Lake Night Terrors

It was out of her way, and while she was technically on vacation, Melody Potts could not ignore the reports from the small town of Coalwood. Coalwood, Maine, wasn’t the most of its residents fled the town after the old coal mine slowed in its production, causing a good number of layoffs.  The locals mainly made ends meat by people driving through, stopping by for gas and food, the low production, but still function mine, and a few vacationers searching for a nice place to spend a quiet weekend.

The town was based next to a large lake, the edge of which became the home to several camping sites. In recent days the town has gained some attention. It started small, urban legends, stories. Something lurking in the lake, something hiding deep within the mines, something stalking the woods. There have always been ghost stories around Coalwood, and even a past tragedy which was widely overlooked until recent days. The Yuling Camp Massacre, when a group of fourteen campers, all teens, were slain while staying at the cabins at Yuling Campgrounds, previously one of the most popular camping spots around the town.

The killer was officially caught and put to death, though recent rumors say otherwise. That the same slasher is back through some unholy power. In the recent weeks roughly about seven to eight teens have gone missing, leaving no signs of where they could’ve gone or even what happened. In all accounts the teens were last spotted near the large Okeeheelee Lake, most near the Yuling Campgrounds.

Most rumors revolve around the return of the killer and his cult following. Others, however, have stated that the coal mine has been closed down for a few days and that they may have dug too deep and unearthed something they shouldn’t have. The more “creative” locals claim that there is some unnatural in the waters, an eldritch horror that is claiming the youth of the town as sacrifices.

Regardless of what the case was, the youth was in danger and there were still missing kids. Melody could not overlook a case like this. She would put her vacation on hold until this was solved, this entire situation reeked of something foul. She wasn’t quite sure she believed in the potential of returned slashers or earthing ungodly creatures or eldritch horrors, but…there was something wrong here and she aimed to find out what it was.

Her first stop in the town would be the Yuling Campground, it would be a good central point to expand from. It was right on the edge of the lake, only a few miles from the coal mine, and it was where all the teens had gone missing.

Upon her arrival she found that the entrance sign had a board nailed over the name. Written in black spray paint was written “Foreclosed.”. Under that there was an orange sign which read with a general warning to keep out. It was a sign that Melody had learned to ignore for the most part, especially when on the job. It was a shame that this place was closed down though, there would be no staff to question which means she had to rely on the police and local hooligans for answers. She hoped to avoid that altogether.

Melody brought a hand to her forehead, thinking and thumping her foot on the dirt. Quietly, she would speak to herself. “Damn…where to start? Cabins, lake, or…” Her eyes drifted to the main welcoming hall. She sighed to herself. That was as good as any place.

With a bit of a hop to her step she began to make her way over to the welcome center, keeping her eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary.

Yang let out a sigh, her crystal blue eyes stared out the diner window at the incoming storm clouds. She’d gently tighten her grip around the warm coffee mug sitting on the table in front of her. Why the hell was she even here in this backwoods town. At first her father made it seem as though he was interested in purchasing the local mine. Seeing as how Yang was responsible for their company, she wanted to see the mine first hand. It wasn’t till she got to town that she realized it was just a cleaver ploy by her father, to keep her busy.

He knew how to get her to. Under normal circumstances there was no reason Yang wouldn’t have just hopped right back on the plane and headed home. But once she found out the local rumors and urban legends surrounding the place, she had to investigate. If the recent resurgence in teen killings was just the cause of some lunatic on the loose, Yang would find them and put them down. But, if it was something more supernatural or dangerous, then it was her duty as an overseer to truly investigate.

Finishing off what was left of her coffee, Yang would pay her bill and exit the diner. She was immediately met by a cool autumn breeze once she stepped outside, prompting her zip up her jacket all the way. “I swear to god, if I catch a cold out here…” she mumbled to herself as she looked up and down the road. She had a few key areas of interest to investigate if she was going to get to the bottom of what was going on here in the sleepy little town of Coalwood. There was the abandoned mine, the lake, or the campsites surrounding the lake.

