This is a tale of a boy who died about ten years ago. Now, his spirit haunts the lake, and no one knows why. There are a lot of mysteries surrounding this town. The townspeople never even bothered to find the reason for all the missing kids over the years, either. Children disappeared daily for a month, and nobody seemed to care. They'd cover it up like nothing ever happened. The parents were in denial and moved away every time this occurred. The entire town feared what might happen to them if they snooped. So, they left everything alone and returned to their everyday lives as if nothing went on. Everyone stayed to themselves. This town was full of secrets and lies. It was believed that a boy had wandered away from his parents and ended up drowning in the lake. Then, he swore revenge upon the town, and he killed their kids until the mystery of his death was solved.

In the present day, a new family has moved to this dark town. "Hey, honey. Don't you love the new house?" Yelled Steven.

"Yea! Almost done unpacking." Eva shouted back.

"Where are the kids?"

"Outside on the porch. Tell them to come inside and unpack their rooms."

"You got it."

"Go inside and unpack your things," Dad said. The movers just threw our belongings anywhere. By dinner, we were almost finished with our rooms, and after, we went to sleep because we were all starting new schools tomorrow. Juliana was in the third grade, I was in the 10th, and Darius was a senior. He wanted to graduate with his girlfriend and his friends. Mom and Dad told him he'll be fine once we settle in. The next day was a little crazy for me. My teachers were rude and careless. Well, that's high school,right?

"Hi, I'm Carmen, and this is Asia. What's your name? "A girl in my class said to me.

"Hi, I'm Derrick Evans. I'm new to town and don't know anyone." I said to her.

"We know, we can tell. If you like after school, I can show you around. Would you?" Carmen asked, smiling.

"Yeah, sure. That'll be cool." I replied.

"Okay. See you then." She said.

"Class, settle down. Let's see who's here. Looks like we have a new student. What's your name, son? "The teacher asked.

"Derrick Evans," I answered.

"Okay, take a seat. Everyone, please take out your work from yesterday and begin. Mr. Evans, please come up here. We work in groups of three for bookwork. You'll be working with Rafael and Harold. Here are all the assignments for the week in my class. If you know the answer to something, answer it. Don't be afraid." Mr. Ryce said.

"Alright. I still don't know where the rest of my classes are, though. How can I find them?" I said.

"You'll find them. Now, take a seat and get started. This is the last class that you want to fall behind in. You got that. You only get one chance to pass, so don't mess yours up."

I sat with Harold and Rafael. By the time I started my work, the class was over. Thank God. I could see that this would be the most complex class for me to do well. Throughout the day, I had trouble finding my classes and was late for all of them. All my teachers said the same thing. Don't let it happen again. It's like they didn't care if I was new or not. They treated me like I had been here for a while. Carmen made me feel slightly better every time I ran into her. After school, Isat on the steps waiting for Carmen.

"Do you still want that tour? "She asked.

"Yes," I answered.

"Come on. I'll show you how to get to all your classes and separate ways to get there."

"Okay." I thought she was the prettiest girl I had ever seen. "Thanks for the tour."

"You are welcome."

Carmen's beauty mesmerized me, and she was so sweet. I have never met anyone like her, not even in my old school. Her smile was warm and welcoming. I liked the smell of her strawberry-scented perfume. It was delightful. As she showed me around the school, I kept staring at her. When the tour was over, she asked to accompany me on my walk home, and I agreed. We talked all the way there.

"Well, we're here. See you later." I said.

"See you." She said as she winked at me."

"Hey, Derrick! Who's that? "Darius said.

"Carmen, a girl from school," I said.

"Nice."

"What?"

"If I didn't know better, I say she likes you. It's your first day, and you meet a girl. Then she walks with you home to see where you live. Those are signs that she digs you, man."

"No. Why would she like me? I'm the new kid. She must feel bad for me. Yeah, that's it. She feels bad."

"She thinks you're cute." He laughed.

I went upstairs to do my homework. I finished about three hours later and was beaten. Nightmares haunted me all night. I barely got any sleep. Wednesday at school, I could hardly pay attention. For the next couple of weeks, I sustained the same nightmares repeatedly. I got good grades, and so didn't Darius, no thanks to me. I was a wiz at math and helped him pass. One day, Carmen asked me to go with her to the lake. We went swimming and talked. We gazed into eachother's eyes. I kissed her, and she kissed me back.

