Weekend Getaway: Saturday Afternoon

It watched. 

The mass of seaweed and twigs rose out of the water and slithered through the underbrush. Its luminous gray eyes would be visible to those who looked, but the rest of the sloppy creature was indistinguishable from the forest floor. Scales glittered between globs of muck, sodden reeds, and dead insects. Birds ceased their songs to watch and squirrels moved to higher ground as the creature crept into the forest. It perched upon a large, flattened stone in a relatively cleared area of the woods and trained its eyes on the yellow cottage. The tall bare trees did not impede its view.

The creature was patient. It always took its time with the guests. The shows it provided served the dual purpose of both entertaining and tenderizing them. Timing was everything. Holding perfectly still, time passed the unblinking creature. It watched the cottage, the lake, and its guests’ responses to the tricks it played. The sun arced overhead and the animals returned to their routines until the moment was right.

Without a sound, the creature shed its twiggy appearance and put on its costume.

A handsome gentleman rested comfortably on the stone and adjusted his cravat. The symbol of civility. He reached underneath a nearby log and retrieved a dirty wooden violin case. With two soft snaps, the gentleman unlatched the case to admire the antique instrument that gave no indication of having been stored under a log in the woods. He gave the violin a tender caress and examined the condition of the wood its hollow interior. He gingerly plucked each string and listened, tuning it carefully. He drew the horsehair bow across a block of rosin in preparation. The gentleman’s irregularly sharpened teeth glinted in the sunlight as he lifted the instrument to his shoulder.

*

“Shh, did you hear that?” Zoe cocked her head and squinted her eyes. Mackayla and Mackenna looked up from their useless cell phones. The twins were willing to forego their birthday weekend at the lake if it meant they could go home and get service.

“I didn’t hear nothing,” Jake said irritably. He had still not forgiven the women for the thing with the rabbits. He enjoyed hunting and fishing, but animal cruelty was a step too far. He was beginning to regret taking Riley back to her cottage in the wee hours and suspected his chivalry would not pay off after all. He snatched up his helmet and stomped down the stairs off the deck, kicking the dead rabbits into the landscaped bushes, and rounded the corner. After a moment, Jake’s motorcycle roared to life.

“Just listen!” insisted Zoe. Riley, staring after the cloud of dust, was torn. Meeting Jake again after all these years felt serendipitous, and watching him leave so unceremoniously - again - wrenched her heart. But the sounds from the forest dragged her attention away from her lost love. 

"I heard it too," whispered Mackayla. 

Violin music drifted from deep in the forest and pierced Riley's heightened emotions. Sweet and soft, so lonely and wistful, the gentle music filled the womens' souls. They savored the melancholy in every note. The highest highs sang through the trees, the rich low notes stirred the ground. 

Transfixed, they could not help but walk towards the music. Roots tripped them and insects stung them. Mackenna’s swollen ankle impaired her gait, but she did not seem to notice. Zoe and Riley floated through the woods with their eyes closed, Mackayla close behind. The music attracted them to a clearing in the forest, their interest further piqued when they spied the gentleman in an old fashioned black frock coat. He wore a striped silk cravat tucked artfully around his neck and was seated upon a large flat stone.

The man, lovingly cradling his violin against his shoulder, appeared to be in a world of his own. The sweet melody moved his slender body slowly back and forth with the music. He hummed softly in accompaniment. When the women approached, they could see a tear glistening in the corner of his closed eye, then it slipped down his impossibly smooth cheek. Long black hair obscured most of his face, but revealed a long angular nose, full red lips, and a heavy brow twitching with emotion. Riley had the irrepressible urge to brush his silky hair behind his ear.

They stepped forward, tears shining in their own eyes.

The man stopped playing, but kept his head tilted downward. His strong smooth jaw worked and he turned his face towards his visitors. His eyes snapped open and the gray solid spheres illuminated the forest like lamps. Excitement brightened the handsome face as it melted into a mass of twigs and seaweed. He peered at them through limp wet hair.

With incredible speed, the creature launched itself to the forest floor and scrambled on all fours towards the women. Its blackened pointed teeth gnashed the air, and an ear-piercing scream issued from its gullet. Bubbling and guttural, the watery shriek was neither human nor animal.

The gentleman’s musical spell was broken by the scream and the four women tore through the forest towards the cabin. Mackenna cried out, staggering through the trees on a badly sprained ankle, and Mackayla shouldered her twin. Zoe and Riley were the last to leave the clearing, their eyes blurred by the creature’s spell. Now they bolted like deer and panted like dogs. The creature snatched at their ankles and legs with webbed claws, lustily snarling with the thrill of the chase.

Just yards away, the wind clapped a side door of the cabin against the wall. It was the side door between the bedrooms: the same threshold Mackenna had fallen out of the night before.  A short wire service stairway led from the ground to this emergency exit. The women did not take the time to consider this incongruity and instead dashed inside and slammed the door behind them. Zoe shoved a side table against the door to secure it in place.

The creature stalked around the front yard, its wet seaweed feet slopping in the grass. The dry ground greedily drank in the moisture. In the heat of the relentless summer sun, steam rose off the creature’s soaking back. With a rattling wet rasp - something akin to a laugh - it stood up on its bent, squatting legs and grew in size. It shook its head, and the hair, algae, and twigs vanished, leaving a gleaming white stallion in its place. 

The horse faced away from the house and walked purposely in a circle, head held low. When it finally faced the house, the perfect white equine face lifted and shone its bright eyes at the women. The horse smiled and bared a mouth full of black fangs. It approached the house, bent, and devoured the five dead rabbits, slurping them with relish. The horse walked around the house, carefully taking in the view of the four women, their eyes as round as the creature’s. It strolled around the back deck, and moved slowly towards the lake. It carefully picked its way around the jagged rocks and entered the water. Deeper and deeper the horse submerged itself until only its eyes and glistening white ears were visible above the water. It slipped below the surface, transforming the smooth coat to blotchy skin. The women were reminded of their gruesome discovery in the hot tub. Zoe threw her trembling hands against her face and watched from the window. 

The creature sank below the water. There was no trace of the horse in the lake. Except for a thatch of long hair lapping with the gentle waves between the rocks, nothing appeared out of place among the weeds, muck, and lakeside detritus. Squinting, one could almost make out a figure. The light from its eyes illuminated the water like a pair of patient anglerfish.