Chapter Nineteen : 

The Creature At The Lake /

I did decide to go outside, because being outdoors has always cleared my head. It was almost entirely silent except for the gentle wind. No sounds of wildlife, or creatures from other realms. I didn't go into the woods behind my house, or the city. Instead, I went down the road leading away from my home, and out through the town. 

Maybe fifteen minutes after leaving the town, I spotted a sign that said there was a lake. I had remembered my parents taking me here in earlier years, but it was awhile since I'd been here, and I don't recall much about it. I strolled down the dirt path, which led to an old, rusted playground and picnic tables. I didn't dare climb up on the weak looking play equipment. 

I continued through the park, and in a short while I had reached the lake. 

It was beautiful, the clear blue sky shining over the rippling water. A dock went off into the near side of the lake, and reeds and cattails grew all around the water's edge. It was so invitingly peaceful, I decided to go sit on the edge of the dock for awhile. 

After sitting there in near silence for about a half hour, I felt my surroundings change. It was suddenly cold, and the sky took on an ominous darkness. The breeze stopped and all was still, besides my racing heartbeat. A gray-ish haze had settled over everything. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a large, dark shape lurking beside me. 

Turning my head, I saw clearly what sat a few feet away from me. 

It had a long, white-ish tan furry body. With its long fuzzy tail and big ears, it mostly resembled a Fennec Fox... But, this creature had a large smile across its muzzle and three glistening honey colored eyes. I had an uncomfortable feeling under its gaze. "What brings you here?" It asked, in a quiet, sweet voice. I kept my eyes on the lake as I answered. "I needed a break, from things going on at home." 

It nodded understandingly. "Your home... Doesn't feel like home anymore, does it?" 

"How would you know that?" I questioned. 

"I just know things," It calmly replied. "Do you want to know what else I know about you?" 

I looked at it cautiously. "What?" 

It shook its head a bit. "You're not going to like what I have to say... But, if you insist. YOU are a complete failure. YOU were never meant to be in this realm, and you don't belong anywhere else, either. Your parents faded away because of YOU. Everything that's happening is YOUR fault. You won't ever amount to anything, YOU'RE a fool to believe you can save everyone..." Its sweet sounding voice droned on and on, filling my head to the brim with things I had already questioned or thought about. Soon, my entire body sat numbly on the dock and I couldn't move to escape what it was saying. I felt like my mind was spinning around and around, or that my head wasn't attached to my shoulders. I accepted every word that flew from its mouth, like sharp arrows that hit me in the chest and stuck there. 

"They're all going to die because of YOU, YOU'RE a waste of time and space that people used to feel pity for, No one wanted to associate with YOU for good reason... " The gloomy lake scene transformed into an endless void of swirling red and black hues, with shattered glass and blades churning around in it. I couldn't see or hear or feel anything besides this, this horrible shame and regret and hopelessness, pouring from the creature's mouth like a waterfall. 

"LAVENDER!" Hollered a familiar voice, pulling my head from the vacuum of agony. "RUN! NOW!" 

I looked up, my senses cleared of the sludge. The creature towered over me, its horrifying teeth-filled mouth wide open, saliva dripping from its lips. It lunged for me as soon as I jumped from the dock and into the cold, dark water.  

I swam as fast as I could, to get away from what was trying to end me. When I was at a decidedly safe enough distance from the dock, I looked back. Dolion stood there, its foot on the creature's neck. 

I swam for at least ten minutes before reaching the shore on the other side of the lake. My body was so weak, and I felt lightheaded. I sat in the grass, wringing out my hair. It was almost entirely silent again, until a flock of huge black crows spilled from the trees, their wings stirring the leaves and creating a chaos in the air. 

Soon Dolion stood beside me. "Are you alright?" It asked, the familiar voice composing a feeling of peace and safety. I couldn't answer but instead cried, the sobs shaking my small frame. It sat beside me and pulled me into an embrace, holding me until I stopped crying. 

"I... What that creature said about me-" 

"Don't. Don't even think about it. Nothing that came from its mouth is true, you can't let what it said get to you. Do you understand?" Dolion's silver eyes searched my face. 

"Okay," I sniffled. "Can we go home now?" I was beyond worn out. 

It nodded its head and we walked home, seeing the sun swallowed up by the horizon and turning the sky into blotchy navy blues and purples, like a bruise. Not a single moon was in sight, and the stars were nonexistent.