My brother and I often enjoyed swimming in the local lake near our childhood home, especially in summer.
Doug was eleven and I was thirteen on the day when we experienced something worse than any ghost story.
I had always been a strong swimmer and had won many awards and trophies in our summer carnivals.
Photo credit: flickr/Danielle Tunstall
Updated 2/9/2020 – Being a typical boy, Doug always wanted to race me and every time we made it to the river, he teased me further.
On this day, we decided to go further down the banks, seeing as a family was having a BBQ at our usual spot.
This section was secluded with many trees, including weeping willows dipping their branches into the deep river.
We took off our outer clothes and jumped into the water, taking time to get used to the chilly water.
Doug ventured a little too close to the middle of the lake and I called out for him to come back.
He laughed and drifted further away.
I opened my mouth to yell, but stopped when I saw terror come over his face.
Suddenly Doug disappeared under the surface
For a moment, I saw Doug’s hands reaching out of the water – then I could only see bubbles where he had been.
I screamed out his name and waited for a moment to see if he would surface.
Fear gripped me as time clicked by.
Diving in a frenzy, I swam over to where Doug had been. I surfaced and dove many times but couldn’t find him.
The water was murky and I could hardly see a thing. After about five minutes I ended up screaming as I swam about.
There was no sign of Doug and no one was coming to our rescue.
I knew that it was all up to me, so I dove once more.
I torpedoed down into the depths, yelling his name underwater in a torrent of panic and fear.
Then something grabbed me!
My wrist was being pulled further down into the darkness and I assumed it was Doug.
I pulled with all my might and was horrified to see a pale, female face coming towards me, with eyes as black as coal.
Huge bubbles came out of my mouth as I screamed and tried to wrestle my way out of her grip.
She held on.
Running out of air, I performed a final pull and kicked up to the surface.
After two gasps, I was pulled down again.
Under water, her face was only centimeters away from mine.
Her skin was like peeling paint and she smiled serenely.
Ghost Stories: Her glassy, black eyes bore into my soul
I tried to pull away when I heard her speaking telepathically in a gurgling voice.
“Join us, Carol. Death is easy!”
Screaming and writhing around, trying to wriggle out of her grasp, I saw her open her mouth in a horrible grimace.
Her nose wrinkled like a dog about to growl and her needle-like teeth gnashed and snapped at me.
I was able to bring one of my knees up and I lodged my foot against her spongy chest.
Then I kicked hard.
I was out of breath when I broke through the surface once more, only to feel her claws in the flesh of my hips.
Crying for Doug and sure that I was about to die, I grabbed her hands and pushed them off me.
I wasn’t prepared for the sudden whirlpool I found myself in.
Now the monstrous girl was wrapped around me.
Her face inched towards mine and she was now screaming, “YOU CANNOT ESCAPE – YOU BELONG TO US NOW!”
Then I passed out.
Nothing but darkness filled my mind, until I saw a beam of light breaking through. I woke up.
Crying and spluttering, calling out for Doug, I heard his voice!
He was looking down at me, on the banks of the river.
I wondered where the black eyed ghost was and where she’d gone.
My brother told me that he’d saved me, but I still believe she’s out there – waiting.
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