“Mother, I can’t sleep. Please tell me a bedtime story.” Jhana begged.
“As you wish, my daughter,” Imra said. “But tonight you’re going to hear a different story. Tonight I’m going to tell you about the Maiden of the Lake.”
Jhana thought her mother was acting strange, but she was in desperate need of a new story. She had heard the tale of the sea-father and tide-mother a dozen times.
“Many years ago, there was a beautiful but strange woman who moved to Brightcliffe by herself. For many years she kept to herself until a curious nobleman courted the woman and they fell in love.”
“Did she become a princess?” Jhana asked eagerly.
“Patience, my daughter,” Imra urged. “This story begins happily but does not end the same.”
“Before long, the woman became pregnant and when the nobleman found out, he denied that it was his own and accused the woman of being unfaithful to avoid admitting to his own sins.”
“So much for being a noble-man,” Jhana commented. “He does not sound like a gentleman.”
“Rightfully so, the woman became extremely angry at her betrayer. What her ex-lover failed to notice was that the woman was a witch. She laid a wicked curse on the man in retaliation. When this happened, the entire city revolted against her and sentenced her to.. death.. by.. submergence.”
“IN THE LAKE?” Jhana gasped, frightened.
“Indeed, my daughter. In the lake. At the time of her execution, the woman made an oath, screaming it to the heavens as she was submerged. She swore that if she were to have motherhood be stolen from her, then she shall steal the same from those that had turned against her.”
“Many years passed and the people began to forget about the horrible events of that day. Then one late summer evening the blacksmith’s son went missing. After the first day, many members of the community began to help search for the boy. All that could be found was an old pocketwatch that the blacksmith had given the boy; a family heirloom. It was found on the shore of the lake.”
“That’s…a scary story mother.” Jhana chuckled, nervously.
“But one you must hear, my daughter,” Imra said with a sadness in her voice. “You must remember this, my daughter. NEVER, and I mean NEVER, play by the lake alone. You must remember this.”
“But, it’s just a story right mother?” Jhana asked.
“You must remember, Jhana,” Imra responded, sternly. “Never. Alone. Now go to bed. We have a full day tomorrow.”
Later that evening, Jhana lay awake thinking about the Maiden of the Lake. Poor woman, she did not deserve such a horrible fate.
She slowly crawled out of bed to gaze out of her bedroom window. The full moon made the lake look as if it were made of liquid silver.
Jhana gasps suddenly as she notices a figure, not much taller than herself, walking by the edge of the water. “Oh NO. They’ll…the Maiden of the Lake!” Jhana whispers to herself as the person stops and turns toward the water.
Jhana watched, frozen in fear, as the figure began to walk slowly into the water.
In the light of the full moon, a second and taller figure emerges from the silvery pool and holds its arms wide open. The person walks slowly into the embrace of the other and a chilling silence falls over the Four Corners. The two sink into the water, wrapped in each other’s embrace.
Jhana waited for some time…waiting…hoping to see the two reappear. Moments turn into hours, hours turn into morning, and the morning brought the sun of a new day. Jhana sit in the warmth of the morning sun, sobbing quietly to herself from her window, waiting…and hoping.
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