I peered slowly out at the clear crystal water, just sitting there. The water was as smooth as paper, not one ripple. When I first saw this lake, I knew it was meant to be swam in. My feet pushed off the ground as I did a few jumps in the air, deciding if I should dive or not. The water could be warm, although it could be freezing. Randy and Lana snickered on the log. I was really the entertainment to them. You could call me the third wheel in this group, always behind or ahead of the other two. It was pretty obvious they had something for each other, but when I bring it up they act like I’m some idiot. They’re pretty lousy for friends. We all live in separate states but our houses are right on the corners. Lana lives in Missouri, Randy lives in Arkansas, and I live in Texas.
“Why, a Oklahoma boy afraid of some ol’ water or what! He ain’t got nothing on Arkansas and Missouri,” Lana squealed in her old southern accent.
Then Randy chipped in with his fake southern accent, “You said it miss, look at that lil‘ guy standin‘ out there. He looks like shark bait if you ask me.”
My eyes stared down Randy and Lana as they shouted and squealed, rolling on their backs at a couple of lame jokes. They should look at themselves, bunch of lame jokes. Lana sounds like a pig and Randy sounds like a stuck up fake redneck. The only one who even has a real southern accent in this group is Lana.
“You know wha‘ Randy ol‘ buddy? I bet you 50 ol‘ big ones Oklahoma ain’t goin‘ in that darn lake,” Lana snickered and reached into her pocket as she held up 50 bucks.


Randy rubbed his hands together greedily, “I don’t know about that, but I’ll take that bet any day. Luke, you better get your bum in that water, or I’ll make ya!”
I rolled my eyes as the two started to burst out laughing again. Randy was probably two times my size but I can really put up a fight They knew it too. I was done waiting though. I started running toward the water and jumped in, clothes on and everything. The minute my toes hit the water, iciness began to prick up my legs. Then the water engulfed my body and I floated there motionless. All of a sudden, blackness swept over my eyes and everything went blank.
My eyes fluttered open as the sun shone through to my pupils. I was about to shield them from the burning sensation but something caught the corner of my eye.
“Oh, thank goodness! You’re awake now, you’ve been unconscious for some time now,” a girl smiled as she leaned over, blocking the sun from my view.
I sat up slowly as the aches dug like knots. “Unconscious? What had happened and where are my friends? And most of all, who are you?” I rasped.
The girl looked my age, very pretty, with curls the bounced as she sat cross-legged and sighed, “Well. I was walking through the woods because you know I take a walk every day. Then I saw a girl and a guy laughing and running away from this direction. So, I thought, hmmm I should see what the ruckus is about. When I made my way toward the lake it looked like you were drowning, so I dragged you out of the water. Then I waited and here we are!” She smiled with teeth lined up perfectly.
My brain was aching, I was so confused, “Wait so I was drowni-”
She gasped as she checked her watch, “I am much too late, I have to be going. Hope your’e okay, and maybe I’ll see you again. Bye!”
With that, she scurried away in her yellow dress with white heels. Her accent sounded European of the sort. What is a girl like her doing down in Oklahoma? Man, must I say she was beautiful. That would happen to me, saved by some angel but then get her whisked away the next second. I sighed and walked over to my rusty pick-up truck. My birthday is in two months, and then I’ll be eighteen. I hoped in and shut the door with a slam. It looked like such a big road today. The keys thrust into the ignition and the engine sputtered obnoxiously.
You know what I needed, some good ol’ tunes. I flipped on my favorite radio station and a commercial for Walgreens or something rasped out. My second radio station had stupid commercials also. Seems like all of the radio stations did except for the news. My mind was mostly focused on the road ahead of me but when I heard Randy and Lana’s names, I became interested.

I turned up the volume to the radio slowly, “Breaking News! Two kids seem to be missing, Randy Thomson and Lana Taner. They were last seen by Hutchinson lake together, yesterday evening. If you have heard of these kids or have seen them please call this number...”
Holy cow! Randy and Lana were missing, and how long was I out, yesterday evening? They were probably doing this to be famous or something. Nobody ever went missing around here, this was goody two shoes land. The only big crime news around here is if you hear of a kid taking some candy from the drug store. I thought better of Randy his parents are pretty high up on the city board. If they hear about him faking it, that’ll be serious business.


