CHAPTER 2: Can You Keep A Secret?

MONDAY

"Here's a cut off Jimmy Buffett's latest alb-KSSSSH-the new performing arts center is-KSSSSH-real straight, and yes I cut my hair!"

Ed drove his silver sedan through the morning traffic. He kept tuning the radio dial, trying his hardest to get that terrible video out of his head. But as he drove down the street, all he could think about was seeing that family tied up…that one woman's feet twitching just above the water…that strange man standing on the floor of the pool. Where the hell did the video come from? Was this someone's idea of a joke? If it was, it was a pretty sick one.

Ed parked his car in the lot, straightening his burgundy tie in the mirror. He then stepped into the offices of the Cameron-Muller Accounting Firm, climbing the stairs to his third floor office. He had only been working there a month, having to take a job there when his old accounting firm went out of business. So far it was a good place to work; everyone had been quite cordial to him. Ed gave everyone a polite wave and smile as he made his way to his office, doing a good job at hiding his discomfort.

The next few hours were very hard for Ed. It was impossible to focus on his work, the numbers and names on his computer screen seeming to blur together, various images from the wretched reel occasionally popping into his mind.

At long last it was lunchtime; maybe talking to someone about this would help him feel better. Ed walked into the lunchroom and waved to his old friend Herbert, who was already seated, a BLT in front of him. Herbert was a tall man in his late 30s. He was well tanned, his cheeks dotted with brown dimples. Herbert's dark brown hair was very neatly combed to the left side. His large glasses and blue dress shirt gave him an intellectual air.

Herbert and Ed had gone to college together, both getting degrees in accounting. They ended up getting jobs at different accounting firms, but still regularly kept in touch. Herbert had worked at Cameron-Muller ever since he graduated; when Ed's firm went under, Herbert said he could put in a good word to his bosses about him. It worked, and Ed had transitioned to the new firm smoothly.

"Hey, Eddie! What's up?" Herbert noticed that Ed looked nervous as he sat down. "Um, Ed? You OK there?"

Ed took a deep breath. "Herbert…if I tell you this, you promise not to tell anyone else? I'm about to trust you with something big. Real big."

Herbert took a moment to think. "OK…I'm ready."

Ed briefly looked around; Herbert was the only other person in the room. Ed sighed and turned his attention to his friend. "OK. So I was poking around the garage last night. Marnie was using the space to store some of her family's old Super 8 films."

"People still use those?"

"Apparently." Ed shrugged. "Anyway, I went and watched a couple of them, and they were pretty standard stuff…birthday parties, trips to Disney…but there was one reel in there that was just bizarre."

"What do you mean, bizarre?"

Ed described the video for him, not leaving out a single detail. Herbert's face got more and more confused the longer Ed went on. When he finished, Herbert sighed, tapping his finger on the table. "And this other guy watching them…from the bottom of the pool."

"I'm serious, just calmly standing there at the bottom!"

"In a swimsuit?"

"No…he was dressed like a freakin' Kiss member!"

Herbert raised an eyebrow. "Is this your idea of a joke?"

"Herbert, we've known each other for years…I wouldn't joke about shit like this."

Herbert nodded, still looking skeptical. "You said the films in that box were Marnie's, right?"

"Yes, they are…"

"Then maybe one of her relatives made it. I'll be honest, this sounds more to me like someone was making a horror movie and forgot about finishing it. If someone was standing at the bottom of the pool, they could have had some breathing apparatus under a white mask."

"OK, that makes sense." Ed started to feel a bit better about it. "I mean, there had to be a logical explanation for it."

"What, you're not a believer in ghosts, Ed?" Herbert chided.

"Nope…as unsettling as that video was, I figured there had to be an explanation that made sense! I'll ask Marnie about it tonight. Thanks for listening, Herb."

"Any time…I just hope your next problem isn't this weird!"

"Eat up, girls!" Marnie was wearing a colorful shirt with large drawings of fruit on it. She lay the plates of mashed potatoes, stuffing, and chicken in front of her two girls. Lucy had on a bright green shirt, Stacy wore a white one covered with red hearts. The girls were at the dinner table, lost in conversation.

"So who was your favorite pony in that movie?" Stacy asked her sister.

Lucy smirked. "Spike!"

Stacy giggled. "Lucy, Spike's a dragon, not a pony!"

"Oh fine!" Lucy threw her hands up in the air. "The blue one. There was a blue one, right?"

"Just take it, Stace, that's the best you'll get from your sister!" Marnie laughed as she sat down. She looked across the table at Ed, who seemed to be staring down his plate instead of eating. The only thing he had touched was his bottle of Budweiser; it was completely finished, the opposite of his plate. "Ed? You OK there?"

Ed looked up. "Yeah, I'm fine…Marnie, can I just see you in the garage real quick?

