Mystery at Shadow Lake: A Spencer Kane Adventure REVISED Edition

By B L Hoffman

Spencer Kane, finds himself in the middle of peculiar, even paranormal situations that affect many of the lake residents. Spencer and his friends unknowingly cause the events to intensify and become more violent, bringing even more danger to those who haven't yet fled the lake in terror.

Excerpt: The voice appeared to come from inside the tunnel. I slowly lowered myself down to the bend to get a better look. I didn’t hear anything. I called out “Is anyone down here? Do you need help?” I turned back to where the flashlight was aimed, and immediately saw two shining circles, resembling eyes glowing from the light, and looking in my direction. Before I could make another move, I heard. “Please help me.” “Who’s there? I asked again. As I watched the shiny spheres, they began moving closer and closer. I stared at them at first, not certain if the person in trouble was approaching me, or if I should be running for my life from something evil. As the eyes drew closer, I could now make out a figure. It looked strangely familiar.
Then I realized the figure was the little girl I had seen in my nightmare. The same one who had disappeared in the lake and hasn't yet been found.

• Language: English
• Publisher: B L Hoffman
• Release date: Dec 22, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465816870

B L Hoffman

I'm married and live in Indianapolis, IN with my husband and baby Ziva (2 1/2 year old Pom/Shih-Tzu mix). I worked in the insurance industry for 34 years before starting my first book. I love the outdoors (except for the bugs), boating, fishing, cruising and traveling to new places. I love seafood, especially fresh lobster and catfish! Friday is normally pizza night. I'm very detailed (to a fault), and have been the family cruise planner, itinerary organizer and travel consultant; and think I still hold the title for most efficient dishwasher packer!

Book preview

Mystery at Shadow Lake

A Spencer Kane Adventure

Book #1

2014 REVISED Edition

B. L. Hoffman

Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Mystery at Shadow Lake - A Spencer Kane Adventure

Book #1

by Brenda L Hoffman

Copyright 2011 Brenda L Hoffman. All rights reserved.

Edited March 2014

Smashwords Edition

ISBN: 978-1468124965

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my wonderful husband,

supporter, and best friend, Skeeter.

Introduction

Summer 1994

My name is Spencer. Spencer Kane. I’ve been in many peculiar situations over the years, starting with the family vacation in 1994. I was seventeen at the time. I had no idea that our family cottage on Shadow Lake, Michigan, one of my favorite places to be, would turn into a place of fear, tragedy, and horror within the first twenty-four hours of our two-week trip.

I should have been swimming, skiing, and boating with my friends. The bonfires, cookouts, and annual pig roast should’ve been the highlights, as they always were, for the many families that gathered year after year.

The missing child, dark, shadow-like figures, deep growling sounds, and personal attacks on boaters ruined all that.

I had considered myself a strong and fearless teenager until that summer; I was clawed, poisoned, hospitalized, and terrified beyond belief … then I didn’t feel so invincible.

If my story had happened today, it would have been quite different. Modern technology would have definitely helped us. I often wonder what affect cell phones, Wi-Fi, and satellite maps in our vehicles might have had on our journey and the outcome.

Background

We were a typical, middle-class family of four from Indianapolis, Indiana. My dad, Steve, was a CPA. He’d worked at the same accounting firm for about fifteen years. He worked an incredible number of hours, and at times, we could tell that it really wore on him. He laughed and blamed his job for his graying hair and widening belly. Dad was one of the most positive people you’d ever meet. He was generally in a good mood and always knew how to lighten up a tense situation.

My mom, Amy, was a registered nurse and worked at Riley Children’s Hospital. She loved taking care of children and being a part of a hospital that was well known for its ability to help kids with all types of injuries and diseases. She worked long shifts and still managed to take care of all of us. She was a great mom and a fantastic cook. I didn’t see how she stayed so slim with the hearty meals she served us.

