Work Text:
The volcano itself was not the only reason the town was called ‘Sleepy Peak’ - the simple fact was, nothing happened in this small, mountain town. It was quiet, what with young couples with children packing up and leaving for brighter cities and better schools. Yessir, Sleepy Peak was about as boring as it got when it came to any sort of news or antics. Camp Campbell? Well, sure, Cameron Campbell tried to keep making money on it, but ultimately it was shut down. Too many rumors of a missing child, long ago. The most excitement the town had in a long time - until that night…
Sheriff Sal enjoyed the calm atmosphere of Sleepy Peak. Really, his work was most busy on the weekends - and even then there were no more than two people in the drunk tank on any given Friday or Saturday night. Paperwork was swiftly processed, most released with a warning. His town wasn’t violent, just bored. Sal understood this, and never begrudged the angry drunks their weekly fights, so long as no one was too seriously hurt.
He didn’t think that this qualified as ‘hurt’. He was pretty sure this was murder. And the culprit had been arrested.
“What?” The young man struggled against the handcuffs, his eyes wild. “Why are you arresting me, my friends disappeared! You need to send out a search party!” Thunder rumbled just then, as if to emphasize his point.
He was unceremoniously dropped into a chair in interrogation. His mad pleading crackled through the speakers, Sal and his deputy listening intently.
“This kid is clearly nuts.” The deputy assessed. “If he gets a lawyer, a good one, then they’ll go for the insanity plea - even if he is faking.”
“I know, deputy.” Sal said, a bit sharp. Two people missing… justice needed to be found somewhere. “The kid’s still cold and wet from the rain. Let’s at least get him into some dry clothes.”
The deputy rolled his eyes, but went to the barracks to find something to fit the scrawny mess that his boss would be dealing with.
“It’s all right, son.” Sal said, sitting down across from the suspect. He really was quite young, maybe even a minor. That didn’t set right with Sal. Teenagers don’t go around disappearing - or killing- their friends.
He sat straight up, looking Sal in the eye. “My friends need help.” He repeated, slowly, as if Sal might be dumb.
“Why don’t you tell me what happened?”
“Why don’t you quit wasting your time?! Goddamn, is there a single competent cop in this fucking precinct?” The kid exploded.
“Okay.” Sal said, after a pause. “But I can’t help them if you won’t tell me anything. Where did you come from? When do you last see them? Names, descriptions. We need information, and you’re the only one who has it.”
Though still trembling from the cold, or perhaps, fear, the kid sat thoughtfully. He knew that the sheriff was right - that the more information he could give, the closer he’d be to finding his friends. Still, he wasn’t stupid. He was under arrest. He took a deep breath.
“My name is Max. Uncuff me and bring me clean clothes, now.” He was calm, now, but Sal could sense a sort of impatience rage just below the facade. “And I am invoking my right to a lawyer and I am invoking my right to remain silent.”
Sal nodded, and stood. “My deputy has some fresh clothes for you. We’ll let you get changed and uncuff you.”
Max said nothing as he rose to all Sal to uncuff him. He rubbed his wrist unhappily as the deputy came in and lazily tossed a wad of clothes onto the table. Max snorted as the two left the room.
Well, at least they don’t think I’m a terrorist. He thought sardonically.
He changed, and waited for about 30 minutes. He was about to start tapping on the glass, when the door burst open and a very harried looking woman came in, yelling at the sheriff over her shoulder.
“... when all he did was come here asking for help! Isn’t that your job, officer?!” She finished, turning to Max. “Come on, let’s go.”
“Wh-” Well, Max did in fact want to tell the police what happened.
“Now, Max!”
“Ms. Lucklear convinced us to void your arrest.” Sal said, looking mildly annoyed. “You’re free to go.”
“I don’t need to be free to go! I need you to find my friends!”
“You didn’t take his statement?!” She screeched.
“Gwen! Come on, the kid lawyered up before saying anything!”
Gwen Lucklear the Lawyer continued scowling. “Let’s talk in your office. Max doesn’t need to be made to feel like a criminal.”
“Fine.” Max said, not caring about location.
They hustled into Sal’s cramped office, Max sitting in the only visitors’ chair. Sal sat at his desk, deputy behind him. Gwen positioned herself in a similar manner behind Max.
“I’ll tell you everything that happened,” Max started, “it was Neil, Nikki, and me…”
It was the last time they would see each other for awhile; forever didn’t seem real then, though the summer was feeling endless. Neil got accepted to MIT, Nikk, a local trade school, and Max? Well, he didn’t know yet, wasn’t sure. It wasn’t like him to be so indecisive, but this was the rest of his life, right?
The time would come, it just wasn’t now. Not with the windows rolled down and the music blaring, the three of them screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs. They were done with high school, done with parents, and had the open road.
They traveled until nightfall, having made it to a small diner just off an exit that would take them into Sleepy Peak.
“I had some fried chicken…” Max was saying. “They had the daily special - some seafood deal. I was surprised Neil was into it - he’s picky, has allergies.”
“Facts, Max.” Gwen was saying. “The important ones.”
“Right, yeah…”
It had started raining, then, hard. The forecast had been wrong, Neil said. It was supposed to be sunny for the next three or so days.
“Is it bad?” Max had asked.
Neil nodded. “We need to find somewhere to bunker down for the night.”
“Okayyy~!” Nikki said lightly, keeping the car at a nice even pace as the boys directed her.
