Strange Occurrence

“The river ran backwards on the day the Queen vanished. The luminous sky blended embers of vibrant colors; red, yellow, and green. A thick fog surrounded the entire area as a musty smell filled the atmosphere—

“It’s so many different versions of this story.” Jasper interrupted.

“I know but let me finish… Most people think it was the fog that took her. But that’s not what I think.” Laura Lei continued as Jasper threw more wood into the campfire.

“What do you think, Laura?” Jasper asked with curiosity.

“I think nobody knows and they’re just making up stories. I think she’s dead, but some folks around here said the wind carried whispers on that day while others say that she drowned. Laura solemnly replied.

“But if some people think she drowned and you think she’s dead, what is the excuse of her body never being found?”

Laura Lei shrugged while staring into the dancing fire, choosing silence while exploring her scattered thoughts.

“I don't know… Maybe she’s the reason the river grows the prettiest blood spotted roses every year, maybe she’s not. It’s a mystery but I think one day we’ll find out the truth.” She answered, looking thoughtful.

“I think something happened to her that made her disappear without a trace, something that’s much deeper but people are too scared to talk about it." Jasper implied.

“Something like, what?” Amusement lit up Laura’s features.

“This village is too invested in the past for the truth not to have come out yet. She‘s been gone for over two decades before either of us were born and yet, here we are telling a vague fraction of her story over a campfire for the millionth time.” Laura Lei vocalized.

Silence momentarily filled the space as Jasper nodded, considering her words.

“Have you ever thought that the past may be relevant to our future?”

“No. Why would the queen’s disappearance all those years ago be relevant to us?”

The sudden roar of thunder silenced them as a cool wind swept through, almost killing the fire.

“Do you hear that, or am I hearing things?” Jasper asked with squinted eyes as a faint whistle filled the atmosphere.

“No… I mean… Yeah, I can hear that.” Laura Lei breathed in a deep breath, her voice barely above a whisper as fear gripped her.

“Something’s wrong.” Jasper surmised with an uneasy feeling wrecking his mind.

They were only 20 feet away from Jasper’s backyard, the same spot they’d spent countless summers camping.

It was known to be safe in the small but lively evergreen terrain of Rose River Village, but like many others, it too cradled its dark secrets.

“I think we should leave.” Jasper voiced with a shaken tone.

In the thick of the moment, as if time stood still; the crickets of the night were no longer singing, the small crashing sounds of the river’s ripples became still, and the campfire was no longer moving or casting a glow.

The moon casted minimum light, its full potential lay hidden behind the clouds.

The ground beneath them tremored, much like an earthquake as small pebbles of debris defied gravity, freely floating throughout the space.

“I think it’s— Laura Lei began.

Look!” Jasper stuttered, interrupting her mid sentence as both fear and excitement corrupted his features.

He pointed towards the river where dim flashes of light crashed against the outer edges of the river and onto the grass.

Laura Lei averted her gaze from the still fire and toward the same direction Jasper pointed.

Acknowledging the wicked shift from reality, she stood from the chair with an ashened face and clenched teeth.

Her first instinct was to run away but a pull in the air forced her to go against her better judgment.

With goosebumps kissing her skin and tingling limbs, Laura Lei’s heart raced as her feet carried her in the direction of the river.

Stripped of control of her equilibrium, Laura Lei continued toward the river, a wicked pull conquering her will. The light grew brighter and her eyes widened as it occurred to her that it was beyond a coincidence that on this exact day of many years ago, the queen went missing.

Jasper quickly stood to his feet and followed. “But Laura, I thought we were leaving! We shouldn’t go towards the light, it’s too close to the river. It’s dangerous!” He shouted in one breath.

“Maybe this is how we’re supposed to know what really happened.” Laura Lei flatly stated, seemingly dazed by the lights.

Jasper had no words to say as dread filled the air. He followed Laura Lei to the river with fear lacing each step. His body had become heavy and his heart uncertain.

With ragged breathing and a heart pounding with force, Jasper grabbed her arm, attempting to lead her away from the river, to no avail.

Laura’s strength was beyond any human’s capability, it was supernatural and dangerous. In one swift push, Jasper flew back, landing on his back at least 5 feet away from her.

He quickly scrambled to his feet, not giving Laura Lei time to get away from him.

In a trance, Laura Lei robotically turned toward Jasper, her eyes eerily glistening from the lights, “look, Jasper. The lights are coming from the bottom.” She said just above a whisper in a strange dialect of an English accent she’d never spoken in before.

Jasper stood motionless as a chill ran down his spine, taken aback by Laura Lei’s unnerving demeanor.

“This isn’t you, Laura! Snap out of it!” He demanded.

The temperature of the air had become a battle between hot and cold as a pungent odor rose from the river.

Laura Lei stood still at the edge of the riverbank as the supernatural energy emanating from the water wrapped around her.

Jasper could physically feel himself becoming weaker, “Laura, if you can hear me, please turn around. Don’t do this!”

Although Jasper knew he should run away, his loyalty to Laura Lei outweighed his better judgment. Deep down, he knew that if he’d left her, there was a chance that he could lose her forever.

Left with the thought of losing her sealed his decision to try saving her even if the price of hurting himself in the process was high.

As a foreboding feeling ripped through him, Jasper took a deep breath and stepped forward, attempting to grab hold of Laura Lei’s arm. Instead, he’d torn the sleeve of her shirt and stumbled backwards over his own feet.

Laura Lei glared at him, her eyes unforgiving and devoid of any emotion before she dove head first into the water, but not without Jasper’s quick movement. He scrambled on all fours like a charging bull, grabbing hold of her legs, only to be dragged along into the uncanny depths of Rose Water River.