Longfrost

Cherie’s shock of lengthy red hair waved in the chilled breeze as she stood waiting for the door to be answered. She was suited in hiking boots and several layers enough to keep herself warm. A shorter, young man with a coffee complexion heaved open the door, and behind him bounced an elated figure with colourfully extended hair. Smiles glanced all around. “Tariq! Abz!” said Cherie, leaning in to synchronously hug them both. “Hey!” they responded.

“So, are we ready for this wintry walk?” asked a widened-eyed Abz.

“Obviously! I came!” scoffed Cherie. Abz reached for her coat and shrieked almost instantly at the sight of a bulky, eight-legged fiend scuttling across the wall. “Yeah” Tariq rolled his eyes at Cherie, “Abeni still isn’t over spiders” he joked.

“I just hate them, and I can’t” Abz shook her head, “I just can’t, okay? Everyone’s scared of something” she reasoned anxiously.

“Yeah, that’s right, we all are” Cherie started, “you’re scared of spiders, I’m scared of lifts, and Tariq’s scared of…” she waved her hand about him after a response.

“Umm” he swallowed away some pride, “water” Tariq laughed coyly.

“Wait, water?” Cherie was surprised.

“Yeah” Abz smilingly replied for Tariq.

“But this was your idea to go to Longfrost” Cherie was confused, “won’t you be scared?”

“A little – frozen water is a bit more fun, and I kinda need to get over my fear” he explained, “just like… Abeni does?” he added playfully.

“Whatever” Abz shook her head, “just put it outside, Tariq”.

“Nah, too cold, it’ll die” he said.

“He’s right, and it’s not gonna do anything” Cherie tried to help.

“It’s not gonna get you!” Tariq whispered humorously as he stepped outside of the door. Abz slapped him on the shoulder and joined them both outside, which was further from the spider, which made her all the more comfortable. Tariq locked up and they started walking down the path before being stopped by their sixty-year-old neighbour, Dave.

“Hello, how are you?” he wondered grinningly.

“We’re good thanks,” said Tariq,

“Yeah” Abz agreed,

“Are you?” Tariq asked back whilst Cherie smiled at Dave.

“Oh yes, a night of good food today – I’m ordering in, what are you guys up to?” he quizzed, but his eyes suddenly jumped to playful disappointment, “Not too much partying and drinking, I hope?”

“We’re going to that lake” replied Abz.

“Longfrost?” Dave gasped.

“Yeah, that’s it” nodded Cherie.

“The one with all the fences?” he asked them.

“Mm-hmm, Longfrost Lake” Abz confirmed.

“It isn’t a lake” Dave shook his head irksomely, “it’s a pond! And not just any old pond, people go missing round there; I mean when was the last time you saw Jenny’s nephew?”

“Yeah, but the police are-” Tariq started.

“Police nothing!” he interrupted abruptly, “I’ve lived here for years, they never find them! I’ve known so many people disappear without a trace” he flourished his hand explanatorily, “and it’s alright if you haven’t got fears like me, but you know”.

“Dave, we just want to see it” Abz shrugged off his remarks.

“I have a daughter at uni, and students are adventurous, and I know you won’t listen. Go! Go to the lake, but promise me whatever you do, don’t tread on the ice” Dave finished gravely.

“Why?” asked Cherie.

“Hypothermia” he smiled glibly at them, who by this point had begun to walk away from Dave. “Anyway, enjoy whatever you’re doing tonight, Dave” Tariq waved.

“Japanese!” shouted Dave from an increasing distance.

“What‽” asked Cherie.

“What I’m eating!” Dave yelled his answer as they walked slowly away. His face was beset with solemnity and worry. He stayed to watch them disappear over the brow of the hill.

§

The warmly attired trio were caked in mud up to their shins. The air was crisp, and their breath was condensing in the cold. There were three beams of light that emanated from a flashlight they had each brought along for their little adventure. They had just emerged from a small pathway flanked by trees on both sides that naturally lead them to a fenced of body of water. Longfrost.

“Ooh, warning!” laughed Cherie.

“Looks like Dave was right” Abz chuckled. The signs read: ‘Warning! Danger! Do not enter’, ‘Freak micro-climate – do not enter’, and ‘Private Land, keep off!’. Tariq flicked his torch over the fence and the light daubed upon a post. He shone his torch further up it to see an old and dilapidated wooden plaque with the lettering of the words ‘Longfrost Pond’ painted and stuck thereon the sign. “Well, we’re here” Tariq remarked cautiously.

“But where’s the lake?” asked Abz.

“It’s not a lake! It’s a pond! Dave’s gonna go mad, remember?” Cherie giggled, and as soon as Abz had understood, she copied. Cherie began to scale the waist-high, rickety old fence whilst Abz held her torch for her. The opportunity of having two torches meant she could illuminate a larger area, which she did, and she was amazed by the view. Cherie torpidly clambered upon the slippery fence and then jumped off thuddingly. She brushed herself down, “Come on then, your turn” she said.

“Wait a sec, just look at that” Abz retorted in awe of Longfrost Pond’s sublime hibernal form. Cherie turned to appreciate it, as did Tariq. The pond was large enough to fit about three or four average sized houses, gardens included, and had a small path of water-glazed woodchip that slinked around the entire pool of ice. The ice itself had crept onto the water-soaked path and glazed it in the same arctic rime as the water. Photons from torchlights sprayed across the frosted epithelium of the pond; it was dusted in ice crystals from fallen moisture, which were abundant glittering reflectors on the pond’s surface. Vapours that were becoming heavier danced down through beams of light. The ground was frozen hard and crunched underfoot amongst the silence of night. Across from the pond there was a bench before what appeared to be another tree-flanked path and besides it, a lamp that did not work.