“Shit.” Max held his phone up to Neil as thunder struck and lightning flashed overhead.
“No bars.” Neil groaned. “Nikki?” She wordlessly tossed him her phone from its spot on her lap. It, too, was out of service.
“Maybe we should park until it blows over?” Max said.
“I’d rather keep moving.” Neil said. “I feel… I don’t know.” He finished.
“Moving.” Nikki agreed.
“Fine.” Max fiddled with the radio and got some service. Southern, country, bluegrass - all they had up in the mountains.
It didn’t bother them. In fact, they were really getting into the twang of the guitar harmonizing with the banjo through each consecutive song. Sure, they were all different, but you could hear those same notes through and through again.
The more they drove, however, the worse it got. Neil was getting twitchy and muttering under his breath. Nikki must have been speeding, but when Max craned to look, the speedometer had busted.
“When were you going to tell us that?” He exclaimed. Nikki jerked, but kept the car on the road.
“Tell you what?” Her voice sounded like she had taken too many of her mom’s pain pills.
“Nikki?” Max was confused and now, scared. Her swerving hadn’t slowed her down in the slightest. Neil was looking out of the window, but his eyes were faraway.
A cackle of static went through the radio. Max moaned and tried to change the station, but Neil caught his arm. Too alarmed at Neil’s placid expression, Max jerked away and let the station play…
“I thought it was a joke,” He shivered, burrowing his face in the borrowed cop sweater. “... some weird podcast bullshit, you know? This guy came on, talking about fucking… space, purifying yourself and… and I don’t know what else…”
The group of adults looked at each other, uneasy.
“Kid, there aren’t any shows like that around here.” Sal said with a raised brow.
“Sounds like some spooky cult nonsense.” The deputy chimed in, unhelpfully. “OoooOOOOHHHH.”
“Can it, deputy, or you’ll be on janitorial for a month.” Sal glared at his underling who promptly snapped his mouth shut. “What else?”
“Nikki and Neil… they looked so… elated.” Max hated using words that sounded like no one would feel that way in real life, but it was the only way to describe them.
“... everything at Lake Lilac.” The man on the radio said in his smooth, calming voice. “See what the water can do, mind and body, as well as your soul.”
“Dude, what?” Max tried to laugh it off, reaching again for the radio knob, but was again stopped. “Neil, cut it out. This is weird and annoying. Nikk, c’mon, turn it on to something else.”
“Come to Lake Lilac.” Nikki said, slowly.
“Come to Lake Lilac.” Neil repeated.
“G-guys?”
Their stretched smiles grew tight, any word from Max lost to the man who was beckoning to them. Nikki drove faster, repeating the mantra over and over, as if that would get them there faster. But… wait. Nikki didn’t know where this lake was, anyway? What was Max so worried about? Except, she seemed so focused and self-assured… was she really listening to that dope?
The rain somehow came down even harder, the thunder making the road shake. Max continued to plea with his friends, to get them to stop, or at least slow down. They didn’t listen. Even when Max smacked Neil and pulled on Nikki’s hair, they were too far gone.
“Is this hell?” Max mumbled. “Are we going to hell?” If Nikki hadn’t been going miles over the speed limit, on a mountain road, Max might have considered jumping out. As it was, even the windows were locked tight. He jiggled with the glass for a brief moment before giving up. “My friends… they’re…” He swallowed, looking back and forth between them.
Right as he realized how much danger he was in, the car skidded to a stop. Max groaned, rubbing his ribs. “What the hell - NO SERIOUSLY WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?”
A man was outside of their car, standing as though he just been bumped by it. He twitched unnaturally and jumped onto the hood with a scream. It was enough to wake the other two from their stupor.
“WHAT THE FUCK!?” Neil fingers dug into the edges of his seat as the man continued howling, black eyes pressed against the windshield, the wipers doing nothing to remove him. He wouldn’t stop banging and, finally, they could make out what it was he was saying.
“Come to Lake Lilac. Come to Lake Lilac.”
And then, with a crash of thunder, he vanished.
Nikki turned off the car and stepped out, her hair immediately flattening to her head under the torrential downpour. Neil followed after her, shouting something.
“Guys! Where the hell are you going?!” Max’s thin voice, broken from fear, couldn't be heard over the storm. “Neil! Nikki! COME BACK!”
He clambered into the driver’s seat, twisting the key in the ignition. The car roared to life, headlights flickering back on. Not daring to leave the safety of the car, Max rolled a window down and stuck his head out.
Over the waves, over the lightning and thunder, over his own desperately pounding heart, Max heard them. He heard them all…
“Come to Lake Lilac
Come to Lake Lilac
Come to Lake Lilac…”
Max watched as Nikki and Neil went in deeper and deeper, chanting along as though part of some demonic choir. He was frozen to his seat, watching as the lake seemed to open up entirely, and swallow them whole.
Sal looked from Gwen to Max. “Well that’s as good a tale as any I’ve heard.”
“Why would I lie?” Max said, miserably.
“Oh, I can think of several good reasons.” The deputy said.
“He’s not lying.” Gwen said, yet looking unsure.
“There’s no evidence he wasn’t responsible for it!” Sal argued.
“There’s no evidence he is!” Gwen retorted.
“What?” Max snorted, ignoring the tears in his eyes. “I got no bodies to hide, nowhere to hide them. Maybe they’re still alive. Maybe you should go ask Lake Lilac…”