“In the 1760s, just about twenty years old, she began to interact more with the townspeople, hoping to find a husband and start a family no doubt. Frustrated that no men in the village would fall in love with her, and still grieved deeply from the loss of her child, her mental instability grew to even more dangerous depths. One man was courting her about then, but he was soon turned away by her mental issues and poor lifestyle, even in the midst of a quietly growing town.
“The Lady was beginning to age much worse than all the other ladies, and her face slowly became more wrinkled and ugly, worn from years in the wilderness and scarred from years of despair and agony. She lived a miserable life after that, drowning in despair, possibly attempting to kill herself, although nobody knows for sure.
“The man who had left her married another woman, having twins almost immediately, a boy and a girl. Then, around the early 1770s, they had another son. In 1775, she had another baby girl. Immediately after that birth, strange things started happening in the village. According to all of the legends, the man noticed a figure standing outside the house at early hours of the night. This went on for a while, until one by one the children went missing over the next three weeks.
“Many people then, and some now, say the father was immoral, and being punished by God for his sins. Others say animals killed them, the children wandered off, and theories like that. What I believe is the Lady took them, kidnapped them all rather quickly and with frightening efficiency. With only one child, the baby girl, remaining, the wife clung to her with a feverish frenzy, until many of the townspeople thought she was unstable.
“Then, one night, she took the baby girl out to the river to wash, but was found much later dead, and the child gone. This started quite an uproar in the town. Many were blamed, some even thought guilty, but nothing came of it.
“Many people tell stories of some animal that attacked her and carried the child away or maybe how she was washed down the river, but I do not think so. I believe entirely that the Lady took all of the children, and then took the baby girl as well. The father moved away, never to be heard from again.
“Twenty years after those horrific events, that man’s cousin, who lived in the same town, still, had most of his children kidnapped, three of them, all except for the baby girl. Every so many years since, a lady has been seen, and soon after children have gone missing. It’s a terrible cycle, unbreakable and undefeatable. Many people will not accept it, and I am one of the few who believe she is real. I urge you to accept it and prepare for it.
“This terrible lady, with all of her wicked deeds and lurking tendencies, is known by some as the Lady of the Woods, or the Lady of the River. Others know her by different names, but the story remains the same, and the consequences to others haven’t changed, no matter what the police force or townspeople try to do. It seems hopeless, like a curse that never will end.
“Everything started back at that river, though, when the Lady took the baby girl. It is my humble, quite possibly mistaken belief that each baby girl taken by her, in some way, helps the Lady to go on living. I do not know how, and I do not wish to know, but let it be a warning to you. Watch your children carefully, and tell them to watch each other. You never know what is underneath the hood, or standing on the other side of the street. What once were peaceful nights outside and just strangers passing by now become more sinister events, and dangerous people. Watch your children, I implore you. To fail to do so is to welcome her into your home.”
Alexander shut the book with dramatic flair. There was a sense of dread as he and Jill turned to Daniel, anxious expressions on their faces.
“What was that?” she asked.
Daniel bowed his head. “What you’ve just read was also read twenty years ago by four teenagers. Christian, Crystal, Brandon, and Michael. Brandon and Michael’s sisters were taken, and they were trying to get her back. This is the moment when they knew, for certain, that what they were facing was more than just a flesh and blood creature. We don’t know how it works. We still don’t. But every twenty years, she comes back here, and she picks up where she left off. There’s a pattern to it. At least there was. But now…”
“What happened to those kids?” Alexander asked, all his attention on Daniel.
“Two of them were killed, along with the kidnapped children. Only Crystal and Brandon survived. But they are both haunted by what happens, and cannot lead normal lives. Brandon has agreed to help us. I don’t know about Crystal.”
“Help us with what?” Jill’s voice strained with emotion. “I don’t wanna die! What good is there for us to do? If the lady takes somebody’s kids, that’s their problem, not-”
“She took mine.” Daniel stared at the teenagers, stone cold. “She took my kids. My wife killed herself. I lost my home. I can’t leave until I get them back, or I die trying. There’s nothing left for me.”
He picked up the book and flipped to the inside of the front cover. There was the library card, where they wrote the names of anybody who checked out the book. First on the list was a name he recognized vaguely, Olivia Frazier. Second on the list, written in a dark, blood red, was the name Michael Walker.
“I can’t ask you to give me what Michael did. He gave his life. But I need help. I need something, anything.”
“I’ll help you,” Alexander said. “But I don’t want Jill to be a part of this. It’s dangerous.”
“I can handle it!” she scowled. “But I don’t know if I’ll help. I’ll think about it.”
“Jill, go back home. Stay safe tonight. Alexander, come with me. We’re going to see Brandon.” Daniel left the bookshop and went to his car, waiting for the teenager.
“Are you sure you don’t wanna come?” Alexander asked Jill.
“You just said you don’t want me to go.” She glared at him.
“I’m scared, though.”
“Well, so am I.”
Five minutes later, he sat down with a huff inside Daniel’s minivan. Without a word, the older man drove off, and they were heading towards Hardy in no time.
