Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash
Fast
forward three days, I told Lia that my dad was ill and that I would spend the
weekend at his house.
Overwhelmed
by the loss of our unborn child and her impending thesis deadline, she was too
stressed to pay me any attention or ask me for clarifications.
So
I hit the road after getting off work in the morning hours and didn’t bother to
return home first.
Of
all the things that happened that day, this was the one occurrence that
troubled my conscience the most. I should’ve returned home and bid farewell.
As
the night wore on, it seemed to stretch out endlessly, with no sign of its end
in sight. The deeper I delved into the countryside, the more prominent the
elongated shadows became, stretching far across the terrain.
It
was as if the darkness itself was amplifying, growing more potent with every
passing second, heightening my senses and filling me with a sense of
foreboding.
Although
my parents’ hometown was in the countryside as well, I had never ventured this
deep and far into the country until now.
Having
driven on the same road twice, I decided to pull over my Togg and step out in
order to examine my surroundings.
According
to the GPS, I was just a few hundred gardens away from my destination, but the
challenging terrain, filled with rocks and uneven ground, posed a significant
obstacle in terms of navigating through it.
Once
I retrieved the flashlight from the trunk, I proceeded to lock my car and
carefully assessed my surroundings.
On
the left side of the road, there was a forest full of thick undergrowth, which
created a dense and lush environment.
In
contrast, the right side of the road had a more open landscape with tall grass
and wildflowers that gracefully swayed in the breeze.
Wrapped
in the icy embrace of the wind, I could hear its pitiful moans echoing through
the air.
As
I made my way across the vast expanse of acres, the fragrance of the
wildflowers permeated the air and overwhelmed my senses.
The
meadow that lay before me was completely barren and devoid of any signs of
life.
As
I walked through it, the dampness of the dew permeated through my shoes and
made each step increasingly uncomfortable.
Finally,
the sound I had been eagerly anticipating arrived. A steady burble.
My
heart raced as I shone my flashlight around, desperately trying to make out the
details of what lay in front of me.
Eventually,
I was able to discern a lake with its banks raised higher than the surrounding
area.
Following
the path that led through the picturesque meadow, I arrived at the edge of the
murky water, which seemingly materialised out of thin air.
I
recoiled and lost my balance in the process. The flashlight slipped out of my
grasp and created a loud clattering noise as it collided with the ground.
The
world around me plunged into darkness, leaving me in complete and utter
blackness.
As
I searched for the flashlight, which had rolled somewhere to my right, the
sound of the heaving lake grew louder and more distinct.
With
trembling hands, I inched closer to the distant source of light and was able to
grab the shaft.
A
shiver ran down my spine as I carefully aimed the light towards the dark and
ominous depths below filled with malevolence.
In
a sudden burst of energy, scared witless by the merciless billows, I rose from
my position and began running in the opposite direction. As I sprinted, my
breathing became rapid and irregular.
I
deviated from my original path and found myself at the entrance of a quaint
village.
This
village was distinguished by a weathered gate situated at the far end of the
picturesque meadow.
Although
the village had been evacuated long ago, traces of its rich history were still
visible in the decaying buildings and overgrown gardens.
A
heavy and oppressive feeling filled the air, and the silence was so profound
that it seemed to drown out all other sounds in the area.
Starting
from the heart of the village, the steady flow of the black lake gracefully
divided the town into two distinct halves.
I
hesitated, my feet rooted to the ground, unable to take another step forwards.
I immediately wanted to flee to my car, but then Oli’s words echoed in my mind,
causing me to hesitate.
As
I made up my mind to follow the dark waves, the fragrance of wildflowers became
more pronounced, intensifying as I continued my walk.
Right
in front of me, there it was – the graveyard where my friend was put to rest.
Much
to my surprise, the address was correct. Why was this place right by the lake,
though? That lake, that is.
Everything
seemed like a jumbled mess. Nothing made sense.
The
scent of old wood permeated the graveyard, the overgrown grass and decaying
fence contributed to the unnerving ambience before me.
Amid
everything, there was a single gravestone that stood out from the rest,
capturing my attention. Although the grave was unmarked, its small size led me
to conclude that it was intended for something considerably smaller than an
adult.
“Who’s
there?”
With
my heart pounding in my chest, I turned around. Fear engulfed me as I locked
eyes with a man in his seventies.
His
weathered hands firmly clutched a shotgun and his intentions were clear as day
as he pointed it at me and told me to raise my arms.
“I—”
“You
ain’t from around here…”
“I…
I came to visit my friend, sir,” I said. “He was from this town. Maybe you know
who it is. His name was Henry.”
The
stranger briefly averted his gaze, muttering something under his breath before
finally loosening his grip on the shotgun, letting it rest by his side.
“Henry
Glasgow, is it?”
