The Locket's Lullabye

The woods were not kind to intruders. Never had been. Especially after dark.

Tendrils of fog, seeming sentient in their sinuous movement, slithered through the oppressive darkness, winding constrictively around gnarled branches. The silvery glow of the moon shimmered along the surface of the serpentine vapor, painting eerie patterns across Jake’s vision as he paused to survey the scene.

Jake turned to see Mara and Theo exchange anxious glances, puffs of cool air from their laboring lips melting into the surrounding mist.

"Remind me,” Theo whispered, eyes darting between his companions and the eerie stillness around them as he adjusted his glasses. “Why did we think this was a good idea again?"

"Yeah, Jake," Mara replied under accusing eyes, hands finding their familiar place atop her hips. "Why did we think this was a good idea?"

Jake shot them a half-hearted grin. “Aw, come on, guys. It’s October. Halloween’s in a few days. It’s the best time to have a little adventure in the woods.”

“Says the guy who’s planning to go to Tina’s party as an ax murderer…” Mara rolled her eyes.

Theo winced, looking more frightened than ever. “Don’t say ax murderer right now, Mar. Please.”

Jake’s smile widened as his gaze shifted from Theo to Mara. “See? Told you it was a great creepy costume idea! Classics are always best.”

“Like a foggy forest after dark?” Mara said, unable to help smiling at Jake’s unabashed enthusiasm for the macabre.

“Exactly,” Jake laughed. “Besides, girls like bad boys, right?”

“Pretty sure they don’t like ‘em that bad, Jake,” Mara deadpanned. “Nine out of ten women prefer that their heads stay attached to their bodies at all times.”

“Well, maybe I’m aiming for the freaky ten percent who are okay with decapitation…” he smirked.

Mara shook her head, a faint smile curling her lips. “You’re incorrigible.”

“Not quite sure what that means, but if it’s kinky, I’m down with it,” Jake shot back with a winning smile.

“Hey, guys?” asked Theo, perking up as his eyes, magnified by the lenses of his glasses, scanned the hazy horizon. “Do you hear that?”

Mara’s brow furrowed as she regarded her friend. “Hear what?”

“Shhh…” said Jake, placing a finger to his lips as his eyes swiveled in the same direction as Theo’s. “I hear it too.”

Jake slowly strode forward in the direction of the sound, the eerie tinkle of what almost sounded like the melody of a music box drifting over the mist.

As they pressed onward, the dense canopy above grew sparser, revealing the vast expanse of star-pricked sky high above. Then, abruptly, they broke into a clearing.

At its center stood a colossal dead tree, devoid of leaves, looking as if it had been struck by lightning, then forgotten by time. From one of its lifeless branches hung a rope swing, its seat gently swaying despite the stillness in the air. On the swing sat a beautiful young woman, her black lace dress fluttering like a void-born specter over the bare length of her slender legs, contrasting starkly with the pale palor of her porcelain skin.

The trio froze, their eyes fixed on the mysterious figure. Jake could hear the haunting melody of the music box more clearly now, chiming methodically through the night. It wove a spell through the clearing, the notes hanging in the air long after they were played, binding everything – and everyone – in its sorrowful embrace.

His gaze was drawn to the source⁠—an open heart-shaped locket dangling from the girl's slender neck to rest between the hollows of her collarbone. As he stared at the silver pendant, the girl’s long lashes flicked upward to reveal eyes that shimmered with unnerving dark intensity.

Jake felt a chill that had nothing to do with the cold. The sense of foreboding he’d felt since entering the forest intensified. Beside him, Mara and Theo appeared equally entranced by the exquisite vision before them. The fog seemed to roll back from her slight form, undulating to the steady melody as it withdrew before pausing at the edges of the clearing.

The swing creaked softly, creating a creepy counterpoint that seemed to pull Jake deeper into the achromatic black, white, and gray tableau before him. His eyes fixed on the alluring girl, as the swing glided forward and back under her modest weight. The dress hugged the contours of her lithe figure, making Jake swallow hard despite the chill in the air. Raven locks tumbled down her back in gentle waves, shimmering in the silver spray of shattered moonlight.

But it was her eyes that captivated Jake the most. They were black, deep and fathomless. Melancholy. It was as if they held centuries of sadness. They seemed to penetrate his eyes, boring directly into the fear center of his brain, making him feel vulnerable and exposed. It was a sensation Jake, ever the boldest of his friends, was unaccustomed to.

Suddenly, Jake was aware of Mara and Theo flanking him. Did they feel the same way? Was this girl affecting them as much as she was him? He wanted to turn, to look at them, but their presence felt distant, like muted whispers of foreign existence against the overpowering aura of the shadowy girl. The forest seemed to have grown quieter under the tinkle of the music, holding its breath in anticipation.

Finally, Mara’s voice, tinged with a mix of curiosity and disbelief, fractured the trance. “Who is she?” Her words echoed through the clearing before dissipating into the fog that lined its edges.

Jake whispered, “I don’t know, but there’s definitely something... enthralling about her.”

Theo, ever the cautious one, took a step back. “Guys, this isn’t right. We should GTFO.” The tension in his voice was palpable, cutting through the dreamlike environment like a knife.

Jake was about to retort, to give voice to the magnetic pull he felt towards the mysterious girl, when tendrils of mist rose from the billowing gloom. They danced and twirled in front of Mara, flowing into a ghostly script: “Touch the locket…”

Mara, her gaze fixated on the dissipating message, began to move forward, her steps almost robotic. “I have to... I need to touch it.”