"I like you, Derrick, ever since the first time I laid eyes on you. It didn't bother me that you were the new kid. That's why I talked to you. If I didn't, I would've ignored you like everyone else. I wanted to tell you how I felt for the longest time. I think you're cute. I love your chestnut brown curly hair. Most of all, I love the way you smile." She said as she admired me.

"I like you too. I think you're beautiful. In my old school, pretty girls never talked to me. Darius was the lucky one. They loved his swaying black hair and sky-blue eyes. And to set it all off, he was a jock. That's why I was surprised when you talked to me. I thought you were just being nice to make me feel better. I had no idea that you liked me too. For the first time in my life, I felt wanted. Thanks." I said.

"You're welcome. Hey! My birthday party is this weekend, right here at the lake. You should come. I'm going to be 17."

"Sounds like fun. I'll be there."

"You can bring Darius too because my older sister, Mya, will be there."

"I'll let him know."

"Great! I can't wait."

I stayed out late for the first time in my young life. Darius covered for me. I told him about Mya, and he agreed to go. I showered and jumped into my bed. I thought about Carmen for half the night. I saw something moving outside, so I went to see what it was. There was a light that led me to the lake. I sat down, scratching my head. What was that? I asked myself. Suddenly, something splashed in the water. I stood upto see what it was. Out of the water came a boy about my age or younger.

"Hi there. I'm Isaac." The boy said.

"Hi, where did you come from?." I said.

"Wow! That water's cold. Would you like to go for a swim?"

"No!"

"Can I sit with you?"

"No! I was leaving." I quickly ran back to my house. He was in my room. "Ahhh! What are you doing? How'd you get in here?" I said.

"I live here, and this is my room." He said.

"No, it's not. You made a mistake."

"I do live here. Where are all my things?"

"I don't know. Please leave me alone."

"Okay. See you tomorrow night."

He was gone just like that. I believe he was a ghost. The next day, I decided to stay inside to explore the new house. Juliana told me that she saw the dead boy as well. He talks to her at night. Juliana says that he used to live here a long time ago. I wanted to know why he won't leave. And what was keeping him here? She said Isaac was waiting for someone. But who? For the next few days, the two of us tried to find clues that would link us to Isaac. Every night, he came back as he had promised and talked. Talking to him made me afraid of him. All I could think about was him being dead and in my room. Then, he was faded away by the sunlight. Finally, it was time for Carmen's party. I couldn't wait to go. Darius came to see Mya. They had a thing for each other.

"Derrick, Darius, nice to see you two!" Carmen yelled out.

"Hey," I said.

"Come over here with the others. Everyone's having a swell time. I have been waiting for you, Derrick. I was beginning to think that you weren'tcoming."

"Why did you think that?"

"I don't know. It doesn't matter now. Come have some fun." She held my hand as we walked over to the others.

"I think Carmen likes your brother," Mya said to Darius.

"Just like you do me." He said.

"Really? You think so?"

"Yep."

"True." She kissed him gently.

I saw Darius and Mya kissing. I knew he liked her back. We all had an excellent time. In another month, I was turning 17. I wanted Carmen to be at my party. I had intense feelings for her. I was scared to tell her how I felt. By nightfall, a fire was lit. While everyone sat around the fire, Carmen and I took a stroll. She took me to the far side of the lake, where we talked and made out. It happened again. The boy emerged from the water. I pulled away from Carmen and went to the lake. He slowly approached me. Carmen only stared at me.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

I looked at her like don't you see that boy? "There's a boy in the water," I replied.

"Where? "

"Right in front of us."

"It's nothing. Pretend you don't see anything, and it will disappear."

"Are you crazy?" He's a ghost."

"Calm down. It's okay."

"No. I'm leaving."

"Wait! I need to tell you something!" She called after me.

I stormed into the house and went to my room. Darius stayed out all night with Mya. Juliana was gone with my parents. Carmen came to explain Isaac to me. She said that he used to live in my house a long time ago. My room was his room. That's why he came to see me every night.

"How did he die?" I asked.

"It was believed that his parents had killed him and threw his body in the lake. No one knows the truth about what happened. Some say hedrowned. The townspeople feared that family. They killed children from the town. The people were in denial and moved away. The killings occurred for many years until his parents disappeared one day." She responded.