“I guess I should start with the main campsite. That’s where all the killings have been focused.” again speaking to herself. Reaching into her coat pocket, Yang would find her car keys. She’d take a moment to stare at her car, and then the sky. She really wanted to fly around and enjoy the fresh air, but she wasn’t about to be caught dead flying in the rain. She’d quickly hop into her sleek looking sports car and drive off in the direction of Yuling Campground.

The central welcoming center loomed over Melody. It was destitute, time had really taken its toll on the place. The wood was rotted in several places, shingles threatened to fall loose and smash against the ground. The windows had been boarded (poorly boarded up if you ask Melody) and door was locked, probably barred on the other side too. Whoever closed this place down really didn’t want others getting in here.

It was probably the cops’ doing.

Melody gave a quick survey of the area, looking over her shoulder a bit of dull, unimpressed expression on his face. There didn’t look to be anyone in the immediate location. With a clearing of her throat she balled her hand into a fist, knocked a few times, and then, with a minor release of energy, she threw a punch, easily knocking the door off of its hinges and flying into the building.

She nodded to herself, smiling confidently. She stepped in, cautiously. The few strands of light that shone in through the cracks in the boarded windows illuminated the room well enough for Melody to make it out. The main floor was dusted, the carpet covered in moss and probably…yeah, that looked like mold. The counter was cracked in several places and several of the cabinets hung open, all of which were empty. There were three doors, one on her left and another on the right, then there was one behind the counter. The walls had also been tagged with spray paint and she could see the butts of cigarettes and the empty bottles of beer.

“To be young again…” Mel sighed to herself moving towards the counter, lifting herself over it and starting for that back room.

The back room was dark and the windows boarded up back here were much more efficient in keeping the light out. She could barely make anything out. She reached for the light switch to give it a flick, expecting nothing, but was surprised when the light spluttered on. It flickered three times before remaining on with a faint buzz. This room also kept the destitute state of the front room, but the drawers in cabinets and on the desk in the back of the room remained closed.

Moving over to the desk she kneeled down, opening the drawers. Mainly old files and pens, a few rat droppings too to make the scene complete. She began to dig through but stopped. There was something mildly interesting mixed in with it all. A leather-bound book. The cover was warped, twisted in odd ways and she opened it, doing her best to read the contents.

Whatever this was, it seemed like a good first clue.

The sound of leaves crunching underfoot filled the air and Yang walked through the abandoned campground. She had opted to park her car some ways outside the campsite. If she was going to be sleuthing around the place, then it went without saying that the loud roar of her engine might have given her away. Luckily the storm clouds hadn’t rolled in just yet. There was still enough daylight for Yang to navigate through the woods and make out the derelict structures of Yuling campground. Yang was intent on searching the cabins on the perimeter but something caught her attention.

There in the distance, Yang caught a small glimmer of light through the trees. It seemed to be coming from the main hall. It was faint, but it was a better starting point. The young woman would make her way closer to the main building of the campgrounds, but instead of going inside right away, she would stop near the side of the building. She’d sift her attention from going inside, to investigating the interior though the cracks in the boarded up windows. The small openings didn’t reveal much but they did show her that the light was coming from the opposite side through an open door.

“I honestly don’t know what I’m being so cautious for. Im an overseer for crying out loud!” She mumbled to herself with a slight roll of the eyes. Balling her hands into a fist, Yang quickly made her way to the front door of the main building. She took note of how said door had been knocked off its hinges and was laying in the middle of the room. She’d then shoot a glance over to the room where the light was coming form. She could hear a small bit of shuffling going on inside. Folding her arms across her chest and settling into a relaxed pose, Yang called out to whoever was here. “Alright, listen up. You better get out here right now and show yourself!”

Yang was sure this wasn’t the killer or supernatural threat she was looking for, but rather some punk kid trespassing where they shouldn’t be. Still, without being able to sense who was in the other room, Yang had to be ready for anything.

The book had been mostly gibberish, at least the first few pages of. Names, phrases in other languages, and strange symbols that Melody had never seen. However, as she got further into the book there were photos. Photos of the camp, people that once stayed here, or at least…that’s what she assumed. People around campfires, in their cabins, on hikes. It was always had a different family in it, a different group. That raised the question as to who was taking them…and why.