Zack was my younger brother by two years. He was a typical fifteen-year-old who took every opportunity to add a smart remark to any conversation. Zack had really sprouted up that year; he was about five nine, but he still needed a few inches to catch up with me. His brown hair was almost shoulder-length and was always tousled and hanging partly in his eyes. Mom kept threatening to cut it some night when he was asleep.

As for me, I was a junior in high school and couldn’t wait to graduate and go on to college. I was interested in a career in computer science, so I was looking into Purdue University. Mom and Dad were really hoping for a scholarship. I had brownish-blond hair—not nearly as long as my brother’s—and blue eyes, like my mom. She was always telling me they were pretty…just what a guy wanted to hear.

Chapter 1

Mom and Dad always looked forward to this time of year, and the family time we had together. Our trip was always during the Fourth of July holiday, and it was a great time to see all our friends and neighbors at the lake. Most everyone we knew was there for the holiday week, to enjoy each other’s company and the annual lake festivities.

Zack and I were typical teenage brothers. We teased and made fun of each other and pushed each other around now and then. You know … the usual. Our antics weren’t appreciated when we were on a long car trip, though. Mom and Dad were quick to interrupt us when we got too rowdy.

The van was finally packed. The fishing gear, coolers, and suitcases were all checked off Mom’s list. It was time to head to the lake for this year’s two-week vacation.

The trip to Shadow Lake, Michigan, took about six hours. When I was younger, it seemed like an eternity. It was still a long trip, but Zack and I no longer asked the dreaded Are we there yet? question every twenty minutes. I know our parents didn’t miss that.

We typically tried to leave home by nine a.m. If we managed that, we could usually get there, unpack the car, and be out on the boat by five pm. Dad was very happy that everyone was ready, packed, and in the car today ahead of schedule! We were actually pulling out of the driveway at eight forty-five.

Once on the road, we began talking about what each of us wanted to do first thing when we arrived at the lake. Dad said he couldn’t wait to get in the hammock for a nap, but we all knew he’d be cleaning the boats and inspecting the dock instead. Mom wanted to make a trip to the local grocery and get a few things for dinner. Zack wanted to head down to his friend Andy’s house. I wanted to take the speedboat for a spin around the lake and see if any of my friends were out. (I’d really like to run into Angela Martin.)

Dad bought a new van this spring, so we were riding in style. A 1994 Chevy Astro with lots of room for all our gear and room for Zack and I to sit farther apart. I wanted Dad to get a bright color, but he’d settled with the two-tone blue. It wasn’t too bad.

It was nice to have more comfortable seats and legroom for the drive. If you’ve ever driven north from Indianapolis on US 31 through Kokomo and on toward South Bend, you know how boring of a drive it could be. Once you get north of Kokomo, there’s not much to see except for farm fields. Of course, there was the one animal farm that had llamas, which always got our attention for a few minutes. Not something you see every day. There was also a chance of seeing a horse and buggy on the road due to the large Amish population that lived in the area. After that, you might as well take a nap or read a book.

At least we knew it was almost lunchtime as we got closer to South Bend. It was about the halfway mark of our trip, and we were always ready to eat and get out and stretch our legs for a while.

I’m really looking forward to the Fourth of July pitch-in this year, Mom said enthusiastically. I have some new dishes to share with everyone. Even you boys like the new pasta salad dish, right?

I do, I answered. I ate half the bowl by myself the last time you made it.

Yeah, it’s pretty good, Zack added.

I wonder where we’re roasting the pig this year, Dad added. I guess we could offer our yard, since the Grahams will no longer be there. I think it was cooked in Bob’s yard for the last six or seven years in a row. I’m really going to miss them. I wouldn’t be surprised if they showed up for the festivities this year. I hope they do.

As long as you and the boys can handle digging the hole and getting the pig in the ground, I don’t see why we can’t have it in our yard, Mom replied.

Oh, there’s always plenty of help around when it comes to getting ready for the pig roast. I think the men consider it a rite of passage to help cook the beast for the feast! Hey, I’m a poet. Dad laughed.

