The Tributary

1994

Tara scoffed slightly.

There was nothing more annoying than being lassoed with her younger sibling and cousins on the first day of Summer break. She rolled her eyes upon realizing that she wasn't going to enjoy the day reading to her leisure and somehow had to come to terms with how to entertain the brats under her direction.

"You know, we could take the canoes out. Maybe have a picnic?" Ben murmured, leaning into her bedroom doorframe with a casual crossing of the arms.

"You also know that Lydia and Lucas aren't that great at swimming. I'm not sure Uncle Jim and Aunt Hilly want me to drown their kids." Tara remarked.

"You're boring and no fun. And that doesn't say much about your babysitter skills. Just sayin'."

"Did I ask you for your input? If you were their babysitter, they'd be poisoned by strychnine from day one."

"Ooh, do you think I'm capable of murder?" Ben teased.

"When it comes to your annoying twin siblings, there's a reason why they chose me to be the main babysitter when you're old enough to watch them and are their actual brother," Tara muttered.

"Do you want to sit here and keep dealing with them for the entire day? I'd rather go exploring."

"I realize that, but I'm trying to be responsible. Something that you've got next to zero experience with - doofus."

"Why do you use such ridiculous words to describe me? I feel like you should reserve that name for Olivia."

"Olivia is smarter than you, Ben. That's why she's a grade ahead and you're not." Tara murmured.

"You know, for being one of the oldest you are such a goody-two-shoes."

"Ugh, fine. We can take them canoeing but first some ground rules." Tara groaned with annoyance.

"Uncle Mark just dug out that beach and I don't see why we don't use the new boat launch. That's why he built it - isn't it?" Ben added.

"You press issues too much. Go get your siblings and Livi and I will work on something for a picnic." Tara said, waving Ben on his way.

"Alright - Lydeeeee, Luuuu..." Ben's hollers echoed through the two-story house and Tara gritted her teeth in annoyance. She slipped from her bed quickly and darted down the hall to her younger sister's room, "Olivia?"

"What?" Livi poked her head up from under her covers with a book held firmly between her hands, "Can't you see I'm trying to enjoy my summer break?"

"Yeah, well if Ben, Lydi, and Luke are here to bother me all summer - you're tagging along with us. I'm not dealing with the trio of doom by myself." Tara stated, perking her brow at the end of her sentence.

"Way to go for the dramatics, Tara. You sure you're not a natural thespian?" Olivia asked, standing up and tossing the book on her bed.

"I need your help to prepare some kind of picnic. We're going on a rowing adventure in the canoes." Tara stated, forcing a smile to her lips.

"Are you sure mom and dad are going to be okay with that? The twins can't swim well." Olivia muttered.

"I tried that argument with Ben, and he wasn't hearing it. So - let's go pack some PB and J and get down the creek so we can get back after they all start complaining about 15 minutes down the water." Tara added.

***

Some twenty or so minutes later, the five of them were loading up the canoes, and Tara was wondering if she could keep all of these kids in line.

"You don't look too enthused," Olivia murmured, as Tara pulled the front of her canoe toward the water.

"I'm just hoping that Ben doesn't rile up the twins. You think it's the best idea for us to row in a separate boat?" Tara asked.

"They're two-person max canoes, but Lily is tiny and can easily sit in the middle so Lucas and Ben can row from either end. I think that's a lot safer because it's safer and we can lead out. We do have more experience navigating this channel." Olivia said, the matter-of-fact sound of her voice lending a sense of relief to Tara's worried mind.

"Yeah, you're right." Tara nodded, pausing to glance back toward Ben and the twins, "Ben, sit Lydia in the middle and let Lucas have the back end so you can direct the canoe from the front."

"You got it." He muttered, and in a matter of moments, Tara pushed forward to start rowing. The water was murky and brown – and she felt a sense of disgust wash over her upon looking at it. It wasn't always so dirty, but today it seemed to be more sediment-filled than usual.

"It looks like liquid diarrhea," Lucas remarked – his voice echoing across the water.

"Ew, that's disgusting, Luke." Lydia murmured, "At least it doesn't smell like it."

"We do swim in this water – all the time. Don't act so squeamish." Ben muttered, "This run-off comes from the same supply as the main river down by Harrisburg."

"It's called the Long Tom River, doofus," Lydia muttered.

"I know what it's called, pipsqueak," Ben said.

"Pipe down and enjoy the canoe ride. If y'all are quiet, we might see some wildlife." Olivia interjected.

"Ooh, maybe we'll see some waterfowl." Luke stated, "Maybe we can catch a duck and eat it for dinner. What do you think Ben?"

"That we don't have any hunting supplies, and that's not the adventure Tara agreed to," Ben mumbled.

"You know, I've never rowed this far before," Tara suddenly blurted – after they came around a bend in the tributary and a large weeping willow emerged – draping leaves casting a strange shadow over the water as they slowly paddled beneath it.