There most certainly was something wrong with this place…

She was about to get to the latter end of the book when she nearly dropped the book, surprised by the sudden voice calling into the tavern. She held the book close to her chest looking to the doorway which lead into the main hall. She thought for a few moments on what to do. As a professional hero she always wore her costume underneath her clothes and could easily come out dressed in her attire. That’d probably silence any complaint of her being here. Though, playing the citizen could potentially lead to some, well, leads…especially if it was a caretaker of the camp. Someone who didn’t want others here.

Biting her lip, she shook her head, standing up and heading out of the back office. She popped a carrot in her mouth, but withheld the rabbit features she would usual produce. She wanted to be ready to transform, just in case.

She would call out, “Alright, I’m coming out!” She’d tuck away the book for now, hiding it in a satchel she kept. She walked out, raising a hand to block the sunlight from blurring her vision. She looked at the figure standing there, grinning at her. “Yo. Hey. The name’s Melody.” If Yang was at all a fan of boxing she may know Melody from her time as a professional boxer, featherweight champion of the East coast.

She would offer the woman a small wave, still smiling. “Is there a problem, ma’am? You don’t look like a cop. What’s your authority here?” She would try to get in a few questions before she was interrogated. The woman looked…strange, not what she was expecting to say the least. She didn’t look like a camp or cult leader or monster, the latter of which she was the most bummed about. But she would she what this woman had to offer.

A voice would answer Yang’s call, no surprise there. At least she knew off the bat she wasn’t dealing with anything dangerous….Yet. Reaching up to her face, the young woman would remove her sunglasses. Their dark purple lenses made it quite difficult to make out many details in this dimly lit building. To the overseer’s surprise the voice that called back to her belonged to another young woman. She most certainly wasn’t any kind of law enforcement, based on her casual attire at least. Slipping her shades into a pocket that lined the inside of her jacket, Yang would wait for the woman to introduce herself.

Melody, for some reason the name stuck with Yang for a moment. She couldn’t understand why. She was pretty sure she had met plenty of Melody’s in her lifetime. Perhaps it was the young woman’s face that was nagging at Yang’s memory instead. She’d try to figure that out later and just shrug it off for now. Melody’s question would be immediately met with a confused glance. Yang had forgotten that there were some places in this world where she needed an excuse to be there.

Yang’s eyes glanced around for any sort of inspiration. Something she could use to give herself some sort of credibility. She didn’t have time to think. “I…I uh…Awe fuck it. I’m just here to investigate the weird shit that’s been going on around here. The names Yang.” She’d say, relaxing a bit and offering a hand shake. The young overseer would glance about the room they were standing in. Aside from falling apart, nothing really stood out about the building. But Melody had been in that back room, which prompted Yang to probe the young woman for information. “Well I told you why I was here. What about you? I take it were both here for the same reason.”

There was something strange about this one, there was no doubt in that. Both in her appearance and in the way she spoke. Her confession made Melody throw her head back with lighthearted laughter, though she quickly recovered from it. She gave Yang a nod, smiling kindly at her.

“Well, Yang! I like the name. And the outfit, looks pretty good. And...! I guess you could say I’m here doing the same thing. I was passing through the area, heading up for a brief vacation, and when I heard the rumors about this place I just had to check out. Who could pass up something like this?”

She reached down to a small satchel she carried and began to dig through it. After a few moments she produced the leather-bound journal she had found inside. She held it out to Yang, beaming with some pride.

“Found this guy in the desk inside. Not sure what it is, but it’s creepy. I’m thinking cultist camp leader or something? But that seems too on the nose, ya know?” She wrinkled her nose a bit. “Almost like it was planted here to be found. Like…I didn’t find it hidden away or locked up. It was just in a desk drawer. Barely covered up. If the owner really was a cultist or something, I feel like that’d be something to be hidden.” She ended with a shrug, though keeping a grin on her face.

Whether or not Yang took the book Melody would turn and peak her head back into the hall, squinting her eyes as she looked around. “What do you think? You buy cultist or ya got something else in mind? We might as well have a look around regardless, right?” She looked back over her shoulder at Yang, “Unless you’re gonna try and boot me out, in which case, good luck.”