"What happened? "

"No one knows. They just got up and left everything in the house and never returned. Some of the townspeople still say that they are here waiting for more victims. They even say that this house is haunted."

"Look, I'm tired. I want to get some sleep."

"Why? Am I boring you? "

"No, I'm tired."

"Well, I'll see you around." She added as she closed the door behind her.

I locked the door and watched her from the window 'til she was gone. Then I went to sleep. Again, I tossed and turned all night from those brutal nightmares. At about 4 am, I awoke to find Isaac in my room. He was watching me tussle in my sleep. I couldn't help but think, why me? Why this house? That's the worst thing. You move into a new house, finding out that kid killer used to live here. Then they still might be hanging around. Those kinds of things haunted me. Was I ever going to feel relief? I don't know. I guess some questions must go unanswered. I watched him stare at me. This time, he was quiet. What did he want? And why was he still bothering me?

"What do you want? "I asked as I rubbed my eyes.

"A friend. Do you want to be my friend? "He replied.

"No way! You're dead! "

"Awl! You hurt my feelings." He moaned.

"Why do you keep coming here?"

"I told you already, this is my home. I am bound to this house and its surroundings. That includes the lake. Many people pretend not to see me. It's lonely out there. "

"Why?"

"They fear mebecause they think I will kill their kids. "

"Will you? "

"Only if I don't get what I want."

"What's that? "

"I need to feed to keep my spirit alive. I need to kill. That's what I do. I was thinking about your sister. I am tied to this dreadful town forever. So, I will continue to haunt it forever. My parents were terrible people. They did things to the townspeople just because they could. The people were helpless and drained of their rights. My parents took everything that they had."

"What happened to your parents? "

"They're around. I don't know that for sure. After I died, they left and were never seen again. I would love to see them again. My soul is restless. I'm doomed, just like this town. It's almost morning. Time to go."

He vanished as specks of sunlight beamed in my room. Sunday, I spent the entire day exploring the house we call home. There were so many secrets encircled in this place. I had to know the truth. Behind my dad's private study, I found a secret hallway. Before I could go inside, my dad threw me out. "Stay out of here!" He yelled as he slammed the door shut behind me. The man was angry. Then, my mom yelled for me to come to the door. It was Carmen. For the first time, she took me to her house. She said she needed to talk to me urgently and didn't want to do it at my house. We sat in the living room. Since nobody was home, she thought going to her house was a clever idea. She sat so close; she was almost on my lap. She offered something to drink and eat. I took it. We ate and talked and ended up falling asleep onthe sofa together. In the middle of the night, I awoke to find her missing.

"Carmen, where are you? "I called out. "Hello! Carmen, are you there? "Still no answer. I saw the front door open. I got up and went outside. I saw traces of footprints in the dirt. They led to the lake. She seemed to be waiting for something or someone. "Carmen, are you okay? "I asked as I approached her. I sat alongside her. Her eyes were glued to the lake. She didn't even blink. "Hello in there. Is anyone home? Hello Carmen. Are you okay? "She was frozen. I decided to carry her back to her house. I placed her in bed and lay on the sofa to ensure she was okay. It was about 6 am when I went home to get ready for school. In homeroom, Carmen wasn't there. Where could she be? Was I worried about her or what? Later that day, I went to Carmen's house. Her father answered the door.

"Is Carmen here? "I asked.

"Yeah, but I'm not feeling too good. Why?" He answered.

"I was worried about her because she wasn't in school today. Also, last night, she was swamped. I wanted to see if she was all right. "

"I'll tell her you came by. "

I watched as the door slammed shut in my face. As I walked away, I saw her looking at me from her bedroom window. I longed to be by her side. I was missing her sweet breath blowing in my face. I think I've found my first love. She was the one for me. There was still one thing on my mind. What happened to Isaac? That's what's been bugging me. I snooped around my dad's study and entered the secret passage that night.

"Derrick, what are youdoing in here? "Juliana asked.

"I want to know what happened to that boy. He's bound to our house and the lake. I want to know why. "I answered.

"I do, too. He scares me. "She said.