“Y-
yes, sir. That’s him.”
“You
two were pals, huh? Don’t recall seeing you at the funeral.”
Oli’s
words echoed in my mind, repeating over and over again.
“I
heard a guy spit on his grave, sir,” I said, hesitating for a good half a
second. “Allegedly, I was that guy.”
As
I said these words, the man slowly lifted his gaze off the ground. His face
displayed a mix of bewilderment and apprehension both at the same time.
“Spit
on his grave? Who the hell told you that crap?”
A sudden wave of nervousness washed over me,
causing me to gulp audibly.
“You’re
telling me I didn’t?”
“Look,
kid, I’ve been here for over thirty years and if I saw you spit on one of us, I
would’ve knocked you out and made sure you never came here again.”
“I
don’t think—”
“You’re
one of them, aren’t ya?”
“I’m
sorry?”
“People
from all over the country have been coming here lately. They just won’t shut up
about that ghost-busting stuff or whatever the hell that is! I don’t know what’s
going on, but things have been wild since that kid showed up.”
“Kid?”
I said, mumbling more for myself than for the other to hear. “Oli… Rams?”
“That’s
about it, I think. What did that jerk tell ya? That you see ghosts and stuff?
That you need help?”
“Something
along those lines.”
“Why
would someone like you believe in that crap? The only ghost here is this old
guy,” he said, pointing at himself with a bitter smile.
“But
if this is some kind of prank,” I said. “Then what does The Woe have to do with
it?”
“The
Woe?”
“Henry
was obsessing over it before he… you know, bit the dust, and then Oli kept on
rambling about how there’s some kind of connection between me and that damn
lake.”
The
old man’s eyes became wide in seconds. I momentarily took my eyes off the lake
and focused on the stranger, who backed up all of a sudden. His voice trembled.
“Did-
did ya do it?”
“Did…
did what, sir?”
He
pointed at the unmarked grave, his fingers shaking out of control.
Before
I had the chance to fully understand the meaning behind his actions, he proceeded
to aim the shotgun at me for a second time.
Caught
off guard, I moved back and instinctively raised my hands in a defensive
gesture.
“Tell
me straight up, did ya do it or not!?”
“Sir,
I don’t know what you’re—”
“Oh,
I get it now!” he blurted out, not allowing me to get a word in. “I- I see the
blood on ya hands! Oh, I see it now!”
As
I gazed down at my hands, desperately trying to comprehend the subject of the
stranger’s odd monologue, a sudden noise in the distance captured the attention
of both of us.
The
mysterious sound echoed through the night, coming from the depths of the dark
lake.
With
this chance presenting itself, I made a bold move and snatched the shotgun away
from the elderly man, who fell and frantically crawled away in a state of pure
terror.
Despite
my efforts to calm the man down, he continued to crawl further away from me.
In
a matter of seconds, before I could even understand what was going on, the man
plunged into the ominous, dark water and disappeared without a trace.
The
shotgun slipped through my grasp as I reached into the water. But my efforts
were in vain.
That,
however, wasn’t what caused me to recoil and move backwards, as far away from
the raised bank as possible.
Something
inside the lake yanked the drowning man to the seafloor, taking him with it to
god knows where.
Then
I heard it, the steady, haunting drip, drip, drip echoing from the graveyard.
I
spun around.
The
unmarked grave became saturated with black, grimy water and was now covered in
thick mud.
I
retraced my steps back to it. The dampness of the soil clung to my feet and
urged me to dig and uncover whatever hid underneath.
As
the minutes ticked by, the sky underwent a breathtaking metamorphosis, with a
mesmerising blend of orange and pink spreading across the heavens, marking the
gradual awakening of the sun.
Then
I felt it. My hand grazed against a solid and unyielding object. With my
forehead drenched in beads of cold sweat, I strained to pull the coffin up and
pried the nails loose with my bare hands.
Before
me, there was a small and helpless infant. It looked human, it felt human. But
it wasn’t. With its delicate and uncanny features, the piglet had been
meticulously crafted to appear human-like.
I
grimaced. The overpowering stench filled the air, wrapping itself around me and
leaving an unpleasant residue on my clothes and hair.
It
was puzzling, even gut-churning, to think about who could possibly be capable
of committing such a brutal thing, and it was equally intriguing to consider
what could have been driving them.
As
my eyes wandered over the nearby tombstones, the answer suddenly became clear
to me. The names Mary Blake, William Blake, and Gertrud Blake were carefully
engraved on the tombs.
Even
though I was born as Robert Andrews, my mother’s maiden name was Dahlia Blake.
Unfortunately, she passed away during childbirth, and my knowledge of her
remained restricted to that piece of information.
The
prevalence of the Blake surname in these regions, however, was so widespread
that it was almost akin to a symbol of prestige and honour.
