A Bad Run

My husband and I are part of an online running club that’s purely Doctor Who-related. They just announced their first event of the year, the Vincent 10k, which of course we both registered for it. We’re excited, but it reminds me of a run that didn’t go so well in my writing.

One aspect of the Lady of White Rock Lake story I’ve changed is that it’s never the same girl. There have been many ladies over the decades, and poor Layla finds that out the hard way when she just wants to go for a run.

August, 2016

Layla stretched her calf at the observation point by the spillway. She’d been dealing with her calves cramping lately, and all the bananas in the world weren’t helping. She stretched more than she normally did and popped a second electrolyte tablet in her water bottle.

            “Oh please, please, legs, don’t cramp up tonight. I just want to find a solution to this.”

            “I can help you there,” a guy said from behind her, causing her to shriek and jump. He held up his hands defensively.

            “Sorry, sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” he said. “I just overheard you saying you were having issues with leg cramps. I used to have that problem myself, and I figured out a good solution,” he said.

            “Uh huh. Ok, just… don’t sneak up on women like that,” Layla said, laughing nervously. He held out his hand, giving a grin.

            “I’m Zeb,” he said. She took his hand.

            “Layla,” she replied. “Now, please, please, tell me how to fix this!”

            He squatted down and looked at her shoes, socks, and calves. He muttered as he poked and prodded, much to her annoyance, but then stood up.

            “Ok, I think you’ve figured it out on your own,” he said, smiling sheepishly. “You shouldn’t have issues after today.”

She felt the raindrops start to fall. She really needed to do this run, but she debated just going back to her apartment and doing it on the treadmill. She hated using the treadmill. She hadn’t seen any lightning yet, and plenty of cyclists were still out.

“Ok, well, thanks Zeb! Have a great run. I need to get going on mine. Bye!” She turned away from him, relieved to get away and get going. He was unnerving, if not creepy.

The humidity was oppressive, but she decided to continue on the trail. It’d be dark soon, and hopefully it would be the type of rain that would help cool things down. She was training for a half-marathon, and she couldn’t let heat stop her.

She ran on for fifteen minutes, the rain feeling good on her face. Her pace was consistent and the hills were easier than usual. Just as she thought she may have found the solution, she began to feel the familiar ache of a cramp form.

Thankfully there was a dock that split off from the running trail coming up. She would be able to sit down to stretch out. This was getting absurd, and she was at her wit’s end. She turned off at the dock and walked down a way and sat down, her legs in front of her.

Her earbud popped out of her ear as she leaned over her right leg. Before she could stick it back in, she heard creaking at the edge of the dock. She looked up and saw a woman standing at the end.

“Oh, uh, hi,” Layla said, trying to move over on the dock. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to take up the whole thing. I’m just trying to stretch out this cramp.” She clenched her teeth after she stopped speaking, the pain getting worse. The woman walked closer towards her.

“Excuse me, can you help me, please?”

Layla took the earbud out again. “Sorry, I didn’t hear that. Can you say it again?”

“Can you help me, please?”

Layla was uncomfortable. Something was wrong, and she really didn’t want to get caught up in it. She wasn’t opposed to helping a stranger, but there were weird people around the lake lately.

The woman walked closer, and Layla saw she was dripping water. Had the woman only fallen in and needed to use a phone? That was fine, she guessed.

“Sure, what can I help with? Did you fall in and now your phone is fried? Happened to me once, only I wasn’t in a lake. I forgot my phone in my pocket and it went in my washing machine. Sucked so much! Not even a bag of rice could save it.” Layla stopped speaking, realizing the woman looked confused.

“I’m sorry, but I need a replacement, or else I can’t rest,” she said, and pushed Layla off the dock.

She struggled to swim to the surface, but something kept pressing her down. She risked opening her eyes, and she saw the woman in front of her. They were both under water, the woman holding her down from the surface.

Layla’s lungs began to scream. She thrashed against the woman, but she seemed to swipe right through her. Her vision began to go dark at the edges, and then completely dark.

She could see again when she swam to the right, away from the woman. Had she somehow broken out of the woman’s grip? She looked back and saw the woman letting go of her body, which floated upwards. The woman swam towards her and spoke perfectly under water.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know why, and I can’t explain. I just have to move on, and you were here. An unfortunate victim of circumstance.”

Layla watched her disappear in a ball of gold light, and then was left in the darkness of the water. She no longer needed to breathe. She swam to the surface to see if anyone would find her body. No one came until morning.

She’d always thought the story of the Lady of White Rock Lake was just that— a story. She’d grown up hearing the tales, but she never thought she would be part of them. As she sank under the water again, she felt the pull towards the veil, but knew there had to be another lady. She dissolved into moonlight.

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