The Secil Pond: A Pivotal Clue

"I made it!" Stacy felt so much joy about her arrival on time.

In her fourth week at work, and for the first time, she was one hour early.

Delighted, she ran to her dorm room for a change of clothes, a brown shirt, and pants with a maroon border. She felt strong when she had a black rope around her chest, through her waist, that carried a whistle and a taser at its end. She proudly wore the green cap with the word "Security" stitched in white boldly on it. She was proud of herself for stepping in and taking this security job without hesitation, a new start to her second chance at life. 

Her first job after a five-year heartbreak. She had been desperate to get one and had been trying hard. So, when she got this job with benefits attached, she didn't think twice. She said she was ready to start. But Stacy didn't know or even take a moment to read the job requirements page properly. She saw the headlines, "Require female security personnel on weekends, with stay benefits and other bonuses provided. Read job description for more." and applied. 

Stacy was surprised as the management had no proper questions to ask, but a weird interview was the feedback she had. There were cautions everywhere in bold letters throughout the process, but she said to herself, "What more can it hold than a cruel heartbreak? Done and dusted, and I am ready to start. Nothing scares me now."

And here she was, excited to venture around the Botanical Garden, exploring the beauty of the flora and fauna, and what the place holds. She had never gotten a chance to explore, as her job required her to stay inside and monitor the live videos on the screen over the weekend. 

"Strictly no venturing outside during the stay. "

Stacy was always late and had to run a 1.5-mile distance from her changing room to the office. The door locks at 11.05 PM. Once closed, you can't get in, and you are out of the job with no questions asked.

"The office hours start at 11:05 PM every Friday and continue until 5:05 AM on Monday. The door remains locked throughout."

"Food, accommodation, and even medical attention are all included."

So this time, she exclaimed, "This weather sounds so good for a relaxed walk."

The yellow sensor lights were lighting up as she walked the paved path around the trees, herbs, and a small lake at a distance. She saw the clouds gathering for a thunderstorm. Instantly checking for her phone, she remembered,

"No phones or handheld electronic items are allowed. Come freely, monitor the screens, and enjoy your stay."

"The air around looked fresh. So beautiful and scented," Stacy wandered and was enjoying herself as she was able to witness the beauty outside the screens. As darkness fell, night clouds drew in through the faint lights. She walked slowly and steadily, her eyes on the pathway. 

A sudden flash of fire sparked with a lightning strike, jolting the ground, and traveled to a small pond nearby, the Secil Pond. Never had she experienced such a ferocious sight. Frightened, she started to run towards her changing room, but turned back and ran to her office instead, as the office was much closer to her.

As she turned and ran, she saw a shadow sitting by the side of the pond under the faint light of stormy clouds, and the flickering lights switched on as she passed. Panicked, she tried to open the door, and it beeped:10:55 PM.

Frustrated, she sat staring at the shadow at a distance. Like a silhouette, it traced a scent of eeriness in the air.

"Doors open only at 11.00 PM. The door beeps the time if you try to open it forcibly." 

She wondered if it was the same man she had seen on the screen. The man with a stick covering his face with a mask. The doors opened, and she ran inside to gulp some water. 

"Hi," No.2 stated, "Stormy weekend, right. Enjoy your stay and don't forget to enter the code in the walkie-talkie. My shift for this month is done."

Confused, Stacy looked at him,

"Hei, No.5, are you okay? It was just a normal lightning, don't worry, this weekend should be smooth as there won't be many wild animals in the rain!" No.2 comforted her and left, 

Stacy stayed silent as she realized she had forgotten her walkie-talkie. Slowly comforting herself down to work, she looked at the screen mounted in front of her. Fifteen screens, playing the live video of areas inside the garden. She had to scan through every piece of footage from the past week and the current live feed, tracking and noting down activities that were out of the ordinary. 

"Don't question why the records weren't getting saved. Thoughts aside, " she spoke to herself.

"Scan for sightings of wild animals, note them down, and also watch for any disturbing activities."

After an hour of work, still in shock about the lightning, she slowly walked towards the tinted window by the side of her door to check. But nothing looked like a storm, but clear clouds, and she saw the shadow again. Surprised, she went in to pull out the screen and check if it was something else. 