That’s right. I remember the Grahams’ yard was always full of volunteers when it came time to prepare the pit and get the pig ready to cook. I’m surprised you guys don’t put paint on your faces or something, Mom said, chuckling.

Didn’t you see Bob’s grandsons last year, Mom? Zack asked. "They did have paint on their faces. One was even dressed up like a Native American and carried around a bow and arrow. Lucky for us it was plastic… I was shot at least three times before Bob took the arrows in the house. Those things hurt when he shoots you from two feet away."

"Good thing you never did things like that when you were his age," Mom said with a smile.

"No, not me," Zack replied with a huge, boyish grin.

All this talk about the pig roast is making me hungry, Dad said. We’ll be getting into South Bend in about thirty minutes. How about we stop for some lunch before we get on the bypass?

Sounds good to me. I’m starving, I said.

Me, too, replied Mom.

I need food, Zack responded.

Wake me up when we get to the restaurant, I said as I rested my head against the window and closed my eyes.

≈

Wake up, you two, Dad said as he pulled into a diner.

Zack and I both stretched, unintentionally hitting each other’s arms. Hey! Zack yelled. Stop it! Then he purposely smacked my arm rather hard. I reciprocated by punching him back.

We’re not having this, you two, Dad said angrily as he opened up the back passenger door, where I was sitting.

He started it, Dad. I’m not gonna sit there and take it, I said as I got out of the van.

Dad walked toward Zack and gave him a warning as we all approached the door of the restaurant. "One more time, Zack, and you’re riding in the back with the luggage. I’m not kidding."

We had a good lunch, with no teasing or fighting. Zack and I really didn’t fight that much, it just didn’t take a whole lot of provocation to get something started. It never lasted long, though, and had never been severe.

The diner had great cheeseburgers and chili-cheese fries. Nice and greasy … just the way I liked ’em! Of course, Mom and Dad didn’t go for the greasy fries, but the chicken-fried steak they had sure looked good. And it came with a huge pile of mashed potatoes and gravy. Mom couldn’t eat all of hers, but with Zack and me there, nothing went to waste.

Back in the car with full bellies and about three more hours to go, we jumped on the US 31 bypass around the west side of South Bend, which would take us almost to Benton Harbor, Michigan. I memorized the route in case Dad ever let me help with the driving … and for sure I’d be driving up here by myself before long.

After almost two and a half more hours on the road, Dad decided to pull over, fill up with gas, and give us all a stretch break. We stopped in Scottville, Michigan, which was about forty-five minutes from the lake. We were all anxious to get there and tired of being in the van. The traffic had been fairly heavy, so we were a little behind our normal time schedule.

Zack and I went into the gas station for a soda while Dad pumped the gas and Mom walked around to stretch her legs. When we came back out, we saw Mom and Dad talking with the station’s attendant. They both had concerned looks on their faces and were intently listening to what the man had to say. As we walked closer, they abruptly ended their conversation.

What’s going on? I asked.

Oh, nothing, Mom replied. Just some small-town gossip. Let’s get going. We’re almost there!

Once we were back on the road, I caught Mom and Dad glancing at each other, and it was as if their expressions were an actual conversation. Whatever the gas station attendant had told them had bothered them in some way, and they obviously didn’t want to share it with me and Zack. The rest of the drive was fairly quiet.

At last, we pulled into the driveway of the cottage. I could already hear boats speeding through the water and kids laughing and jumping off the docks. The distinctive smell of a campfire was in the air along with the mouth-watering aroma of food on the neighbors’ grill.

I stepped out of the van, onto our gravel driveway, and took a look around. We had a small parking area outside our two-car garage that barely fit our large van now. We’d have to pull in at an angle to keep the back end from sticking out in the street.

We didn’t use our garage for the vehicles … at least, not in the summer. We stored our ski vests, water toys, older fishing gear, and many other things inside. It was a pain