STORY PROMPT

Nadeesha loved wildlife photography. Every weekend, she carried her camera and went deep into the forest near her village. She waited silently for many hours to capture animals in their natural behavior. She has so many collections, like a leopard yawning, a deer drinking water, or a bird feeding its chicks.

One bright morning, before sunrise, she left her home. “Today I am going to explore a new trail. I heard that there is a hidden lake deep in the forest,” she said to her brother.

That night she didn’t return. Her family worried and asked for help. A search crew went into the forest and searched for her everywhere. She was nowhere, but one of the members of the team found her camera lying near an old tree.

When they checked the camera's memory card, they found something strange. They were frightened to see the last photo of the lens. There was a small wooden hut and a half-covered tall figure stood at the door of the hut.

The search crew looked everywhere again and again but no success.

The discovery of Nadeesha's camera and the eerie photograph sent fear down the minds of the search crew, as the image was puzzling and a cold testament to her last moments, leaving the crew wanting to know more. And so, they decided to return to the spot where the camera was found, hoping to find clues that would lead them to Nadeesha.

The old tree stood guard with its twisted branches reaching towards the sky like skeletal arms. On getting closer, they could feel the air around it was heavy, almost suffocating, but still with determination they scanned the area. Then, they noticed something they hadn't before, a faint trail, which was barely visible, leading away from the tree, and it was as if someone had tried deliberately to conceal it. Suddenly, hope surged through them with this new findings, so they followed the trail, with their hearts pounding in anticipation and dread.

Image source; Pexels

The path wound deeper into the forest, so deep that even sunlight was struggling to penetrate the dense canopy above. The rustling of leaves and the chirping of birds seemed to fade as they ventured further into the unknown. The trail however led them to a clearing, to which nestled amongst the trees was the wooden hut from the photograph, looking old, almost as if it had grown out of the forest itself.

Hesitantly, they approached the hut with trembling hearts, which was inviting as the door was slightly ajar, revealing a dimly lit interior, surrounded with air so cold and stale, while also carrying a strange, earthy scent. But they stepped inside struggling, having their eyes adjust to the gloom. The hut was sparsely furnished having just a simple wooden table, a couple of stools, and a small fireplace, but then, it was the figure standing in the far corner that caught their attention.

It was so, because this was the exact figure from the photograph, and seeing it in person was even more unsettling as their hearts kept racing in loops. It was tall and very tin, cloaked in a dark, hooded robe that concealed its features. However, Its hands were visible with long, skeletal fingers that seemed to twitch with an unnatural energy.

"Who are you?" one of the searchers managed to ask, with a trembling voice.

However, the figure remained silent for a while, then slowly raised its head. Beneath the hood, was not a face, but a mask, a grotesque wooden carving with hollow eyes and a wide, unsettling grin, and suddenly a wave of terror washed over them all.

"I am the guardian", the figure replied, with a tone as a dry whisper. "The guardian of the lake".

"The lake, what lake?" another searcher echoed, with confusion set in his mind.

The guardian pointed towards the back of the hut. "The hidden lake. The one Nadeesha sought after."

They saw the figures gestures and followed the guardian's gaze and saw a door they hadn't noticed before, leading to a dark passage. With a shared glance of fear and determination, they entered the passage, with the guardian leading the way, as the passage opened into a cavern, shiny in an ethereal glow was a lake, a sight so breathtaking, as the water was crystal clear and reflecting the light in a mesmerizing dance. However, something was wrong to them, they noticed the thick air with an unnatural stillness, with the water's surface disturbingly smooth reflecting the cavern's ceiling like a mirror, and then they saw her, Nadeesha.

She was standing at the edge of the lake with vacant eyes, her expression devoid of emotions, wearing a long, flowing white dress, and her skin had an unnatural paleness, to which she looked like a statue, frozen in time.

"What have you done to her?" one of the searchers cried out, his voice filled with anguish.

The guardian turned, its mask impassive. "She sought the lake's secrets, and she learned its price".

Image source; Pexels

It was at this moment the searchers realized the truth. That the lake wasn't just a body of water, but a portal, a gateway to something ancient and unknown, to which Nadeesha, in her quest for the perfect photograph, had stumbled upon something she couldn't comprehend and that something had taken her soul.

They tried to reach Nadeesha but then, the guardian stepped in and blocked their path, leading to a struggle, a desperate fight against an entity which seemed to possess supernatural strength, to which they were forced to retreat with hearts heavy in grief and despair, as they had found Nadeesha, but they had lost her forever.

They left the forest having in mind the burden of the secret hidden lake, serving as a chilled reminder of the forest's mysteries and the price of curiosity. How could they forget what they have come to find? The guardian who watches over the lake, waiting for the next seeker to cross its path, forever guarding its secrets.

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I want to take this opportunity to invite @ngoenyi, @ruthjoe and @casv.

Thank You for your Time

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NOTE: Always have a smile on your face, as you are never fully dressed without one.