"Why hasn't this guy left? Doesn't he hear any instructions when it's time to leave? It has become a nuisance now." She mumbled,

Slowly swaying towards the mic, she announced, "Hello again! It is midnight. The doors got closed at 8.05 PM. If you could walk towards the exit, I have kept the main gate open for you. Thank you!" 

With frustration, she got up and walked to the table to warm up some tea for the night. 

She lay on her bed with the TV on, waiting for the kettle's whistle, but struck by lightning, a burst of fire broke out from the kettle. Stacy got thrown out of bed. Everything went out, the lights inside the room, the screens, and it was pitch black. Stacy acted vigilantly, stayed down, and grabbed herself through the floor, pulling out all the switches in an instant. She was baffled when she looked at the burnt kettle and the burnt section of the ceiling. 

Looking at the blank screens, the lightning struck again in the darkness, and she walked towards the window. The shadow remained. Flustered, she walked towards the door to open, though she knew it wouldn't and she shouldn't step out. 

But when she twisted the handle, voila, the door swung open. Shocked, she stood, unsure whether to step out or not. She didn't want to face the darkness, so she went, closing the doors behind her. She sat on the floor, under the dim yellow light reflected from across the window, flashing thoughts about the signs of danger. The weird news she had heard a long time ago, like two years ago. The four security guards were killed by wild animals on a stormy night, turning everyone into zombies, and eating everyone alive. It was scary but unbelievable. The chillness freezing her heartbeat, the whooshing sounds through the gaps, becoming a nuisance, killing her mind. Stacy didn't stay for long but ran out the door and froze when she reached the pond. In front of her was the shadow, frozen into a hard rock. 

Frightened yet strong, she grabbed her whistle and whistled, reaching heights until it burst her eardrums, but nothing happened. But she believed the outside world would have heard it. Then she slowly sat on the other side of the bench. She leaned forward to take a look, but nothing, no response, only a bunch of dead frogs floating on the pond. Startled, she moved a little closer to the shadow and tried to pull out the held stick, but it crumbled. And she saw a faint spark of light from the face to the thigh. Stacy came down to a sitting position and looked at the face. She took out the taser and she jumped with a touch to the body, 

and it split in two.  

Unable to scream with a sound, she looked at the body, where one half slipped into the pond, the other half lying on the ground. Gasping for breath, she pulled herself up and sat on the bench. 

Until dawn, through the stillness of dead night, she sat in silence like a guardian to the dead body, waiting for someone to show up. Not a single drop of tears, but her fear and prayers reflected clearly on the pond. She could see the coins piled up inside the pond, a wishing pond. She witnessed her life unfolding before her, and nothing could ease her pain, but now, somewhere deep down, she felt liberated, and she could sit down with his dead ex-partner beside. The one who showed up every weekend and stayed late near the pond, the so-called Secil Pond, the Chosen Pond. 

An incident that flashed, claiming the whole night lit under the dimly yellow lamp. Stacy had already visited the same Botanical Garden and sat at the very same bench, throwing a coin, wishing for at least a lightning strike to strike her ex, her narcissistic partner. The only way to freedom, she thought, was for her to get rid of him and sleep peacefully for at least one day. And she remembered feeling ill and leaving the place instantly on the very same day at the very exact moment. She had surprisingly come across the security job pinned at the gate when she escaped. 

All those suppressed memories vividly played like a dream, and she woke up the next morning, surrounded by a team of officers strapping her to get her back to the mental asylum. Stacy smiled at the No. 2 officer as she heard the message being passed on through a walkie-talkie, "We got her."

No.2 comforted, "You are doing okay, No.5!" and turned over to others who were seriously discussing on,

"Did we get the igniter, the serial killer?"

"Don't wish death, people die!" She shouted as she lay on the stretcher and saw at a distance an officer throwing a coin into the pond.

She pulled No.2 closer, who was in shock, and slipped the taser into No.2's pocket when she overheard, "Fifth body: Unnatural death."

Peacefully ready to doze off as the needle pierced her skin, 

she mumbled, "No one believed me! ..I am not mad. "

" I......onl..y....hel....ped," she whispered into No.2's ears,

Everything looked normal again. Bright and light.

Her smile stayed as she closed her eyes.