I hugged her to comfort her. At the end of the passage, we came upon a small room. We entered it. It looked like a torture room. Chains and all kinds of lethal weapons were hanging around. In the far corner was a steel table with chains attached to it. Next to it was an electric chair. We saw old pictures on the walls. There were pictures of Isaac being beaten. His parents did some sick things to him. No wonder he won't leave. Juliana and I were speechless. We didn't know what to say about such torture. I would've hated to live here when his parents were around. Those must've been some awful times.

"Hello, friends. I see you found my old torture room." Isacc said.

"How'd you know we were in here? "I asked.

"I knew you would look for more answers. Now it's time for me to feed. I've chosen Juliana to be the first victim of many. She's the first person I have interacted with in a long time. "

"What? Never! I won't let you. "

"If you want to save her, I'll give you a chance. You have 24 hours. Goodbye. "

"Wait! "I was too late. He was gone.

How was I going to explain to my parents about her? Was I going to say that a ghost boy kidnapped her? Yeah right. They won't believe me. They'd laugh and tell me to find her. If she doesn't show up, they'll cry and call the cops. What was I going to do? I had to help her. There was no way I would let her getaway that easily. I sought help from Carmen. "Derrick, didn't I tell you to stay out of my study? Where is your sister? "Dad questioned. I told him yes, and I didn't know where she was. I couldn't say that a ghost took her. I rushed over to Carmen's.

"Carmen! Open the door! "I shouted.

"Yea, yea, I'm coming. Who is it? "Her mom said.

"Derrick. I need to see Carmen. Is she here? "

"Yes, come in. I ran up to her room. She was watching TV.

"Carmen, I need your help. That boy: Isaac took my sister. We need to save her. What am I going to do now? "I said.

"Calm down. I'll help you. Let's go, and we must move fast. "She said.

We went back to my house and went into the secret room. She and I found old scrolls with strange writings on them. I couldn't make out what they said. "Give me that. I know what it says," Carmen said. She read aloud in an ancient language that hadn't been spoken for over 3,000 years. She said she knew because it ran through her blood. After that, the room changed for ten years in the past. We watched as Isaac was brought into the room by his parents. His dad beat him senselessly with a whip. His mom left the room and let the abuse continue without her. His blisters were bleeding, and then his dad stopped and sent him to his room. His mother sat him in a scalding hot bath, where he screamed in agony. The flash was over. We were back in the present. I think I know how to save my sister.

"Where are we going? "Carmen asked.

"To the lake! "I answered.

"Why?"

"Just come on! "

"Are you going in the water? That's a stupid move, Derrick. He willkill you, too. "

"I know what I'm doing. Trust me. "

As night came, the killings began. From every house, at least one kid was taken and killed by the lake. It was Isaac's doing. The town believed if they each gave up a child, the rest of the family would be safe. They were until next year and the year after that, and so and so forth. At the lake, I undressed and dove in. Carmen watched me with a weird look on her face.

"What are you looking for? "She asked. I told her clues. She didn't understand. I turned my flashlight on and dove deeper into the lake. I swam with might as the current pushed my body from side to side. Finally, I reached a passageway a few feet down but had to come up for air. I told Carmen that I found something. I told her to come in the water and bring the air tanks and goggles. She dove in, and we both swam down into the lake. The deeper we got, the colder it was. I flashed my light into a small opening in the water. We swam into it. When we came up, there was a cave full of crystallized kids of all ages. Climbing out of the water, we studied the amazing discovery. These must be all the souls brought here over the years. I was shocked. All I wanted was to find my sister. Carmen and I went inside a tunnel she found. I called out for Juliana. We saw her lying on the ground. I ran over to her.

"Is she alive? "Asked Carmen.

"Yeah, just unconscious. We must get her out of here. "I said.

"How?"

"What do you mean how? We must carry her out, duh. "

"There isn't time. "

"What are youtalking about?"

"The moon is almost in complete orbit. We must go now. "She left me there.

"Carmen, wait! "I called after her. It was too late, and she was gone. "Juliana, it's okay. I'm going to get you out of here. I promise." I told her as I picked her up.

As soon as we got into the water, the walls trembled. Pieces of rock and crystal chipped off. I took turns with my air to keep her alive. After many obstacles, we reached the surface. She wasn't breathing. I did immediate CPR and saved her. She spat up white particles and water. Without further delay, I returned to the house with her in my arms. My parents were yelling and crying over us in the living room. "Mom, Dad, what's wrong?" I asked. They quickly jumped up and hugged me. My mom grabbed Juliana and hugged her tightly.