"That's a creepy willow – it's all gnarly and so old-looking," Luke muttered, his mouth falling agape as he watched with wide eyes. Ben chuckled and shook his head.

"It's just an old tree – there's nothing creepy about it."

"Hush, y'all – look," Olivia stated, as they rowed out from beneath the tree fringe and a bright and open green meadow spread out before them. The embankment jutted out a bit and as they came around the curve the water seemed to open wider forming a larger space that led up to a sandy beach before the open meadow.

"Wow, that's beautiful." Tara murmured, "Let's go take the picnic break there." she pointed to the grass just beyond the sandy beach.

"Yeah, I agree." Ben nodded, "I'm starving already. What'd you bring?"

"Ooh, we get food?" Lydia piped up, glancing around the water and noticing the large - welcoming sunny beach just ahead of them.

"That's the greenest grass I've ever seen," Luke mumbled - in awe of the large and expansive meadow they'd all agreed on feasting in.

***

After a while of unloading Tara and the five found themselves musing at their food and a curiously compelling feeling overtook Tara. She stood up, glancing around the open meadow and noticing a strange light tan structure - appearing somewhat new and out of place, standing in the middle of the field. There were a few large trees near it, and a concrete pathway seemed to go around the building that Tara could make out. Drawn to investigate, she turned to Olivia and Ben and murmured,

"Stay here, and watch the twins. I'll be right back." She mumbled. With careful steps, Tara strode through the lush grass which happened to be about a foot deep and showed signs of being mowed down on occasion. The building was some distance away - at least a football field in the length of distance separated it from the sandy beach where they'd pulled the canoes up to picnic. A strange and eerie feeling began to overcome Tara - with every inch that she drew closer to the building it seemed as if her heart was beating even more erratic and a hurried sense of discomfort overtook her. When finally Tara stepped out onto the pathway she leaned her head slightly peering into an oddly shaped building with double doors - locked, with metal meshed windows of large portions. The same types of large window panes made up the front of the building but it was dark inside and nothing could be made out beyond a few chairs due to the tinting of the window panes. Odd as it was, Tara strode around the backside of the building and gasped with astonishment at what appeared before her eyes. Several large headstones with various symbolic and ornamental values with memorials that went back several centuries jutted up behind the building and Tara instantly knew that it had to be associated with funerary services - the idea of a crematory or mausoleum with tombs inside it sent a jolting shiver down her spine and with a quick pivot about-face, Tara began jogging back toward the shoreline. Her heart still frantically beating in her chest, from the corner of her eye a dark shadow seemed to appear. This compelled her to run faster until she met the beach and the shock of Ben and Olivia while she blurted out in a winded proclamation,

"Hurry up - pack up, let's go. This is not somewhere we need to be." she urged, glancing upward as the sky began to dark and the vibrating echo of a thunderclap smacked against her ears.

"Oh my God - where did this come from?" Lydia blurted - terrified, she ran toward the first canoe and jumped inside, "Luke, get in!"

"Oh shit!" Ben mumbled, running back after his sister and shooing Luke to get in alongside him. Tara and Olivia each fumbled into their canoe and with all the might she could muster, Tara pushed off to begin rowing. A single glance back and she could've sworn she saw a shadowy figure leering at the back of Ben's boat and in shock, she watched as the canoe capsized and a inky black cloud seemed to burst within the water. The visibility instantly diminished and Olivia screeched in horror as white-knuckled fingers grasped the edge of her boat. Gasping for air, Ben's head popped up and Livi reached to pull him over the canoe blinking in shocking as the two of the looked back at the capsized canoe vanishing beneath the turbulent waters. Tara began to row quicker on noting the obscure water racing in each toward the canoe but strangely as she rowed further away the waters suddenly paused creating a wall of an entirely different color against the lighter ruddy browns the tributary typically featured. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes and the three of them watched in paralyzed fear, unsure what to do. Mere moments seemed to trail on in an agonizing pause and Tara's gaze remained focused on the water even as all the color in her face fled her.

"They're..." Ben, gasped, sopping wet and began coughing back his own tears, his throat seeming to close tightly as he choked out his words, "guh-gone."

"We have to go find a phone." Olivia blurted, her own tears breaking out through her words as she began to further weep over what had just occurred. Tara tilted her head then, lifting her gaze to the trees above her and noticing no wildlife ahead she crinkled her forehead in confusion. The hairs at the back of her neck stood up, and a sudden urge to get out of there took over her. Frantically, Tara lifted her oars and began to paddle - like she had never paddled before.

"You're right. So, paddle - pull yourself together and paddle like you never, ever have."

Though no other words were spoken for the duration of the row back - the three elder kids knew, whatever I had undertaken the twins would've taken them too, but something unknown had held it back and now tragedy would be delivered in utmost haste.