Swim

Monica vowed she'd never return to Kraven Manor again. But with her freshman year at Virginia State quickly approaching, she was running out of time. The hairs on her neck spiked up as Monica drove through the estate's tall rusty gates, meanwhile, a wicked snowstorm possessed the gloomy sky. At that moment, she knew she was in for a dreadfully long night. 

As Monica hurried up the front steps, she was surprised to discover that while the rest of the house remained boarded up, the front door had been freshly painted. Before she could even reach for the doorbell, the front doors swung open as if they'd been expecting her. She stepped slowly and carefully into the foyer, unusually comforted by the familiarity of the shabby furniture, inviting smells of stew and cabbage and yule logs crackling in the fireplace. 

A child's laugh rang from the upstairs, reminding her why she went there in the first place. She followed the child's voice, leading her up a warped staircase that seemed to go on forever. When she finally reached the top, she was greeted by a bright-eyed little boy dressed in red swimming trunks. Overcome with emotion, Monica eagerly dropped her bags and embraced him for a brief yet affectionate hug. "Your mom's working late tonight, so it looks like you're stuck with me for a while, kid." The young boy leaped up and shouted, "Let's go swimming!" Before Monica could say a word, the patio doors flew open, letting in winters harsh sting. She sprinted to close them shut, and as she looked out into the blizzard, a knot grew in the pit of her stomach when she noticed a golden light emanating from beneath the lake." 

She quickly locked the doors. "Let's play hide and seek," she said nervously. The young boy dashed down the staircase, as Monica tried to shake off this ominous feeling. "It can't be." 

"1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi." 

Monica tried to ignore her growing angst, but the manors chilling history kept echoing through its walls. 

"5 Mississippi, 6 Mississippi." 

An unusual quietness befell upon the room, sending chills down Monica's spine. 

"8 Mississippi, 9 Mississippi." 

Before she could reach 10, she was stopped abruptly by the sound of a running faucet which appeared to be coming from down the hall. 

Monica frantically zoomed down the lifeless corridor, which grew longer with each step until finally, a wooden door appeared, a dim light peaking underneath. 

She tried the doorknob, which opened for her effortlessly. 

Monica stepped slowly into the fogged bathroom, the sound of the whistling bathtub faucet pierced her ears. She nervously walked toward the tub, peeled back the shower curtain, and there was the little boy, a blanket of water covering his motionless body. 

She felt her heart sank as she dove to the floor, reaching her hands into the water to retrieve his body. 

"BOO," he shouted. 

Her face was red with both rage and distress. "You scared the heck out of me, I thought you were, dead." She gulped. 

An intense golden light beamed through the bathroom window, and Monica immediately became stiff and uncomfortable. She crept toward the small, shuttered window. Goosebumps covering every inch of her body as the light at the bottom of the lake grew larger and brighter. This time the silhouette of a little girl staring back at her. 

"Let's go swimming!" said the little boy, breaking her trance. She peeked back out the window, where the little girl had vanished, and the only light shining came from the falling snow. 

Monica let out a huge breath and picked up the young boy. 

"How about some hot chocolate and a bedtime story?" asked Monica.

The young boy changed into cozy pajamas and snuggled into bed. A relieved and cheerful Monica entered the young boy's room with two steaming cups of hot cocoa.  

All of a sudden, Monica became icy with panic when she saw a little girl lying in bed next to him. 

Her heart hammered her chest as she slowly approached the bed. "Who are you?" Monica nervously asked. 

"Mom read us a bedtime story!" pleaded the girl. 

"Please!" chimed in the young boy. 

Monica sweated with fear and confusion when a strange woman walked past her, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. 

"Kids, you know mommy has to work late at the hospital tonight. Monnie, I need you to be a good big sister and take care of your brother, okay?" said the woman. 

The little girl nodded her head in agreement. The woman smiled and gave both children a kiss on the forehead. Monica watched the woman exit the bedroom, her heart uneasy as tears filled her eyes. 

Monica stood helplessly as the young boy crawled out of bed and changed eagerly back into his swimming trunks, while the young girl fell fast asleep. 

She tried to scream and stop him, but couldn't make out the words. 

Monica followed the young boy out into the storm, an overwhelming sadness crippling her every step. Now, she was blinded by the light at the lake. When she could finally see through the cryptic golden light illuminating from the lake, there she saw the little boy standing on top of the frozen body of ice. 

"CAMERON!" Monica wailed as she ran through the deep snow toward the lake. She fell to her knees, crying out for the brother she'd lost 10 years ago when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Monica turned her head to find the little girl holding a flashlight and kneeling beside her. Monica shed joyful tears as she reached gently over to grab the young girl's hand. 

With a peaceful heart, she turned to the young girl and said the words she'd been longing for all these years, "I forgive you, Monica." 

The storm calmed as Monica made her way back toward her childhood home in hopes of cozying by the fire one last time. When suddenly, she stumbled upon a marble headstone decorated with a fresh bouquet of flowers. A blank expression swept across her face, shaking her head in denial as she looked at the tombstone which read, in loving memory, Monica Kraven.