Hauntings of the Lake

What About Today?

A lone figure sat, staring across the trees. Hunched as the person thought about their life, the pain, their hopelessness. Things had been hard, especially after her sister had left for those dreaded woods. Sarah was gone, and now, only Autumn remained. The last of her line, the Dunn line, gone and finished forever.

She sighed, "It's been a while, old enemy."

"You don't have to do thisss." It hissed. The yellow eyed creature stalked from the shadows. Settling down beside Autumn.

"We both know I have to." She met its eyes, a mad glint in her eyes, "You have plagued us long enough and now, you are going to be finished as we are."

It let out a low growl, oddly sad and disappointed, "My children are ssspread acrossss the world. I have done what I musssst. I will missss thissss."

"What? Killing my family?" Autumn laughed dryly, "I'm afraid that won't be happening anymore."

"Yessss, I am afraid thissss isss true." It breathed deeply, "You musssst be wondering why I have chosssen to come to you." Autumn nodded slowly, "I have come to offer you a choice. If you accept, you will know much. If you do not...well...I will end ussss both for good and no one winssss."

"I already know what my ancestors have chosen." Autumn glared at the yellow eyed creature, "Fine, I wish to learn more about what is going on. Might as well follow in their footsteps after all."

It nodded, "Good, ask and I shall declare to you the anssswer."

Autumn thought for a moment, "Where do you come from? How are you tied to my family?"

"Ahhh, many have assssked and I refussssed their ansssswer." It's hunched back rolled as it shifted, the pale skin shifting across the bony back. "However, I sssshall not deny you thissss. I wassss ssssummoned by the cultissstsss from elssssewhere. They mettled in thingsss they knew little of." It let out a deep chuckle, "Quite the foolsss of their time. Your ancesssstor wassss at that ceremony, and wassss the only one to essscape. Assss a cat playssss with itsssss food, I chossse to ssstalk your family."

"Wow, that's not weird at all." Autumn said, not caring if it would anger the creature or not. After all, she would die.

It chortled, "Yessss, I wasss younger then. I hunted otherssss as well. But your family, I left a choice to learn more and die. To play with my prey." It smiled down at her, its teeth gleaming in the black vortex of its mouth. "Sssadly, a part of me is attached to your bloodline. If you die, sssso will I. Of coursssse, it can't be obviousssss, ssso I sssstayed by the manssssion and the lake."

"And all the missing people." She asked, "What about them?"

"I lured them using variousss techinquesss of which I alone know." It smiled wildly at her, "I fear that I could not jusssst wait for your bloodline. Asssss you are drawn to me; I am drawn to you and your kin. Even now, our livesss are fading. I mussssst kill you. Asssss you know."

Autumn nodded slowly, "Can you answer me this, then, my last question."

"Of courssssse."

"How did my ancestor, Carter Dunn, get you attached to him? He had immigrated from Germany but...he had already been settled for awhile then." She sighed, "That has puzzled my family for generations."

"Ahhh...yessss. Your kind did not know of thisss." It rolled Its head before speaking, "Carter'sssss father wassss not dead. He was the one who summoned me. Herr Aldous."

"NO...you mean?" Autumn asked, shocked, "It...It was never the Heinrich's?"

It let out its low, chuckling growl, "Of coursssse not. They were dabbling in sssssomething they could never underssstand. But Herr Aldousssss. He knew exactly what he needed to do. He ssssummoned me after communion with other creaturessss of the dark."

Her eyes went wide. "There's no way...w-why?"

"Ahhh..." It shivered, "Fear and curiossssity. Your family'sssss cursssse. No more quessssstionssss after thissss." Autumn nodded, "Your sssspeciessss hasssss curssssed him for a long time. Your sssssee. I am Herr Aldousssss, and I will sssscourge thissss world with the thingsss I have ssssummoned. My family wassss the price but the world will never forget."

"it...it can't be." Autumn thought, 'There's no way...he...he summoned a spirit and became a monster. Drawing people away and killing them, creating fear...but what's his end game?'

"Yesssss, it isssss me. I have come to ssstrike fear in humanity and reign them in." It looked almost sad, "Now...I musssst let my children keep your kind in check. My family wasssss alwayssss my bane. Now, we musssst both passsss on."

Suddenly, the yellow eyed creature, Herr Aldous, turned to Autumn.

"Goodbye"