"Where were you, Derrick? "Dad asked.

"Out with Carmen. Why? "I answered.

"Did you know your sister was missing? We were worried sick. We even called the police. Why is she wet? "

"Yeah, I noticed she wasn't in her room. I got Carmen to help me look for her. I knew she liked the lake. That's where I found her. She was a few feet under in a cave. I found her and brought her home. "

"How'd you know? Never mind. I'm happy to see you two are safe. "He hugged me tightly.

I was upset that Carmen took off like that. What did she mean by the moon being in orbit? I wanted some answers about this strange town. The next day, I went to see Carmen. The door creaked open to total darkness. It closed behind me. "Hello, Carmen! Are you here? Is anyone here? "I yelled out. I took out my flashlight and turnedit on. I climbed the stairs and headed to her room. The house was utterly desolated. There wasn't one piece of furniture or person in the place. "Carmen, are you up here? "There was no answer. I saw a shadow whip by me. "Hello! Is someone there? "I yelled. Inside her room was a dark figure painted by the window. "Carmen, is that you? "I asked as I put my hand on her shoulder. "Why are you sitting in the dark? "I asked. "Where are everyone and things? "I asked. She stood still. I turned and started for the door. I went down the stairs. Someone locked the front door.

"Carmen, is that you? "I questioned.

"Who's Carmen? " A voice asked.

" You are. "

" No, I'm not. See for yourself. "

" What?" I flashed my light in her face. She was right. " Ahhh! How are you? " I screeched.

" A worried mother is looking for an only son, Isaac. Have you seen him? "

" No. Please don't kill me. Let me go. Where's Carmen? "

" They moved away. "

" In the middle of the night? "

" Yes. "

" Why? "

" I don't know. "

" Let me go." The door opened.

I ran back to the house and locked the door. I gasped for air. Darius scared me. " Why are you sitting on the floor? " He asked. I told him it came from Carmen's and the house was empty. Also, I said that I saw a ghost too.

" She moved out last night. " I said.

" Mom and Dad said you were with her last night. Didn't she tell you that she was moving? " He said.

" No. "

" Want some lunch? "

" Yes. Where's mom, dad, and Juliana? "

" They went to the store. Did you want to seeCarmen one last time? "

" Yes. I needed to talk to her. That'll never be because she's never coming back. I'm going to lie down in my bed, okay."

" Alright."

I lay in my bed thinking about Carmen. Eventually, I fell asleep watching TV. " Derrick, Derrick, Derrick, wake up. You're in danger." A woman's voice said. I woke up sweating in fear. I only slept for a few hours. I was still tired. I watched TV downstairs with Darius. He told me that our parents and sister were dead. They were in a terrible car crash that severed their bodies. I cried as I sat next to him. He held me. He said while I was asleep, the cops called him and told him the shocking news. He went to the hospital and identified their bodies. I couldn't stop crying because it hurt so bad. " It's just you and me, bro. We must stick together. I promised them I'd take care of you and Juliana if anything ever happened to them. I'm here for you." Darius said. "Their bodies will be buried in our old town. Don't worry. I'll take care of everything." He said, comforting me. He took it better than me. He didn't cry, or maybe he did while I was sleeping.

That night, the town picked up a heavy mist. It grew colder by the hour. By midnight, the fog and the entire village had vanished. Our house was the only one still standing. That was weird. What was happening? Someone threw a note through our window. Darius read it aloud: " Those who don't belong here leave and never return. This town is doomed for all eternity. Leave this place at once. If you stay, you'll also suffer the same fate as the town. This isa warning. Beware. " I told him to let's leave. We got into the car and drove away. I looked back at the house, and it disappeared too. Was the town made up? Who knows? I thought about Carmen. Was she even real? What were the secrets that transformed the village into a nightmare? I guess no one will ever find out the truth. Deep down, I believe the town was a ghost town. Were they trying to warn us or keep us there forever like them? All these questions ran through my head. Now we are off to good things, I hope.

Everything that we ever knew was gone and never coming back. Some things don't add up, and I can't get them out of my head. What happened to our parents, and were they gone? My brother was taking this all too well. I, on the other hand, can't seem to accept this. This is not real, it can't be. Our home vanished right before my eyes. Was this a horrible dream? I may never know.