Despite
my initial reasoning that all of this could be a mere coincidence with no
underlying significance, deep down I knew that wasn’t the case.
While
these thoughts continued to occupy my mind, I couldn’t resist the temptation to
examine the piglet anew, realising too late that the cadaver I had mistaken for
a decade-old piglet was actually something else entirely.
The
piglet had been placed there recently, perhaps only a few months ago.
Only
one question crossed my mind at that moment. Was all of this part of a
carefully orchestrated ritual?
The
silence surrounding me was incredibly profound, to the extent that even the
gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze was audible to my ears.
I
became acutely aware of how hushed The Woe got. The entire world seemed to have
come to a halt, as though time itself had frozen.
I
rose to my feet and ran for the hills.
With
each step I took in my frantic search for my Togg, the firm ground beneath my
feet offered no stability.
It
was obvious to me that I had been brought to this place with malicious
intentions, and the more I delved into the mystery surrounding the motive, the
more unsettled I became.
I
shouldn’t have come here.
After
navigating through the intricate and meandering pathway, I was taken aback to
find myself face to face with the Gates of Hell.
Why
was I back in the village? Continuously moving in circles without making any
progress, it felt as if I had entered a time loop.
The
trap was cleverly set, and I walked right into it without a second thought.
The
vast expanse of acres seemed to be working together, in cahoots to prevent me
from reaching the other side and fleeing this harrowing nightmare.
As
the urgency of the situation hit me like a brick, I tried to contact Lia only
to realise that my phone had completely run out of battery.
I
retraced my steps, slowly making my way back to the lake, where the gentle
current carried the scent of wildflowers still.
Standing
on the edge of the bank, my eyes were fixed on the meadow that lay before me,
the same meadow that I had traversed to make my way to the village.
The
water, dark and undisturbed, had such stillness that it created a mirror-like
reflection of the trees that surrounded it, creating an optical illusion that
made it seem like an endless void.
As
my screams echoed through the air, they grew in intensity, overpowering any
other sound that dared to exist.
I
threw in the towel. There was no escape from this place.
As
I gazed into the dark lake, my eyes fixated on the delicate ripples that
formed, each one unveiling a hidden aspect of my soul and inviting me to
explore its depths.
It
was during that exact moment that a wave of memories came rushing back, playing
out like a movie in the theatre of my mind.
My
legs gave out under me. I collapsed onto the crumbling ground.
A
decaying infant materialised on my shoulder, its skin grotesquely bloated and
mushy. It caused a wave of repulsion to wash over me.
The
strain on my shoulders was palpable as I tried to calm the wretched creature.
Its
shrill cries rang in my ears, and with each bellow, it sank its teeth into my
neck, revealing my throbbing artery underneath the ripped skin.
The
sensation of my flesh tearing apart sent waves of pain coursing through me.
Warm
blood trickled out, cascading down my neck and leaving stains on the solid
ground beneath my feet.
I
shut my eyes and let the harrowing memories I tried to suppress take over my
mind.
Lia
approached me, her radiant smile melting something within me and sending a pang
of regret to cripple my mind and soul.
The
weight of the words ‘I’m pregnant’ hung in the air, tinged with both excitement
and trepidation.
It
would’ve been better if she hadn’t shared that information with me. She had no
clue. She didn’t see it coming. Even as I slipped those pills into her
favourite dish and ended our child’s life, I did not feel any remorse – only
relief.
And
now it was sucking the life out of me, feeding on my flesh and blood.
Plunging
into the depths, the icy water engulfed me from all angles. Its chilling
embrace pushed against my skin. The pressure in my chest intensified, making it
a challenge to keep my eyes open and my lungs from reaching their limit.
Like
raindrops in the height of summer, Lia’s tears streamed down her blurry face on
the other side of the murky lake, creating streaks that marred the darkening
surface.
I
squinted, trying to make out the blurred shapes above the surface, eagerly
trying to catch a last glimpse of the love of my life.
She
wasn’t alone. There was another person beside her. I blinked repeatedly and
frowned as she stared into the lake with a knowing stare.
Did
she know all along? What I did to her and our unborn child? No, there was no
way she could’ve—Oli Rams? What was he doing here? Were those two acquainted?
How?
When
my blood mixed with the lake, the water that was once dark transformed into a
rich and intense shade of crimson.
The
infant released its grip. I couldn’t distinguish between what was real and what
my mind was conjuring up.
And
just like that, in the blink of an eye, I ceased to exist.
In
my heart, I carried the burden of my unexpressed affection for her, the weight
of which was heavy, and despite all obstacles, my desire to confess to her how
much she truly meant to me remained strong.
None of this, however, held any significance now. I had deprived her of the sole thing that mattered to her, and now I was condemned to face the same destiny as our unborn child.
The End.