Suddenly, I see a dot of yellow in the distance and pull over on the side of the road. It was the girl! The one that saved me, I needed to know some things about what happened to me. As I pulled up she looked different, ruined. Her bottom of her dress was ripped and her hair was matted down with a twig sticking out of it. She looked back at me and I noticed the scratches on her cheeks, arms, and legs.
I rolled down the window and called out, “What happened to you? Looks like you single handily fought World War 2. Need any help?”
She smiled slightly at my joke and came over the pick-up truck, “I was in a bit of a rush and had to take the short cut, through the bushes you know, never doing that again.”
I watched as she opened the door, slid inside and put her hands in her lap. “Well then. Where too? Captain Luke at your service,” I chuckled and bowed the best I could in a car.
She rolled to her side, facing the window and shut her eyes softly, “Anywhere, my parents are probably furious.”
I started the engine and pulled off onto the rugged road. Anywhere. Where would you go with a beautiful girl who has been beat up somehow? I had no idea, except to go home. Maybe she could rest on my couch or something. My parents were out of town so I didn’t have to worry about them asking a million questions. The car jumped at every hole in the road, but the girl was still softly asleep. I was still wondering about what happened to Randy and Lana.


Maybe it was out of luck but the radio sputtered, “Update on the missing kids, Randy Thomson and Lana Taner. They have been-.” The radio abruptly stopped as I watched the girl remove her hand from the volume button and fall back asleep.
Golly, I wanted to hear that. I can’t argue with a beauty though. As we pulled into my driveway my phone buzzed in my back pocket. I slid it out with one hand and a new message popped up on my screen, ‘Get out, get away from the girl. Save yourself.‘ My heart skipped a beat as I stared down at the glaring message. I checked the sender, ‘Randy Thomson’. My eyes lit up as I just starred.
The mysterious girl next to me looked at me questioningly, “What’s wrong? Is this your house?”
I looked at her, was she the one he was talking about, “Yes it is and what’s your name anyways?”
“I’m Rose Lillian Glond,” she smiled with those gorgeous eyes. I just couldn’t get over the fact, a beautiful girl saved me, but she could be some type of kidnapper.


I was really freaked out now, about everything. My feet slipped out of my truck and I made my way over to Rose’s door. It clicked open before I got to it. My arms were stretched open, ready to carry her but she pushed them out of the way. I locked my eyes onto the scratches, they looked human. My heart beat faster, as I started toward my front door. Rose made sure she was a few steps behind me, for some reason. My hands shook like crazy as I fumbled with the keys to the front door. When I finally got it under control, the front door was already opened.


The door swung open and Randy was tied to a chair with a gun pointed to his head. What surprised me more though, was the gun holder. Lana. I gasped and dropped the keys to the floor as they rattled against the wood. Randy’s eyes were pleading to mine and his body was slumped over in the chair.
Lana clicked the gun, ready to shoot at Randy, “Give me her. Give me the girl, Oklahoma.”
“W-why do you want her? Lana what are you do-doing!” I stumbled over my words as I cried out.
“I swear to god Luke. Hand her over or you and your friend dies. Simple as that,” Lana sneered.
I remembered the sweet Rose in my head, was she behind me?, “No! Your not getting her,” I yelled.
Suddenly a bullet pierced the air and a body fell to the floor. I was shaking all over. Slowly, opening my eyes, I prepared for the worse. I knew Randy would be dead and I was next. As my eyelids opened all the way, I gasped to see Lana fallen to the floor with a pool of blood growing around her. I turned around slowly to see Rose in the door way with a gun in her hands.

“That’s all she ever wanted, was me. I’m sorry I put you and Randy in danger, Luke. You’re a pretty cool guy. Maybe I’ll see you again?” Rose smiled and acted like this happened every day of her life. She stood there with her ratted and ripped dress like a beauty queen.
I engulfed her with a hug then let go, “Bye mystery girl.”
With those words she spun on her heels and skipped out the door. This time I never saw her again.