A man was found drowned in the same lake as my sister

I was 5 years old when I met my first potential killer. It's taken me 22 years to believe it. <br><br>It happened in October 1988, in the north of Alberta, Canada. My sister, Carrie was 3, and the rest of my family were at Lake Annette, in Jasper National park. We had been there for weeks. It was a bad year for the economy and my dad had no job. Mom, with the help of her brother, had bought a campus van, and Dad and the kids had left to go to visit family members across the country. It was our epic fuck off adventure. My dad knew every stop, every place to camp or to visit along the way. I don't remember how long it took, but my dad did 90% of the driving in a van where no one's feet could touch the floor, do to the extend platform he built for us. We saw the reflected lights on the St. Lawrence River, went to the museum in Ottawa, went to Wonderland (Canada's version of Six Flags) and much more. It was an awesome time. Along the way, we met lots of kids. When Mom came to join us, my brother was born, and we extended the trip again, until after Christmas. My brother was four months old when we got back home.<br><br>During the trip back, we stopped in Jasper, to visit with a family we had met camping many years before. Mr. S and Mrs. T. They were our closest family friends, and had been friends with Dad since high school. The family we met camping were connected to them too, as Mrs. T had been a babysitter for their kids. Dad didn't want to leave them alone with the kids, so we went to the park with them. <br><br>Along the way, we stopped at the old train station, that was converted to a tourist information centre. The man at the desk was so impressed Dad knew so much about the area that he gave my sister and I each a park map, and said that he would meet us at our campsite that night. My sister and I were excited. We took a bus to the camp site (amenities only, no electricity) and my dad and brother stayed behind. A couple hours later, we were on the bus again to go to the lake to visit with our friends. <br><br>We were at the lake when we went into the water. My mom and Mrs. T were on the beach. She told me not to go in if it was too cold, and I said it wasn't. Some kids were at the water's edge playing with the water. They asked us to play. I went under the surface and quickly got to the bottom. I walked across, and then walked up the lake shore. I don't remember this, so it's from what my mom told me. <br><br>I haven't been underwater since.<br><br>In September of 2002, a man asked me out. A guy I had met at an open mic night for artists in the area. I had gone with some friends, and had met him then. I had been single for a little while, but hadn't gone out with anyone. I was a little reluctant because I had just broken up with someone, but my mom said we would go together, and that it was just for a little while. <br><br>We met at a restaurant in the city, on the main street. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I was a volunteer. I didn't want to have to tell him I was studying, but since the restaurant was located in the University district, it would be weird if I didn't say anything. <br><br>We were still getting to know each other, when his friend showed up. I found it weird, but didn't complain. The friend had a girl with him, and they sat down at our table. They didn't seem to know each other, and she was mad. She was telling them that they didn't know what they were playing with, that we didn't know what we were playing with. They asked me if I wanted to go out to the car with them. I don't know why, but I refused. <br><br>It was weird, and I had enough. I left and never saw them again.<br><br>Fast forward to 2004. I'm at the University, at the bookstore, looking up a book. I turn around, and this man is in front of me, looking at me. I didn't recognize him because he had short hair at the time, but I knew him. We shook hands, and he said he hoped he didn't scare me. We talked for a little while, and then I told him I had to get to class. He said we could meet for coffee or something. We exchanged numbers, and I left. <br><br>In the winter session, we ran into each other again, and we started hanging out. Once, he asked me to get in his car, and I refused. He seemed mad, but didn't push it. One day, I had to babysit, and he came over to visit. At that point, I had already had sex with him, so he was no longer a stranger. He was nice with the kids. I started to feel better around him. <br><br>We dated for almost a year. He never seemed to want to be alone with me. It was always with his friends, and it was always in a crowded area. They weren't very nice, but it didn't matter to me, as long as they treated me nice. I had to work on weekends, and they were there sometimes. <br><br>One night, we had to drop him off, and the friend that had been with him at the restaurant was with us. We dropped him off at a house, and the friend stayed with us and went to our place. He invited a couple of his friends, and we watched a movie. I hid under the blanket, and after half an hour, I was asleep. <br><br>When I woke up, they were gone. They left my apartment wide open. <br><br>We continued to date, but I started to feel uncomfortable. I found out that he had been having an affair with a girl in the area. I broke up with him, but we continued to see each other for a few months. <br><br>In 2008, I was at a book launch when I saw the friend from the restaurant. He was standing across the crowd, and then left. When I got out, he was on the street. I took out my phone and called the guy I was dating. I told him I was scared, and that if he didn't call me back in 10 minutes, I would call the cops. He called me back, and I told him what was going on. He said it was ok, they were just weird and didn't mean harm. I didn't hear from them again until Facebook. <br><br>In 2016, the friend from the restaurant sent me an invitation to be friends. I ignored him. A month or two later, the guy from the bookstore sent me one as well. I also ignored it.<br><br>In August of 2016, I started writing this post. It was the first time I had thought back on this story for a while. I wanted to know how they knew each other. I looked them up, and their names were linked to a page of missing people. They were the suspects in the death of a man who had gone missing in 1985, in the same area where my sister went missing.<br><br>In October of 1988, a man named James was out drinking, then went into a lake in Jasper National park to drown. His body was found a few days later. I found the article in the archives, and it was dated October 15. We were in the park from the 9th to the 16th. His body was found on the 15th. <br><br>I remember what happened all these years. I was in the water, when I felt an underwater current. I walked across the lake, and walked up the shores. I came out of the water, and my mom screamed. I remember the feeling of the water pressure, and the sound of my ears popping. <br><br>It has to be more than a coincidence that a man drowned in the same lake as my sister.<br><br>EDIT: I apologize for the bad writing, English is my second language, and I'm a little rusty. I'll post an update about this tonight/tomorrow.