From Mia Flame's contest, Something Goes Bump in the Night.
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tw: death, violence
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The man trudged in his dark leather boots, exhausted by the backpack tearing away the strength left in his shoulders. With every step, he took a short breath. Then he paused to regain his hazy vision filled with dust.
Sweat traveled down the back of his neck, but he kept moving. His legs had taken him miles and miles. They wouldn't let him down now. The lake that he longed for was yards away. His raw, scorching skin screamed for it.
He threw his backpack on the ground and took off his boots, hurrying to the lake.
His bare feet burned and stung against the rugged rocks. Then he jumped.
Splash!
An immediate sense of icy numbness struck him. Refreshed, he pulled himself back up to the surface.
A faint hiss came from under the water, which the man didn't seem to hear. When he began to lift himself back on the rocks, something clasped onto his ankle. Something slimy and clammy like a tentacle, that tugged the man’s leg and wouldn’t let go. The man gasped and attempted to kick it off, but the tentacle only stiffened its grip.
Then it pulled. The man’s nails digging into the rocks were no use. His head was jerked under, his eyes and nose stinging with desperation. The tentacle dragged him farther, yanking and hissing every time he fought. Fought for life. All of his screams came out as hush, silent bubbles that quickly dissolved as he sank further and further below. His lungs begged, but he only kept falling.
And the tentacle was still firmly tangled around his ankle, refusing to leave until every last of his heartbeat ceased completely.
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"Hey! Hey, get out of there!"
I staggered over the rocks, calling out frantically to the small figure sitting near the lake. As I grew closer, the figure revealed itself to be a little girl with short curls, and a purple scarf wrapped around her neck. My eyes darted around for an adult, but unsurprisingly, the lake was deserted.
"It's dangerous on the rocks," I tried. "Who are you with?"
She locked her sorrowful gaze on the lake. I hesitated, knowing there was no signal for miles, knowing I couldn't bring her with me. But finally, the girl spoke.
"My sister fell in the lake. When will she come back?"
Her words made me freeze. "Fell?" My knees quivered, making me nearly lose balance.
The girl started to sob. "I need to find my sister. Can you go look for her?"
I cautiously reached out my hand. "We need to get help," I began, but my words were immediately drowned out by her wails. I quickly glanced at the bitter lake, trembling at the thought of someone being swallowed into the depths of the unwelcoming waters.
Then I thought of my own sister.
"Can you go look for her?" she repeated, begging. "Please. I know she's there."
My mind told me to stop, but I slipped my bag onto the ground and took off my shoes.
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It'd only be for a minute.
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My eyes stung.
It was cold. My face was numb.
I needed to breathe.
I kicked my legs and propelled myself upwards. A brief hiss traveled in my ear so quickly that I was unsure if I was imagining the sound. I already forgot why I was attempting to drown myself, but I didn't care. None of it mattered. I only longed for air.
My head rose above the lake. I rubbed my eyes furiously, squinting, trying to get ahold of the rocks to pull myself back up.
And the image of the girl stood in front of me, waiting, tugging the scarf around her throat. Her head peered over as if she was waiting for her sister's head to pop up to the surface.
I took another deep breath, swallowing hard, feeling the sour tang swim its way down my throat. "I'm sorry," I whispered hoarsely.
But when I blinked, the girl had completely vanished.
The girl with the brown curls, the purple scarf. Gone so suddenly. I blinked again, but only the wind was in my presence. I heaved myself up, grabbing a ragged edge of a large rock. And then something slowly curled around my leg.
I was afraid to panic. Afraid to even breathe.
Then it fixed itself around my ankle and dragged me down.
I desperately kicked, striking the rock against the tentacle-like creature. But it grew longer, tangling around my leg like a snake. Without thinking, I opened my mouth and bit the tentacle as hard as I could. It retracted for only a second before it grasped me even tighter around my waist.
I squeezed and dug my nails into the creature, but slowly started giving in. It didn't take long for water to seep into my lungs.
Screaming made it worse. The pain subsided ever so steadily.
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The last thing I saw before my vision faded was a distorted purple scarf, swept away in the water.
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A.N.
This is probably the worst and most rushed story I've ever made. I just really had to turn in something by today, because this week I have so many assignments, an exam, and honestly, I'm just really worn out. Not in the mood for writing.
But long story short, this was not how the ending was supposed to go, and I'm sure you kind of know that already. I hope you enjoy though, and I apologize for not submitting a proper story.
-Julia Hope
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