Out behind the shed, there was a shallow pond that used to be decorative. These days it was more functional than pretty, with algae on the edges and leaves floating in the water. It wasn’t filthy—but it wasn’t filtered either. And that was fine. He wasn’t after pristine. He was after memorable.
Clarence spent the next day quietly preparing. He didn’t tell anyone, not even Jordan, the kid down the street who sometimes helped him with yard work. He wanted no witnesses, no gossip. Just results. The fewer people who knew, the better it would work.