Yang placed a hand on her hip. Not quite amused with Melody’s ramblings. “Thanks, it was expensive.” Yang would mumble in response to the young woman’s comments about her outfit. “I can’t quite say I know many people that would just drop their investigation to investigate some shotty urban legend.” Letting her hand drop back to her side, Yang would approach the young woman and reach for the old looking journal. She was surprised to see how willing Melody was to relinquish her grip on it.

Moving slightly away from Melody, Yang would open up the book to peruse its contents. Holding the book open in one hand, Yang would extend a finger above its pages and form a tiny orb of energy no bigger than a small rock to illuminate the pages, as the storm clouds had rolled in and now blocked out the sun. The words that lined the pages seemed to be mostly gibberish at a first glance. None of them seemed to form a solid cohesive sentence. Some of the words weren’t even in English. “The book doesn’t necessarily have to belong to the camp leader. Too early to say if it was planted here either. I mean look at this thing. The covers all messed up, the spine is nearly falling apart, and is that….mold?”

Immediately holding the book away from her face, Yang gave it a disgusted look. “You uh…you can have this back!” she’d say, praying that Melody would take the book back. This was definitely the tip of the iceberg for whatever was going on here. If there was anything actually going on. Looking around the main hall, Yang pondered to herself. There was really no need to have Melody around. The young Overseer was pretty sure she could handle this on her own. But seeing as how she was lazy, having an extra pair of eyes wouldn’t hurt. “Believe me, I wouldn’t need luck…..Anyway, Im thinking we can work this thing together….See where it all leads.”

Melody happily took back the book, tucking it away into her satchel. She didn't seem to mind the age or mold of it, hero work often put her in gross situations. Plus, she wanted to hold onto it for now. Yang brought up a good point, it may have just been planted. Damn, it was nice to have some help. Always good to have another eye on matters. She probably wouldn't have considered that on her own. She tended to hop to conclusions, it was her nature after all. Hopping and all...

She grinned at Yang as she watched her peer around the hall, "Nice. Glad to hear it. I always prefer knowing someone has my back."

Melody would step further into the main hall. She'd point over to the back room. "I already checked in there, don't think we'll find anything else in there." She looked towards the other two doorways on the left and right, wrinkling her knows. The signs above the doors would be faded a great deal, but some of the words and symbols could be made out. "I think the door on the left is probably another office room and bathroom. Right could be a lounge?" She tapped her foot on the splintered wooden floor, thinking. "Maybe there's a basement we could check out too?"

Melody would walk to the left, poking her head into the next room. Her hand quickly came to her mouth and nose. She took a few steps back, her face scrunching up in disgust. "Fuck!" She sniffled a bit, taking a few steps back into the center of the room. "Either that's the bathroom or something died in there. Damn, that smells bad in there." She shook her head, trying to recover from the scent. Sometimes having a stronger sense of smell sucked. Though, part of that concerned her. She only picked up the scent in that room, scents usually traveled a bit, but in the main hall, there were no traces of it. She looked over her should back to the room. "What do ya think, what do ya wanna do?"

“We’ll for starters Im definitely not going in there” Yang would say, pointing to the room with the foul odor. Based on Melody’s reaction the smell couldn’t have been pleasant, and that meant Yang was going to steer clear. There was the other room the young woman pointed out, but after the surprise that was waiting behind door number one, Yang was a bit apprehensive to go sticking her nose in places unknown. Subtly dropping her right hand to her side, the young Overseer would try to manipulate the latent energies surrounding her. Yang had often used this technique before as a sort of active sonar. But it wasn’t working here.

There was some sort of interference going on. The energy felt heavy and muddled. It made it difficult to control, which was concerning to Yang considering this sort of thing was child’s play. Now she had to know. Was it just this building in particular or did this permeate throughout the campsite? “I honestly don’t know. Investigating isn’t my strong suit. I do need to check something though. Follow me or don’t. It’s up to you.” Yang would say before turning towards the front door.

