章 280: Chapter 280
The farmhouse sat alone at the edge of a large lake, its weathered wood and crooked roof barely holding up against the relentless passage of time. The old farmer, Jack, had lived there for more years than he cared to count.
His fields were bare now, overrun by wild grasses that had crept in after the crops stopped growing. His barn was empty, its once bright red walls faded to a dull rust. The town, too, seemed to be losing its vitality, the people scattered and isolated, just like Jack.
For as long as he could remember, the lake had been there, still and silent, stretching out into the distance, surrounded by thick woods. At times, it felt like the land was holding its breath, waiting for something.
Jack had spent most of his life ignoring it, tending to his crops and livestock, always with his back turned to the water. It was just part of the landscape, something that had always been there, something that didn't ask for attention.
But it was the sound that changed everything.
It started one evening, as Jack sat on the creaky porch of his farmhouse, staring at the lake. He heard it faintly at first, like a hum that came from the distance, muffled by the trees and the wind. He thought it was just his imagination, or perhaps the sound of the wind through the branches. But the next night, it came again. And the night after that.
It was a song, soft and melodic, but strange, like it didn't belong. The tune was both haunting and beautiful, drawing him in even though it made his skin crawl. He tried to ignore it, telling himself it was just the wind or the creaking of the old trees along the water's edge. But it wasn't. It was something else.
Jack couldn't bring himself to go down to the water that night. He was too tired, too old. But as the days passed, the song grew louder, clearer, like it was calling to him. Something in his gut told him he needed to go. He tried to shake the feeling, but it gnawed at him, pulling him toward the water as if it were a force beyond his control.
One evening, as the sun dipped behind the trees, casting long shadows across the ground, Jack grabbed his coat and walked down the narrow path that led to the lake. His boots crunched over the dry, cracked earth, the sound of his footsteps blending with the faint song in the distance.
The woods grew thicker as he neared the shore, the trees closing in on either side, their branches swaying in a wind that didn't seem to touch the ground. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise as he stepped closer to the water, his heart hammering in his chest.
The song was louder now, clear as a bell, its notes winding through the trees like they were part of the earth itself. The closer he got, the more real it seemed, and the more he felt as if something was watching him. He shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts that were crawling into his mind.
At the water's edge, the song seemed to fill the air, vibrating through the ground beneath his feet. He looked out at the still, dark surface, his eyes straining to make sense of the emptiness. There was nothing there, just the water stretching out under the heavy, dark sky.
Jack stood for a long moment, his breath coming in shallow gasps, his hands trembling. The song was too much. Too close. He turned to leave but stopped when he saw something shift at the edge of the lake.
At first, he thought it was just the movement of the trees, the wind playing tricks on his eyes. But no. There, just at the edge of the water, stood a figure. A woman.
Her back was to him, her long, wet hair falling down over her shoulders, her figure swaying slightly with the rhythm of the song. The moonlight reflected off the surface of the water, casting a pale glow on her.
She wasn't moving in any way that made sense. Her body didn't sway with the wind or shift with the waves. She was still, as though she were part of the lake itself.
Jack opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. His throat was tight, his heart pounding in his chest. The woman turned then, her face pale and smooth, her eyes dark, black like the depths of the water. She smiled, but it wasn't a smile meant for warmth or kindness. It was empty, hollow.
Her voice, when she spoke, was the same melody he had heard, soft and haunting. "Come," she said, her lips barely moving, "Come to the water."
He wanted to run, to turn and sprint back to his farmhouse. But his legs wouldn't move. He couldn't move.
Something was pulling him toward her, toward the lake. He could feel it, a force stronger than anything he'd ever known. He took one step, then another, and before he realized what he was doing, he was walking toward the water, the woman's voice guiding him.
The closer he got, the deeper the song sank into his bones. He could feel it vibrating inside him, wrapping around his thoughts, clouding his mind. His eyes started to blur, and for a moment, he wondered if he had fallen asleep. But no. This was real. The water was real. The woman was real.
And the song. The song was real.
With a final step, Jack entered the water. The cold seeped through his boots, his legs, up to his knees. He couldn't stop. He didn't want to stop. He didn't want to escape. He wanted to stay there, in the embrace of the water, with the woman's voice guiding him deeper, deeper into the darkness.
He felt something shift beneath him, the water moving in strange, unnatural patterns. The lake had always been still. It had never moved like this before. Something was stirring under the surface, something waiting for him.
Jack didn't look back.
But his mind, clouded by the song, barely registered the sensation of his body being dragged deeper, pulled beneath the water's surface. The last thing he felt was the coldness as it consumed him, his chest heavy as he was pulled down into the depths.
------
The next day, the town noticed. At first, it was just the farmer. He hadn't come to town for his usual errands. Then it was the others. One by one, people started to disappear. They didn't show up at the market, didn't tend to their businesses. The streets grew quieter with each passing day.
No one knew what had happened to them. They searched, called out for them, but the lake remained still, its surface calm and unbroken.
The strange thing was, no one ever heard the song again.
Days turned into weeks. And still, no one came back.
By the time they realized something was terribly wrong, it was too late. The last few people left in town packed up what they could carry and fled. But the land, the lake, had claimed them all, piece by piece. The town was empty now, abandoned, a place forgotten by all except the water.
And Jack's house? It still stood, quiet and lonely, at the edge of the lake.
The winds had stopped. The birds didn't sing anymore.
The lake remained, unchanged.
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