Chapter 16
Riches
Daniel’s minivan rumbled up the road and turned slowly into the driveway of the house. It was a nice, two-story home in a well-to-do neighborhood. There were two cars parked out front, both of them stylish and more than twice the cost of his minivan. Daniel hoped that Brandon would be home, and not at work.
“Is this dude rich?” Alexander asked moodily.
“You could say that,” Daniel answered.
“He probably isn’t married. Young, rich guys never get married.”
“Why do you say that?” the older man asked. “What’s wrong with marriage?”
The car came to a halt in the driveway and they both started to get out.
“Oh, nothing’s wrong with it. I guess rich guys just… like freedom.”
Daniel shook his head. “You’ve got a lot to learn, kid.”
“About marriage?” Alexander chuckled, full of attitude. “I thought we were here for the case.”
“It’s not a case, and you have a lot to learn in general. Just never mind.”
They advanced to the front door in silence, treading on a path of stones that led to the porch. The lawn was freshly mowed and neat, more pristine than expected in the summertime.
A minute later, the front door was opening and Brandon stood there, dressed in sweatpants and a tank top. He yawned, pulling back the door wearily.
“A bit late to be waking up, don’t you think?” Daniel asked with a grin.
“I… It was a long day at work yesterday.”
“You never told me what you do,” Daniel said.
Alexander added, “Or how it made you rich.”
“It’s boring. I don’t wanna take up your time.” Brandon shrugged and leaned against the doorway. “So I’m guessing you aren’t here to sell Boy Scout cookies. Is this about the woman?”
“Thanks for the invitation to come in,” Daniel sighed, pushing his way
into the house. Alexander followed. “Yes, it’s about her. Where’s your sitting room?”
“Which one?”
Daniel walked farther into the house and spotted a room to the right with couches and chairs. He went in that direction, holding the book in his hand, and sat down heavily in the nearest chair. Alexander was forced to take a seat on the couch, awkwardly apart from Daniel.
“That’s my chair,” Brandon said, coming into the room and looking at Daniel.
“I know. That’s why I sat here.” Daniel chuckled. “You can sit on the couch.”
Instead, Brandon sat across the room in a different armchair. He leaned back, faced Daniel, and said, “Tell me what you got.”
“We found this book and-”
Brandon made an “ugh” sound.
“What is it?” Alexander asked.
Without acknowledging the boy, Brandon said, “I know that book, and I know what you’re talking about. We used it to come up with some ideas, and to understand her better, but in the end it wasn’t enough. In the end, she beat us. You know what happened? She split us all up. She turned us against each other. I lost all of my friends that day, even the one that survived. I haven’t seen her since then; I haven’t talked to her.”
“Crystal… Crystal will come back, Brandon. She’ll get over it. It’s alright. I’ve talked to her and… and I have real hope.” Daniel sighed. “Maybe with the both of you, we could-”
“We can’t! We can’t beat her. You don’t understand, Daniel. I know this was a lot easier when I was a kid, and you could tell me all sorts of kid things and I would believe them, but it’s different now.”
“What happened to your optimism from when we met last week?” Daniel snapped.
“I’ve been thinking,” Brandon mumbled, “and I’ve seen her watching me. I’m not stupid. I know we’re gonna die.”
“You’re stupid for forgetting,” Daniel said. “You forgot the friendship you all had, and the way you four would fight for each other. You forgot all of that, and you forgot hope.”
“Do you know what happened to even the adults back then?” Brandon asked angrily. “Michael’s mother went insane after her kid died in the hospital! She lost her mind. My own parents were only held together because of their religion and because they still had me. Crystal’s parents were never the same. Everybody moved away. We all went our separate paths. Well, except for Michael’s mom. She… she never left. She’s still here, buried by my parent’s church. It was the day after her funeral that we left.”
“I understand all of that, Brandon. But the point remains, we have to fight against this woman. We need to get Crystal, and we need to work together.”
“I’m willing to talk to her,” Brandon muttered, “if she’s willing to talk to me.”
Daniel sighed. “Do you mean it?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll take you there. Tomorrow?”
“I work tomorrow.”
Daniel thought for a minute. “Let me know when you’re available, and we can drive up and meet her.”
“Hey guys,” Alexander interrupted.
“What do you want?” Brandon snapped.
“There’s somebody outside. At the door.”
Both of the adults jumped up, sprinting to the window and crunching against the wall, where they could see the door. Outside, in the daylight, there was a shadowed figure standing on the porch.
“Daniel…”
In a flash, the former policeman was at the front door and yanking it open, holding his gun out. Alexander chased after him, and Brandon was a step behind that.
“Give them back!” Daniel screamed, running out into the yard. The shadow was a blur as it raced around the corner of the house, heading for the back. Daniel followed it, but Brandon stayed at the front door.
“What are you doing?” Alexander asked. “We have to go with him!”
“I’m protecting the door,” Brandon said. “I’m not letting that monster into my home.”