Heading back outside, Yang’s gaze would shift skyward. The soft blue of the afternoon sky had been replaced with a sad and gloomy gray. The temperature had also dropped making the breeze very brisk. Now that she was outside, Yang would attempt to send out another ping using the energy around her. She once again couldn’t get a reading on her surroundings. Something was preventing her from manipulating any energy that wasn’t her own. “Well that’s not cool” she mumbled to herself while looking at the surrounding cabins for anything that would catch her eye.

The surrounding cabins would be in a wretched state, much like the main hall. They boarded up and falling apart. The nearest one looked especially downtrodden, more termites than wood at this point. Though, a bit down the way one would hang with its door open, occasionally getting pushed by the faint breeze which was accruing. Across from that one, the cabin lacked a door entirely, a large chunk of the doorframe missing altogether. Even further down, there would be two especially notable cabins. The first of them would be much larger, two stories, closer in aesthetics to an actual house but more impressively…a light was on inside. The other cabin, across from that one, just had…a vibe about it something would seem to…come off of it, as if something was wrong with it.

Meanwhile, inside Melody would watch her companion exit, a curious expression on Mel’s face. She gave the room one last look before sighing and moving to the other hallway, across from the one that was producing the foul odor, and peaked in. It seemed empty enough, but slowly she moved in. Each step she took a loud creaking sound echoed through the hall.

The lounge area had a rotting catch, covered in what Mel could guess was mold. There was an old T.V. set but the screen was smashed in. On the other side of the room there was a large pool table, though two of its legs had given out, slanting it to one angle. There didn’t seem to be anything quite useful in here, but as Mel took another step in her foot kicked something that rolled across the floor. Her eyes darted to it and she leaned down to pick it up.

A bullet shell.

She gave quick glance over the room before spotting what she wanted to find. She ducked under the pool table and grabbed a rusted revolver. She flicked open the chamber, five out of six bullets. She frowned at this. Either the shooter hit their target and got out alright, which means a murderer was on the loose or…the bullet didn’t work on the target and they could only get out the one shot. Of course, it could just be teens who fired a gun and no one got shot or hurt. It wasn’t like there were any bloodstains here, but…that seemed off in itself.

Melody shook her head and made her way back to the front, sticking her head out the door and looking for Yang. She smiled a bit and called out, “Oi! I got a clue.” She held the gun firmly, but made sure her fingers weren’t on the trigger. She was especially sure not to aim the gun at Yang, the last thing she needed was for the gun to go off. “It has a bullet missing, I got the shell for it too. Ya find anything out here?”

There was definitely something to be said for how creepy the campsite became under the veil of the storm clouds overhead. Yang had nothing to fear, but wasn’t going to ignore just how sinister a turn this place took all of a sudden. The wind picked up and as it pushed through the large trees it filled the air with an ominous howl. It was like the place had come to life and was trying to deter any further investigation. Taking another glance around, there were a handful of building left to check out. Yang gave each building a quick look over, which is when she noticed something interesting.

There was one building that stood out among the remaining buildings. Unlike the smaller single floor cabins, this building looked more like an actual house and had a second story. That wasn’t the highlight of the building however. There was a light on in one of the rooms on the second floor. For the life of her, Yang couldn’t remember seeing that light on when she had arrived to the campsite. Perhaps it was and the afternoon sun made it less apparent. Now that the storm had rolled in, and the site was covered in darkness, the light stood out like a sore thumb.

Shifting her focus, Yang would turn to the young woman she was now accompanying. Melody had emerged from the main hall building brandishing a rusty revolver, claiming it was a clue. This prompted Yang to challenge what she knew about the campsite. Quickly pulling out her phone, Yang tried to search for everything relating to the deaths tied to the campsite. “Yeah, we’re definitely not the only ones here.” she said pointing to the two story house without taking her eyes off her phone.

“That’s interesting…” she mumbled to herself before glance over at Melody and the rusty looking revolver. “All of the reports linked to deaths here at the campsite make no mention of bullet wounds or gun related deaths… Maybe it was used in self defense. But then who or what was it that got shot?” Her brain was definitely starting to churn out ideas. She was never one to play the detective but she was definitely curious now.

