My First Summer

I felt like I'd been under there my entire life.

Wrapped in yellow blankets, like a baby,

swaddled too tight.

I was sinking further and further

and just when I was about to run out of breath,

something pulled me out.

Something in the trees.

A light.

A glow.

Is someone hungry?

Huh?

Hello?

Tilly...

Hey

Hello, come here.

Hello.

What's your name?

Tilly, Tilly.

Where are you off to?

Hey...

It's okay.

Your dog's really cute.

Don't take her.

I just wanted to make sure you're okay.

Are you okay?

How did you know I was here?

Well, I was there last night at the reservoir.

I saw what happened.

I won't tell anyone.

I pinky promise.

What are you doing with your finger?

Haven't you heard of a pinky promise?

Well, it means more than a normal handshake.

So, what's your name?

Claudia.

I'm Grace.

What colour are the other fingers?

If this one is pink, what colour are the others?

It's not that it's pink. It's just called your pinky finger.

And the other ones all have different names.

You know them, right?

First, second, third- Mm mm, mm mm.

Pinky, ring.

Rude. What makes it rude?

No. What?

Just, don't do that.

It's like saying something really mean,

but with your finger.

Do you wanna come and sit with me?

Can I come and visit you sometime?

No one can know I'm here. If they find out, they'll take me away.

I won't tell anyone.

It can be our secret.

Purple promise?

Purple promise.

It was her, Grace.

The glow on the bank. The pull from the trees.

She's not of this place.

Do you want me to have a nervous breakdown Grace, is that it?

No Mom.

Why the fuck are the cops here?

I don't know.

What the hell you been up to, young lady?

I've not done a fucking thing.

Hey, hey listen, hey.

Don't talk to her like that.

We just need to ask her a few more questions.

Okay, so I'm Detective Croydon.

This is my partner, Detective Jones.

We just wanted to clarify

what you saw at the res last night.

So you saw some thrashing in the water

and then you said you saw a girl running away from the res.

And we are not sure who that is.

See, the deceased didn't have any kids or family.

So we think that it might have been a visitor,

or someone from out of town,

Now, is there anything you can tell us about-

Look.

We really need you to think, okay?

It's a scorpion in a lollipop.

What'd she look like?

light hair, dark hair.

Yeah look, I don't really think I saw a girl.

No girl?

No, it was dark.

And I was on my own and I think I got freaked.

And saw things that weren't actually there.

I've got a really overactive imagination.

Mom says it all the time.

So wait, let me get this straight.

There was no girl

But you did say- Yeah, I know.

I know.

I'm saying that I think I got carried away

when I was speaking to the officer last night.

There was no girl.

But I definitely saw a woman,

an older lady walking into the water and then the thrashing.

Right...

So you saw an older woman walking into the water

Yeah, that author lady who lives by the res.

I recognised her from the back of one of her books.

Veronica Fox.

Yeah. That's her.

She just walked into the water and didn't come out.

It was fucked.

Well, sounds about right.

Cool.

So... I'm good?

I'm not in trouble?

No.

You're not in trouble.

Like I said, we just wanted to clarify a few things.

Cool. You've been a big help.

Thank you, Grace.

Hey, what you saw must've be really scary.

You got someone to talk to about it if you need to?

Yeah.

Lessons my darling.

My darling girl, what's wrong?

I don't know.

Oh my sweet.

You having bad thoughts again?

Oh my darling.

It's okay.

It's okay my darling, it's okay.

Shh, shh, shh.

Sweetheart

Breathing in... and out.

Sweet love, you're doing so well.

Just breathe in.

Stay with me my darling, it's all okay.

Shh, shh, shh.

Sweet love, it's okay.

It's okay, stay with me.

Stay with me.

Shh, shh, shh.

My darling, it's okay.

Slow it down, shh, shh, shh.

It's okay.

We're nearly there, my darling.

We are nearly there.

Breathe in.

And out.

Breathe in... and out.

Good. Breathe in... and out.

Where... What?

Where did my mom go?

What did I do to her?

Nothing, hey Claudia, it's me.

It's me, Grace.

Hey. Remember?

No, no, no, please.

Claudia please.

Come back. Wait.

Claudia.

Claudia!

Claudia!

Claudia!

Claudia! Claudia!

Claudia!

Hey.

Claudia.

I should be with her.

I should be with her.

You can't be seen here.

You don't want to be found do you?

Hey, let's go home.

Yeah?

Let me take you home where it's safe.

Oh, you have to look in the mirror.

Why?

Just do it.

Can I do you?

I've got too much hair, it won't work.

Get in.

You like it here?

In the tub?

No, I mean, in this house.

I guess.

Why don't you ever leave?

I've left before.

I don't think the res counts.

It's on the outside.

Yeah, but I mean like the real outside.

Mom said there's nothing but pain there.

She said that?

She came from there.

She said that it was filled with selfish people

who didn't treat each other very well.

So you've really never been past the res?

Why would I?

I don't know, to go to school,

see a doctor,

go to your grandparents' houses and have cups of tea

and listen to the same story 10 times over.

I mean, I can't believe it.

Why are you laughing?

So no one knows you exist?