usually first ones here after something like this.. part of the job I guess.”

“No I know, it’s just that like look at this lake it’s so.. serene, and look at this girl she’s so young and from the looks of it kind of… pretty.” Pete says with a sad look in his eye.

“Yeah I guess..” Joseph says waiting for the point.

“It’s like.. looking out onto this lake is.. Pleasant. I guess it’s just that something so horrific happened here maybe an hour ago.. It’s just so strange to think that something so bad can happen somewhere so comprehensive.” Says Pete trying his best to articulate the the way he feels. Joseph just nods in agreement but does he agree?

Can he feel it the calm this lake evokes? Sure it’s foggy now but can he feel the laughs that have been shared in a place like this? Kids fishing with their dads for the first time or even small family BBQs out of the back of a pick up truck, young people gathering here to drink cheap beer out of solo cups. First dates, people fall in love in a place like this, people often dream of seeing a place like this while never getting the chance. This is a place where people go in their minds to feel happy or safe from everyday life.

But less than one hour ago this place set the scene for something sinister, something horror movies are made of.

It’s easy in a field like this to become hardened, detached. You have to in order to protect yourself but Pete doesn’t feel detached he feels sick. He feels like there’s a 50 pound weight on his chest it’s getting harder to breathe. “Am I having a panic attack?” He thinks to himself shifting around in an attempt to look natural, “This can’t be happening, cut it out, this is crazy you’ve seen stuff like this before” he thinks again wiping his face with his hands. He’s doing his best to shake it off but is it crazy? Or is it a human response to tragedy?

Some time has past and she’s been bagged and tagged as a Jane doe. All the evidence has been gathered just about ready to pack up and head home when Pete feels a tap on the shoulder he turns to find a woman, “Hey sorry. I’ve been watching from up that hill over there, what happened?” She says. “Oh uhh.. I shouldn’t say but we found a woman’s body here.” Says Pete “That’s awful!!” She says, “I come here with my boyfriend all the time. Nothing ever happens here!” She states visibly shaken. “Well I hope you find who did it.. again sorry to bother you.” She says she turns to walk away when Pete says “Hey, you said you come here often let me give you my info incase you see anything suspicious.” She takes Pete’s information and says “hey thanks I’ll be sure to call.” She turns to leave again when Pete says “wait I didn’t get your name!”

“It’s Beth.. Beth Shaw.” She smiles and walks off.

Later that night Pete is watching the news when suddenly he hears “Woman found dead in lake identified as 22 year old Beth Shaw.”