Melody offered her companion a shrug, “Honestly…I’m not quite sure. There was no blood, so I think you’re right on the nose with defense. Or maybe it was just…some kids messing around with a gun? You know how teens are…dumb.” She let out a bit of a sigh, some of her teenage memories flooding back in. She tried her best to push those memories back down from where they came. Those were crazier days. She didn’t need those thoughts distracting her from the job at hand.

Melody would follow Yang’s finger to where she pointed. Her brow rose and nose wrinkled a bit at the sight of the light. That was far from normal and something about it sent a sinking feeling into her chest. She gritted her teeth a bit, thinking. “Hmmm…I think that’s a good enough calling card for us to do a house call, don’t you think?” She smirked a bit, giving Yang a nod. She would tuck away the revolver for now. It may come in handy later, not so much to be used, but rather as a clue or something of that sort. If not, it could always be chucked at something.

Melody would begin moving forward, her shoulders broad with confidence. That was mainly an act to try and hide that sinking feeling she was feeling. She would head in the direction of the building with the lights on, her fists balled up as she moved. She was already building up energy, getting ready for whatever may come in the near future. She would look over to wherever Yang was, still smiling with confidence, “So…what’s the game plan? We wanna just burst in or we gonna be all polite and knock? I’m good with whatever approach, though I don’t really know what your style is yet. I’m flexible with this sort of thing.” She would continue on, all the way to the front of the house, looking up at it, staring at the light. This all seemed so off…she just couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

And that maybe, just maybe…they were being watched.

“Well I could just blow the house up and save us the trouble” Yang said jokingly while pointing her fingers like a gun at the house, a small twinkle of energy forming at the tip of her index finger. Yang would place her hands in her jacket pocket as she followed after Melody. A thought would enter the young woman’s mind as she strolled through the campsite. It was strange that for a place with such a troubled past, that the campgrounds weren’t under some sort of lock down or surveillance. There was nothing preventing anyone from wandering into this place.

“You’d think that for a place where so many strange occurances have happened, that the place wouldn’t be so easy to access.” Yang thought aloud as she looked around the place. The two would eventually draw closer to the house, the light in the upstairs window still on. Was it there just to toy with them? Or maybe a local had wandered inside for a late night escape. Whatever the case, the two woman would soon find. Reaching the front door, Yang would do the sensible thing and grab the doorknob, giving it a few jiggles to see if the door was locked or not.

“Locked it is…” she mumbled to herself as she looked the door up and down. “Welp, no time like the present.” Yang would follow that up by placing her palm against the door and blowing it clean off its hinges with a small blast. “Knock, knock!” She’d call out while taking a cautious look through the doorway. “If someone’s in here you better speak up now!”

Yang had a good point. There was no sort of…precautions or preventive measures to block access to the camp. The town just left it open. It was in fact strange and a bit worrisome. Perhaps the town felt as though the strangeness wasn’t all that serious? Or perhaps they thought that the urban legends were enough to keep people away? It was hard to say for sure, but Melody supposed they would find out soon enough.

Mel watched as her companion tried the door, then…tried the door with a bit more force. She smirked, nodding with approval. “Nice.” She had zero issue with brute forcing their way through trials and tribulations. She waited to see, or rather, hear if there would be any reply. There was none immediately, but her ears picked up something strange. Something falling over upstairs, perhaps a product of the sudden force of Yang’s blow, but then…a heavy slump of something below. Perhaps there was a basement to this place.

Melody eyed Yang for a moment then nodded as she stepped in, checking the place out. The cabin seemed in relatively good shape. Though, still, Melody reached for the light switch, half expecting nothing, but surprised by the sudden buzz of the overhead light. The room was illuminated and all the easier to see. It looked like a normal den, couches, a lounge chair, and an old TV with a tape player. There was an open door which led into what looked like a kitchen and then a staircase that went both up and down. However, in the room there was one thing that caught Melody’s eyes. A closed beartrap in front of the kitchen. There was rust, or at least what she hoped was rust on the upper end of it. Never a good sign.

“Right…so…I’m thinking this isn’t a great place to be.” She looked to the staircase, grimacing a bit. “I have the feeling we’re close to something here…I got that sinking feeling, you know? Like we’re not alone?” She let out a breath, “Though we’re not gonna get anywhere just by standing around. What do you think? Up or down?”