“So peaceful” Abz muttered, handing both of the torches over to Cherie whilst Tariq shone his light upon the fence for her. After she had scaled the gelid rungs of the fence, Tariq soon joined them, albeit a bit more hesitantly than the others. “Mmm” smiled Cherie, before suddenly running towards the icy edge of the pond. She crouched, curiously inspecting the thick sheet of ice. Abz looked at Tariq, “Why do you think it’s called Longfrost then?” she pondered.

“Maybe ‘cos it’s always a long time with frost on it?” he answered her jovially, but then became more serious, “Do you really believe this place could be haunted? Or weird or something?” Tariq finished with a grimace. “What? The little frightened old ladies with nothing better to do? Delusional Dave? Yeah!” she said sarcastically, “I really believe it’s haunted” Abz chortled and sauntered towards Cherie. The crouched Cherie looked up and wanted validation that it was safe, “Think it’s thick enough to support us?”

“Try it and see” Abz smiled daringly.

“Alright” Cherie bolted upright, took a small glance at Tariq, beckoned him to join them, and then proceeded to take gentle footsteps onto the edge of the icy ceiling of the pond.

Only small pressure cracks formed as did footprints on the dainty sheet of feeble frozen moisture rimed upon the untouched surface. She took more steps. Anxiety falling. Confidence building. Further in. Cherie was beginning to laugh as the other two watched her excitement. She danced and skated about nature’s ice rink and allowed her eyes to steal off into the distance. “God, this place is huge! Goes on forever” she laughed, continuing to walk into the centre of the pond.

“What did she say?”, Tariq was confused.

“Something about it goes on forever?” replied an even more unsure Abz.

“But it doesn’t” said Tariq, whilst staring at Abz.

“I know”, they both looked at each other in confusion and then stared back in the direction of Longfrost. Cherie was nowhere to be seen and panic ebbed onto both of their faces. “Cherie! Where are you?” bellowed Abz.

“On the lake, near the middle, this must be one of the biggest lakes you could… What floor am I on?” Cherie’s voice stopped.

“Cherie‽ Cherie‽” Tariq shouted.

“Oh my god, get me out! Get me out!” cried an invisible Cherie.

“Where are you?” barked Abz helplessly.

“What’s happening‽” worried Tariq.

“I’m in some sort of lift, an elevator, it won’t open!” Cherie cried, sounding as though she was sniffling at this point. The pair on the embankment called out to her but to no avail. A sudden cracking motion followed by the noise of water could be heard dinning throughout the silent air. A small orb of light traced its way towards them from beneath the surface to the embankment. Abz stepped forward onto the pond, Tariq pulled her back, “Careful!” he warned her. She pulled away from him to see the orb of light getting closer to her feet and rising toward the surface.

Abz crouched down after walking a few feet into the ice and her face was one of puzzlement and fear. The orb had risen, and it bore a face. Cherie’s face. Her cold, dead, agonised face beneath the ice. Abz gasped loudly with eyes that nearly popped from her skull. “What is it?” Tariq was curious. “Cherie” she replied, astonished. The gravity of her glance towards Tariq was broken by the abrupt appearance of spiders, burrowing up from the ice.

“No!” screamed Abz as hundreds of tiny spiders escaped from beneath the lake, forcing her to run into the distance. “What are you doing‽” Tariq called after her, “Where are you going‽”

“Spiders! Everywhere! Must get away!”

“What?” a bemused Tariq retorted, “I can’t see any spiders” he said, glancing at the ground supporting his legs and back up at her. Abz was gone, but Tariq could still hear her. “Abz! Where have you gone?” he waited a few seconds and could only her running footsteps and panting, “Abz‽” he called out.

“I’m in the middle, further in” she answered breathlessly.

“Of the lake?” he asked.

“Yes!” she replied, “Oh no – it’s all over now” she sobbed. Tariq desperately wanted to move, but the fear of water had him frozen on the spot. “Why is it over?” he screamed back as splintering of ice could be heard. “The spiders had a mother”

“And?”

“She’s right in front of me!” Abz screamed horrifically.

“Abeni‽”, Tariq stepped closer to try and see her. Abz and did not stop screaming until the cracking ice came to a crescendo and was followed, as before, by a splashing sound and an orb of light that traced its way towards Tariq.

Fear was digesting his mind, but also realisation. Voices echoed in his brain as he watched the orb come closer to him. “Not just any old pond, people go missing round there” Dave’s voice replayed in Tariq’s skull. “Everyone’s scared of something… you’re scared of spiders; I’m scared of lifts” echoed Cherie’s voice. Tariq gasped. “It’s alright if you haven’t got fears” Dave’s voice was revisited again. Tariq’s eyes widened as he could hear Cherie again, “And Tariq’s scared of…”. His heart was in his mouth. It pounded as though any minute it would stop. He saw an orbicular face next to the frozen image of Cherie – she was joined by Abz. “Whatever you do, don’t tread on the ice” echoed Dave’s voice one last time. Tariq saw all around himself, there was just an endless expanse of icy winter. He looked down at his feet and realised he had stepped on to the ice. He heard it crack. He saw the pond thaw. It was a sea of water he was plunged within.

Longfrost pond froze over yet again, and with it, Tariq, Abz, and Cherie. Missing for good.