Alexander chased around the side of the house, running past the driveway and stumbling in the grass. As he reached the corner, Daniel came back around, sprinting.
“We need to get inside,” the older man said frantically. “She…”
He shook his head and rushed past Alexander, straight for the front door. “She’s inside!” he said gruffly to Brandon. “Get Alexander and lock the door. She’s in here! She got in the window!” Then he headed for the stairs.
“Lock the door,” Brandon yelled at Alexander. He left and rushed upstairs, following Daniel.
Once the front door was locked, Alexander stood with his back to it and stared around at the first floor. He wasn’t sure why the other two immediately went upstairs, but now he was left alone and without any means to defend himself. It was eerily quiet in the home, and his pulse started to race.
Directly in front of him, there was a sharp turn that led to a long hallway. He kept his eyes fixed on that spot. There was a creak in the wood, and his lungs tightened.
“They left you all alone with me,” a voice whispered from around the corner. “All alone… It’s been a long time since I saw a boy as pretty as you, one that I wanted.”
“Stay away from me…” Alexander croaked, trying to steady his voice. “I… I’ll scream for them. Daniel has a gun.”
“Daniel’s always had a gun. Never stopped me before.” The lady around the corner made a tsk sound. “If you scream now, little boy, I’ll get you before they can. They’re slow. I am not.”
“I can fight you. You’re an old woman.”
“You don’t sound so sure of that,” she chuckled. “Remember, I could’ve killed you that night at your house. Despite what you think, it wasn’t just a dream.”
From around the corner, she stepped into his view. She was old, wrinkled, and her body looked more fragile than a porcelain doll. Her hair was long and white, and her teeth yellowed. The skin drooped from her bones, and her tongue was constantly flicking across her dry lips.
“You’re…”
She grinned. “Many have tried to describe me. I may look old, but I am more… dangerous than you might assume. But you already know that.”
Without a word, she stepped forwards and placed her finger over his lips. “Don’t worry, Alexander. I’ll see you again soon enough. This was just a… quick visit. And when you see me next time, you won’t even know it.” They were inches apart.
“What are you talking about?”
“I always watch the children. You don’t see me, but I am watching. Until the time when I…”
She jerked his head forward and then slammed it against the door, knocking him out. Alexander crumpled into her arms, and she threw him onto the ground. Then she opened the door, stepped outside, and walked away.
“Strike.”
<><><> <><> <>
“She wants me,” Alexander whispered, choking on the words.
He was sitting on the couch in Brandon’s living room, between the adults. Daniel was looking at him worriedly, and Brandon was staring off into the distance, his eyes peering through the doorway and down the long hallway.
“You’re certain that’s what she meant?” Daniel asked. “Maybe… maybe she was just messing with you.”
“I know what she meant. She wants me.” Alexander looked down at his feet.
Brandon shifted his gaze to Daniel. “I thought that she took your daughter’s boyfriend? This would mess up the pattern.”
“The deaths don’t make sense either. None of this does. It’s not the same as last time, or like any of the past times I’ve read about.” Daniel sighed. “I don’t know, Brandon.”
“I wanna go home,” Alexander mumbled. “And I wanna see Jill again. And I don’t want any of this.”
Brandon snorted, but Daniel said, “You’ve been brave, Alexander. I’ll take you home.”
They all three stood up, and Daniel gave Alexander the keys and told him to go start the car. As they were walking out of the do
orway, Daniel and Brandon stopped on the porch. They watched as Alexander started the minivan and then climbed into the passenger’s seat.
“Daniel, I think we should go see Crystal tomorrow,” Brandon said. “I can get off work. Let’s go as soon as possible. In the morning.”
“Are you sure?” Daniel asked.
“Yeah. The kid seems pretty freaked out, and the sooner we talk to Crystal the better.”
“I think you care about him,” Daniel said with a slight grin.
“Don’t start with me, old man. I might wanna help the kid, but that doesn’t mean I like him. He’s weak, a lot weaker than we were at his age.”
Daniel sighed. “Maybe so. But he has something you didn’t have back then. A puncher’s chance.”
Chapter 17
Dark
They hit the road early the next morning, Daniel driving his minivan. Brandon was soon in the passenger’s seat for the first time in a while. He tuned in to his Pandora 1980’s station, and as “Billie Jean” came on the radio they turned onto the interstate, heading north for Indianapolis.
“So you were in the army?” Daniel asked. “Never seemed like a military man to me.”
“Yeah. A lot changed after what happened. We left Hardy when Michael’s mom killed herself” -he shivered- “and as soon as I was old enough I enrolled. It was mainly to get my mind off everything, and what happened. But, you know, it only worked for so long.”
“How many tours were you on?” Daniel changed the subject.
“I never left the country. Not even for training.”
“What’d they have you doing, then?”
He shrugged. “Whatever they needed done.”
It was silent for a few minutes, but it was better than discussing certain topics. In the end, of course, that conversation rose to the surface. After half an hour of chit-chat about the weather, Brandon finally mentioned it.
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