one on the sidewalk. He found this a little odd, but didn't think it was a problem. “Let's see, where could they be?” Jake asked himself.
“She never came home so it has to be somewhere they could be at all night. But where could that be?”
“I've got it. There was an emergency of some sort and they might be at Aunt Sammie's. That's got to be it.”
Now that he had some sort of idea of where he was heading, Jake thought that everything could only get better from here. Aunt Sammie's house wasn't too far to walk. It shouldn't take too long as he planned on taking the short cut through the park by Lake Hawkawa. Shyan loves playing at the park. Sometimes they would even rent a paddle boat and go out on the lake. Jake told Lara that one day they would buy a boat so they could just float on the water all day and see how big the lake really is. The lake is huge. Some say it is bigger than the town but Jake doesn't believe that, neither does Lara. There is a bridge at the spillway, where they always cross to go to Sammie's. The bridge is only about three blocks from Jake and Lara's house. And another two blocks from there to Sammie’s.
Jake walked by Mr. Roberts' house. He was shocked to see that Mr. Roberts wasn't out tending his flower garden. He is always working on that garden. Jake did see his cat, though. It is normally the nicest thing you could ever, meet but not today. It was hissing and growling at Jake. He tried to pet it, to let it know who he was, but Jake couldn't get close to it. “Wonder what got into him?” Jake said. He was starting to realize that the only living things he saw were animals. This kind of struck him funny. “Oh, well.” he thought. “Time to find my girls. I can't wait to get them back in my arms.”
Jake made his way to the park. It didn't take him long to get there. He had some issues with a couple of dogs and cats that didn't seem to like him very much. Jake was thinking that he might have even heard a squirrel or two scream at him. "Today is not my day for animals I guess.” Jake said with a slight chuckle. As Jake entered the park, he got a weird feeling. It felt like a wave of chills washed over his body. The hairs on the back of his neck couldn't stand any straighter if they tried.
As the chills washed over him, Jake got a heavy feeling of unease. As he looked around, he noticed how foggy the park and lake were. When he looked up towards the sky, he noticed that the sun no longer bothered his eyes. He figured this was due to the fog. As Jake walked further, he realized that the fog seemed to be dry. There was no moisture collecting on him. “This doesn't feel right. What the hell is going on?” Jake screamed.
As Jake had made his way toward bridge, it seemed to take him longer then ever to reach it. He was trembling from head to toe with fear. “Oh god. I think I'm going to have an anxiety attack. This is just too much.”
“First, my wife and daughter are missing. Second, nobody was out around town. Then, every animal I came across had it out for me, even them damn squirrels. And now this. What in the hell is going on?” Jake screamed out in tears of fear and anxiety.
“Now, now, young man, keep it down. This is a place of quiet and relaxation.”
This scared the crap out of Jake. “Who said that? Where are you? Who are you?” Jake asked.
“I am sitting on the bank, about ten to fifteen feet from you. You need to focus, young man, and you will be able to see me.”
Jake stood there for a couple minutes trying to see the unknown man. But with all the fog, he was having trouble making anything out. For a brief second, he thought he saw something but it was just too foggy.
“I can't see anything in this damn fog.” Jake told the unknown man.
“That's why you need to focus. There really is no fog. You just haven't accepted the truth of what's going on.”
“What do you mean 'no fog'? What do you mean 'the truth of what's going on'? I don't have time for these games, whoever you are. I need to find my wife and daughter.”
“Alright, young man, I will come to you then.”
The unknown man got up and went to the bridge to meet with Jake. As he approached, Jake noticed that the man looked very old and like he might belong to an indian tribe of some sort.
The unknown man, making it over to Jake, reached out to shake his hand. As he shook hands with Jake, he introduced himself as Mr. Hawkawa. Jake didn't believe that's who he really was because Mr. Hawkawa died many many years ago. The lake was named after him after he had drowned in it and his body was never recovered.
“Right, you're the famous Mr. Hawkawa? The guy this lake was named after? Like I'm supposed to believe that? He is supposed to be dead.”
“Very true, young man, very true. I love this place. I spent every day here and this is where I will always be.” Mr. Hawkawa replied. “See, I am dead. The question I have for you is, why you haven't realized that you are too?”
