The Reservoir by Rosemarie Naramore

narrowed this time with apparent understanding of some truth known only to him at the moment. 
    “Daniel,” Zack said softly.  “What are you trying to tell us?”
    “SHE WAS SO STRONG!” he cried, and then broke into a knowing smile.  “She could have pulled me under!  She could have.  But she didn’t.  She just kept staring at me.  She wanted something from me.  She was desperate.  She wanted my help!  She has unfinished business.  You’ve seen the television shows!  You’ve seen the movies!  That’s it, guys!  She has unfinished business and needs my help.”
    Daniel’s friends exchanged worried glances at one another.  Had he already gone off the deep end, or was he on the precipice?  Either way, they had to bring him back.
    “Danny Boy,” Zack said softly, rising to his feet and taking him by the shoulders.  Listen to yourself.  There’s no girl in that reservoir.  It’s an impossibility.  She would drown.  Come on, think, buddy.  Please.” 
    “Damn it, Zack!” Daniel roared.  “Aren’t you listening to me?  That girl is already dead!”
     
    ***     
     
    The lengthy silence that followed Daniel’s declaration was interrupted by the ring of the antiquated wall phone in the equally antiquated kitchen.  Holly shook herself, to restore some semblance of calm to her mind and body, and then hurried to answer the phone.
    “Hello.”
    “Hey, honey, it’s Mom.  How are you doing?”
    “Uh, I’m fine.”
    “Honey, you don’t sound fine.  Hey, I tried your cell phone earlier.  I figured you’d be out on the water.”  Curiously, they’d always had service while out on the reservoir, but no service on its backs.
    “Mom, I…”
    “What?”
    “I lost my cell phone.  I was taking pictures and it fell out of my hand and into the lake.”
    The confession was met with stony silence.  Finally, her mother spoke in a stern voice.  “You know what this means?”
    “I know.  I’ll pay for a new one with my own money.  I can’t believe it happened either.”
    “Well, okay then,” her mother said, apparently satisfied with her daughter’s contrition and willingness to pay for another phone without arguing.  “Aside from that, how is everything going?  Did your friends arrive all right?  You know, I did ask you to call me as soon as everyone arrived.”
    “Oh, Mom, sorry.  We were so excited to see each other, my memory went by the wayside.  I really am sorry.”
    Her mother was silent for a moment, probably trying to discern who this obliging girl was at the end of the phone line.
    “Well, okay then.  I do expect a call every evening.  Oh, before you go, since you don’t have a cell phone, give me your friends’ numbers.”
    Holly obediently listed the numbers, and then yawned purposefully.  “Wow, I think I’m about ready for bed.”
    “So you did go boating?  I know how it tires you out.”
    “Mmmm, yes, sure did.  And I’m exhausted.”
    “Okay, then, hon, I’ll let you go.  Remember, I’m trusting you.  Girls in one room, boys in the other.  David and Harry say ‘hi,’ by the way.”
    “Okay, Mom.  Hi back to the boys.  Talk to you tomorrow.”
    Click.
    Suddenly, Zack was at her side.  “You handled that well,” he said with admiration in his voice. 
    To demonstrate just how wrong he was about her reputed calm, she held a hand out to him, and he couldn’t miss the tremor.  “I nearly cracked,” she admitted.
    He took her hand and held it close to his chest.  “We’ll get this sorted out.”
    “We will?” she said, smiling tremulously and meeting his earnest gaze.  “You do understand your best friend is convinced there’s a dead girl at the bottom of the reservoir?  Wait, no, not at the bottom, but floating somewhere near the surface, and sometimes in the shallows, and sometimes in the deepest water, in order to communicate something to unsuspecting visitors.  Well, Zack, frankly, I have no interest in meeting