"Um, sure…" Marnie got up and walked into the garage, Ed following closely behind. Once the two were in the garage alone, Ed started the projector, playing 'Pool Party '66' from the beginning.

"Just watch this video for me, all right?" Ed asked as the doomed family was projected onto the wall. Ed had a pained look on his face, while Marnie simply studied the people in it, her expression revealing nothing. Ed stopped the projector just as the nighttime scene began, stopping it before Marnie could see the brutal ending. "Well?"

Marnie turned and smiled at him. "Looked like a nice place. Was that your family, Ed?"

Ed blinked in surprise. "No, it's not mine…then that's nobody you know?"

"No." Marnie shook her head. "I don't recognize anyone."

"What about the house, that look familiar?"

"Nope…never been there."

"Then how did we get this video?"

"Beats me. I'd just throw it out or donate it if I were you."

"I'd like nothing better." Ed chuckled as he kissed Marnie on the cheek. "Be right out!" Marnie walked out as Ed opened up the box of reels. Ed was disappointed; instead of solving the mystery, Herbert's theory only muddled things more. As he arranged the reels in the proper order, he thought he heard a soft click.

Ed turned around to see that the projector was running again, the Pool Party reel playing right where it left off, panning across the tied up family. Ed walked over and flipped the camera off, this time taking the reel out of the projector. He took another look at the reel…he should have realized something was off about it. The reel's case wasn't even the same color, and the handwriting didn't matching the rest of the reels. Ed put the reel back in its box and headed back into the kitchen. The only occupant was Lucy, talking on the kitchen phone.

"And you'll never guess who called me cute. Nope…Ned Peterson! Can you believe a hunk like him likes me? I know he's not the-"

"Lucy…" Ed tapped his watch. "School night."

"Sorry Allison, gotta go." Lucy said, annoyed. "Bedtime calls. See you tomorrow!" Lucy hung up the phone and walked upstairs. As she did, Marnie approached Ed.

"She's on the phone an awful lot, isn't she?" Ed asked.

"Hours on end…maybe we should get Lucy a mobile phone!"

"That'd be a thousand-dollar investment!" Ed chuckled. "Plus with the way she acts, no guarantee she'll be grateful!"

"I think we should lay off her a bit though. First off, she's almost a teenager, she's beginning to enter a rebellious phase. You know you did when you were younger, Ed!"

Ed raised his hands in mock protest. "Hey, long hair was in at the time!"

"Also, remember that Lucy's been tense…it's been a rough few weeks. And right now Allison's the only real friend she has. Starting seventh grade in a brand new school? That has to be nerve-wracking."

"OK, I'll try not to be so rough on her!"

"Good!" She kissed Ed on the cheek. "Now come on and relax. It'll be good to get your mind off of work for a bit."

The rest of the night was proving calm. The kids were in bed, Marnie and Ed watching the late night talk shows. They shut the TV off shortly after midnight, and headed upstairs. Marnie went straight for the bedroom and lay on the bed, Ed went into the bathroom. Ed brushed his teeth, swishing the Listerine around, attempting to get rid of the taste of Budweiser. He had two bottles of Bud that night…probably not a good idea, but he felt he needed them to calm his nerves. As he stepped out into the dark hallway he looked to the left, seeing nothing in his bedroom. He then looked to the right, and saw someone standing at the top of the staircase.

Ed blinked a few times…it was dark, but it appeared to be the same boy from the Pool Party video. He looked like he hadn't aged a day since 1966, and the only thing he was wearing was a pair of gray swim trunks. The same trunks he wore in the video. Ed stepped closer to him; as he did, he noticed the boy's skin had a sickly yellow palor, veins showing in various areas, and dark circles around his eyes. The boy slowly turned his head toward Ed, an angry look on his face. He then ran down the stairs, not making a sound as he did so.

Strange…even with the carpeting, someone running down with that speed should make SOME noise. Ed went down the stairs, keeping his hand on the banister as he descended. He looked to the left, and there was the boy, standing right in the middle of the living room; the couch behind him, the recliner to the left, the large window to the right. Light from the streetlights outside shone in from the window, illuminating the boy. He still had the same dour expression. As Ed approached, putting one hand on the light switch, the boy pressed his finger to his lips.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

"Who are you?!" Ed called out as he flipped on the living room lights.

The boy wasn't there.

Ed shook his head quickly; maybe he had imagined seeing the boy. He turned the lights back off; the boy was still gone. No matter how many times he flicked the lights on and off, the kid didn't return. "Shit…I'm seeing things." As he looked out the window, he thought he saw the white-faced figure in the distance, standing in the middle of the road. He blinked, and the figure disappeared. The only sound that could be heard was a dog loudly barking.

"Wow…how much DID I have to drink…"