Jake didn't know what to say. After looking this old man that stood in front of him over, he did look like the pictures of Mr. Hawkawa that were posted in the visitors center for the lake. Jake didn't want to believe him, but decided he would play along and ask some questions, then continue his search.
“If I am dead, then why am I not in heaven?” Jake asked trying not to laugh.
“Simple, you haven't accepted your death yet. And then it will be up to you if you stay or go.” Mr. Hawkawa replied. “See, I chose to stay because this is where I want to be.”
“What about the fog? Why do I see it when you say it really isn't there?”
“Again, you haven't accepted your death.”
Jake was starting to get impatient and wanted to return to his search. “I don't have time for this. I'm out of here.” Jake said as he turned to walk away. “Nice meeting you, Mr. Hawkawa. I've got to go.”
“I won't keep you from your search but just remember this; you are not alone like it seems. Once you accept the truth, you will see everything clearly.” Mr. Hawkawa told Jake.
As Jake walked away, he thought he would ask one more question. “If you are who you say you are, then why couldn't they find your body?”
“I have always been one with nature and all living things. Throughout my life, I have befriended many animals and plants. I knew my time was coming as I'm sure you did too. You just haven't realized that yet either. As my time was coming closer, I had asked a catfish who lives at the bottom of this lake to make sure no one found my body. I wanted to be one with the lake. What the catfish did with my body I can only guess, but I do believe he ate me.” Mr. Hawkawa told Jake.
Jake left the park and continued on his quest to his aunt's house. Still thinking about Mr. Hawkawa's reply, Jake found it funny to think of your last day on earth being eaten by a catfish. He definitely decided he couldn't believe that man was Mr. Hawkawa. And the fact that he himself was also dead? That was ridiculous. “Dead. Yeah, right. Then why am I walking down the street? Shouldn't I be flying like a ghost?” Jake said, laughing. “Dead man walking, ha ha ha.”
Jake finally reached his aunt's house. Along the way, he had his usual, for today that is, run in with cats and dogs that didn't seem to like him anymore.
“Maybe I should have asked that old man about the animals. See what kind of bull shit he would have made up about that.”
Jake knocked on his aunt's door. Nobody answered so he rang the door bell. The front door opened by itself. He found this quite odd. Jake stepped through the door, slowly, not knowing what to expect. As he passed through the door, he felt the same tingle he felt earlier. He even smelled his aunt's perfume. “Shit, what was that?” he said under his breath. Jake called out to his aunt, but got no reply. As he walked through the house, he found no one.
Jake's heart was racing and he could feel the anxiety coming on. This was all just too weird and nothing was making any sense to him. He felt that tingly feeling once again and smelled his aunt's perfume once more. “That's it, I'm out of here.” Jake said as he ran for the door. Once he was out of his aunt's house, he sat on her porch steps and tried to figure out what to do next. As he sat there, he started to think. If that old m
an was right, then how would he find out the truth about what's going on. That's when it hit him.
Jake realized that if he was truly dead, then he would have to have a grave in the local cemetery. “It would be pretty messed up to see your own grave but now I am curious to see if I have one.” He said, still in denial of it all. Jake started off to the local cemetery. He started off at a slow walk for about two blocks, then finished off with a full on run. Curiosity was getting to him now.
Jake came up on the cemetery and froze at the entrance. “Do I really want to do this? What if I am dead, then what do I do?”
“I guess there isn't much else to do. I've got to do this.”
Jake proceeded, not knowing where to look for his grave, if he even had one. As he was walking through the cemetery, looking at tombstones, he caught a glimpse off in the distance of some fresh turned dirt. He walked slowly over to it. When Jake got to the fresh covered grave, he read the tombstone. HERE LIES JAKE EVERT BRADCLAW
LOVING HUSBAND, FATHER & SON
APR. 12, 1976 - JUNE 13, 2011
Jake fell to his knees. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. “That old man was right. I mean, Mr. Hawkawa was right. I am dead.” Jake said in shock. “I'm dead. I'm really dead.”
As Jake came to the realization of the fact that he was dead,