His face was also hazy.
I quickly caught on that he was intimidating with the way he shook at my nerves.
Even the kids seemed to back away from him.
“It’s time to go,” his voice iced out. “Go inside and pack your stuff.”
“Where am I going?” the little girl asked, gripping tightly to the little boy’s hand like her life depended on it.
“That’s none of your business!” the man roared.
Even though I couldn’t see the girls face, I knew she had to of flinched. I flinched. The 428/695
fear that he might actually hurt the two of them howled through me. And what was I supposed to do if he did? Stand by and watch helplessly?
I heard the soft treading of approaching footsteps. Then a figure rushed by me. It was a woman with long brown hair and a face as hazy as the others.
She swept the little girl up in her arms and hugged her protectively. “You stay away from her!” she shouted at the man.
Her presence brought warmth that mixed with the chill the man sent out. The two combined created a mixture of emotions that buzzed through the air and made me nauseous.
“This is not your decision,” the man rumbled at the women. “You knew when she was born things like this may have to happen.”
“Mommy,
I’m
scared,”
the
girl
whispered.
429/695
The woman—the mother smoothed back the little girl’s hair and kissed her on the forehead. “It’s going to be okay. You don’t need to be scared. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”
The man laughed the kind of laugh that sent fear soaring through my body. “I’d like to see you try.” He turned to the little boy.
“Go inside, right now.”
The boy didn’t move.
“Now!” The man ordered.
“Yes, father.” The boy’s voice shook. He treaded up a hill, heading toward a castle-like building made of grey stone and tall towers. Where the building had come from, who knew?
After the boy disappeared inside the castle, the man turned back to the woman.
“Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
430/695
She stood defiantly, holding the little girl tightly in her arms. “You’re not taking her anywhere. She’s my daughter, not yours.”
“So it’s going to be the hard way, then.” He lunged at the woman and snatched the little girl away.
The woman desperately fought to get her back, tearing and clawing at the man’s arms.
The girl reached for her mother, kicking and screaming with all her might. “I want to stay with you! Don’t let him take me!” It didn’t matter, though. Their efforts were useless. The man stood strong, entirely unaffected by their attempts. And when he plucked a small black bag out of his pocket, the woman froze. Silence choked the air, and I could hear my heart thudding.
Balancing the little girl in one arm, he dangled the bag in front of the woman.
“Now, like I said, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
431/695
“You wouldn’t dare,” whispered the woman.
“Wouldn’t I?” He looked down at the little girl in his arms. “Hey sweetie, how would you like to go for a swim in the lake?” The girl hovered back. “But I can’t swim.”
“You’ll be fine,” the man coaxed.
“Someone will be there to help you.”
“Knock it off!” screamed the woman, clenching her hands into fists. “I know you’re bluffing. You need her too much.” The man laughed wickedly, making the hairs on my arms stand on end. “There are ways to get her back when I need her. She’d probably be better off down there anyway until its time.”
The woman’s breathing faltered. “Please don’t do this. Please.” The man laughed again. “Oh, I won’t just as long as you get into the lake yourself.” 432/695
Go in the lake! Why! What was he going to do to her? Try and drown her?
I felt sick.
“You’ll never get away with this.” Her voice was edging near a sob. “I know the real reason why you want her, and sooner or later, someone else is going to figure it out.
You’ll never be able to get away with it.”
“Oh, I highly doubt it. I have everyone wrapped around my little finger.” He set the girl down on the ground, pointed his finger at the castle, and ordered the little girl to,
“Go inside.”
The little girl didn’t budge.
“Go!” The man hollered.
Again she didn’t budge. She was brave a one, because I’m pretty sure I’d have been running for my life by now.
“Go ahead honey,” her mother urged in a soothing voice. “It’s alright. I’ll be okay.” It took the girl a second, but she finally walked away, casting one last glance back at 433/695
her mother before starting up the hill toward the castle.
My heart broke for the little girl and the mother. Somehow—and I don’t know how—I knew it would be the last time they’d see each other. She’d grow up motherless, perhaps even hating the people who’d be chosen to raise her. There’d forever be an empty hole resting in her heart.
“Now it’s time to deal with you,” the man said turning back to the woman. He let a pause drag out, like he was trying to instill fear with his silence. “Get in the lake. Now.” No. No. No. No. No.There was no way he was really going to throw her in the lake.
No. He couldn’t. Could he?
“You’ve been planning this all along, haven’t you?” Her voice quivered. “Every single word that’s come out of your mouth has been nothing but a lie.”
“You know me very well,” he said. “Now quit stalling and get into the lake.” 434/695
Shaking her head, she backed up toward the water. The man followed after her, matching her every step.
I chased after them, desperately wishing I could do something to stop the man from forcing the woman into the lake. I still wasn’t sure what was going to happen when she got into the lake, but it had to be something very bad. My gut instinct was telling me so.
“You’re wrong about not getting caught.” She’d reached the brink of the lake, the waves rolling up against the heels of her feet.
“There are people who you don’t have wrapped around your finger.”
“Then I’ll have to take care of them as well.” He tugged open the black bag, scooped out a handful of something that looked like ash, and sprinkled it into the lake, making the water cloud a dark grey.
“Don’t think you’ve won.” She raised her chin high and stepped back, submerging her 435/695
legs into the water. “Someday it will all catch up with you.”
Another few steps and the water was waist deep on her. The lake lay dead calm, like the calm before the storm. Then came the loud swoosh! Water splashed up and she plunged down.
I let out a blood curdling scream.
The man turned his back on the drowning woman and strolled away, whistling some funky tune that sounded like a combin-ation between “It’s a Small Word After All” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” Without even thinking, I ran into the water, forcing myself to go farther and farther as the cold water ascended higher and higher. But when it reached waist deep on me, I realized two things: 1) Like the little girl, I couldn’t swim, and 2) I couldn’t actually touch the woman, so how was I supposed to save her?
436/695
Shortly after these thoughts crossed my mind, a third reason why I shouldn’t have gone into the water dawned on me. Because, obviously, there was something wrong with the lake. Why I hadn’t thought of this before was beyond me. I’d heard the swish. I’d seen the splash. Heck, I’d seen the man dump some creepy ashy stuff into it.
I should have known better than to go running into it.
But I didn’t, and it was too late now. A bony hand had already grabbed me by the ankle and was trying to jerk me beneath the water. I kicked and screamed and fought with every ounce of strength I had, but whatever the hand belong to was strong. It pulled me under the ice-cold water and kept dragging me deeper and deeper down. I couldn’t see a thing. My oxygen supply was dwindling. So this is what it feels like to diewas the last thought I had before I blacked out.