Blackwater Lights Read Online Free PDF

intimacy was unnerving. He couldn’t speak. She stepped back. Her bare breasts came into view. She had small, pierced nipples. She leaned forward and adjusted the camera. “You want to party with me tonight? I have another twenty minutes.”
    Ray pressed the Escape key and the window minimized.
    Her voice still played through the speakers. “What’s wrong? You gay? That’s channel four. Just click on the thing at the bottom right—”
    He jabbed the power button.
    He really needed some fresh air.

Chapter Five
    He ate at Doris’s Diner again, an early dinner. When Ellen saw him she grabbed a menu. She was wearing more makeup and her hair looked different. She held up a pot of coffee. “Fresh pot. Looks like you need it.” She poured him a cup. “Bad day? Or late night?”
    He rubbed his forehead. “Yeah. Both. Unfortunately. Hey, do you have a minute to talk?”
    She blinked. “Mind if I sit for a second?”
    “No, not at all. Please.”
    She slid into the booth across from him and put the coffeepot on the Formica tabletop. “I can’t talk long. The boss will be back in a few minutes—he ran out to get some tomatoes from the Kroger.”
    “Have you lived here long?”
    Ellen shrugged. “Yeah. Pretty much all my life. You?”
    “I’m from Baltimore. But I spent some time here once. During the summer. When I was a kid. Early seventies, like ’71 or ’72.”
    “Really? You have family here?”
    “No. My uncle brought me to a camp. A summer camp or something. You know of the place? A camp, out in the woods?”
    She stared at him. “Hmm. There’s the Bible camp on Bickle’s farm. Just a little day camp for the church. But it’s not really a campground. Just some playground equipment.”
    “That’s not it. This was a camp for boys. Like the Boy Scouts. There were buildings. With bunk beds.”
    Bunk beds. Rows and rows of them
.
    She looked at the ceiling. Her eyes were done up in light blue eye shadow and mascara. She chewed the inside of her cheek and sighed. “Sorry. I don’t know of anyplace like that around here. But I’ll ask around. My father might know something—he worked for the post office. He would have delivered the mail.”
    Ray nodded. “That would be great.”
    “You trying to find some old friends? From camp?”
    “No. Not really. It’s just … you know. Curiosity.”
    “Sure.” She looked like she wanted to say something.
    “Is there a library around here?”
    She nodded. “On Chestnut Street. Next to the Sheetz.” She pointed out the window.
    “Thanks.”
    A bell dinged.
    Ellen’s head snapped around. “Shoot. That was fast.” She stood up and grabbed the coffeepot. “How about a piece of pie? It’s on me.”
    “Tell you what. I’ll come by for breakfast again. Maybe your father will remember something. And I promised William ten bucks. Where is he?”
    Another ding—harder.
    She rolled her eyes. She was pretty when she smiled. “He’s with my ex until six. But he left something for you. I’ll be right back.”
    She carried plates to another table and returned with a half-inch-thick manuscript in a plastic binder. “Here you go. It really made him happy that you said you’d read it.”
    Ray held William’s book. He had barely been able to get his high school students to produce three double-spaced pages, and this kid was cranking out what must have been fifty pages of handwritten copy. “Here’s his ten bucks. I’ll pay full price.”
    “Don’t be silly,” Ellen said.
    “No, he deserves it.” He pressed the money into her palm. “Maybe it will inspire him to keep it up.”
    “Well, good luck on finding your summer camp.”
    “Let me know if you hear anything. It’s really important to me.”
    “I will. So, you’ll be coming by again?”
    “I can’t imagine there’s better eating than here.”
    She blew air through her lips. “Sadly, you’re probably right.”

    The Blackwater Public Library was small, brightly lit, and unoccupied. Ray