Jake felt a surge of panic. “Mara, no!” he shouted, reaching out to grab her. As he did, however, the fog surged forward, seeming to thicken around him. It slowed his movements, making every step feel like wading through a nightmarish swamp. Mara, on the other hand, was unimpeded by the mist, striding forward awkwardly but at a much faster clip than Jake could manage.

The distance between Mara and the girl decreased rapidly, and as she reached the mysterious young woman, Mara’s hand extended, fingers making contact with the locket. Instantly, a ripple seemed to pulse through the clearing. Mara gave a gasp of surprise as her slender form grew more and more distorted. Finally, she vanished. Gone. Completely. As if she were never there.

The clearing went silent for a moment before the eerie melody of the music box began to play once more.

Jake blinked, his heart pounding loudly in his ears, when the realization of what had just occurred struck him like a physical blow. He gaped at the alluring young woman on the swing. Though her delicate features hadn’t changed, they were now feeling far less alluring and far more sinister.

Theo’s voice quivered with fear. “What just happened? Where’s Mara?”

Jake, struggling to find his voice, responded, “I think… I think… We need to get her back.”

The girl in black, silent all this while, began to swing again, her gaze glued to Jake’s eyes. Her lips curved into a slight, chilling smile, and the haunting tune of the music box played on, echoing the dark symphony of the night.

Jake’s eyes remained locked with the girl’s, each heartbeat stretching endlessly as he grappled with the weight of Mara's sudden disappearance. The chilling smile that played on the girl’s lips seemed to mock him, sending a wave of anger coursing through his veins. This wasn’t some game, and he certainly wasn’t about to let this spectral beauty keep one of his own.

“Give her back,” Jake demanded, his voice a rough growl, filled with a mix of fury and desperation.

The girl just tilted her head to the side, her raven-black hair cascading like a waterfall of midnight over one shoulder. She said nothing, her expression unchanging. Her silence was maddening, the only sound still the ethereal music emanating from the locket.

Theo, visibly shaken, whispered urgently. “Jake, we need to be careful. We don't know what she’s capable of. I mean, besides the locket thing, did you see what she made the fog do? With the writing? That was straight up fire, but creepy AF!”

But Jake was past the point of heeding warnings. Determination scrawled over his chiseled features, he slogged forward through the strangely viscous mist, intent on reaching the enigmatic girl and forcing her to return Mara. The mist, however, had other plans. It coiled about his legs, slowing his forward progress to a halt once again.

Face turning red with both effort and frustration, Jake reached out, his fingers dipping into the cool mist. It felt like grasping at gossamer spider webs, fragile, ethereal, yet strangely unyielding. His frustration grew as he tried to penetrate the barrier, each attempt met with failure.

The girl's eyes sparkled with a dark amusement, her smile deepening as she watched Jake’s futile efforts. It was clear that she reveled in his growing desperation.

Theo, trying to remain rational, whispered, “Let's try together. Maybe if I look around behind her and we approach from opposite sides, one of us can break through.”

Jake nodded, a glimmer of hope reigniting in his chest. Theo circled around behind the strange girl at a distance, drawing her attention as her head swiveled to track him. Theo and Jake’s gazes met briefly in silent understanding. Then, with a mutual nod, they lunged forward.

The fog, however, rose to grip their legs again⁠—both of them this time. It seemed to have a mind of its own, swirling and shifting, continuously blocking their path and attempting to coil about their legs, playing a cruel game of cat and mouse. Jake and Theo zig-zagged toward the girl on the swing, trying to evade the mist and close the gap, desperate to save their friend.

Finally, the mist swirled about Theo’s legs, and his progress drew to a halt. The girl’s full attention now on Jake, dozens of tendrils of fog began to close in on his darting form. With a grunt, he launched himself into the air, leaping over the closing mist, before sprinting toward the girl. Finally, just a few yards away, he dove at her before the fog could recover and entwine him again.

He crashed into her, the two of them tumbling to the ground. The swing creaked mournfully at the sudden loss of its occupant. Jake pinned her down, his hands searching for the locket, convinced that it held the key to Mara’s disappearance.

“Where is she?!” he shouted, his face inches from hers. But the girl, even in her pinned state, seemed unperturbed. Her haunting eyes stared back, deep wells of ancient knowledge and dark secrets.

Before Jake could press further, before his fingers could clasp over the open locket, tendrils of fog snaked around his wrists, pulling him away with a strength that defied nature. They coiled around him, tighter and tighter, binding him as they threw him against the ancient tree. He struggled, his vision clouding with pain and panic.

Beside him, Theo was in a similar plight, the fog restraining him, rendering him helpless against the tree as the tinkle of the girl’s eerie music surrounded them.

Floating gracefully to her feet, the mysterious girl approached. A tendril of fog, more pronounced than the rest, danced before her, slithering into another chilling message: “Mara is the lucky one. I let her go. I won’t do the same for you…”

As the words sank in, the fog around Jake began to constrict further, now taking on a razor-sharp quality, slicing into his skin. Droplets of crimson stained the forest floor, and a tormented scream echoed through the woods.

Pain seared through Jake’s body, each cut from the fog stinging like a thousand fiery needles. The thick, cloying scent of iron filled his nostrils, mingling with the moist, earthy aroma of the forest floor. His vision blurred, every hue of the forest painted in a red wash, until he finally squeezed his eyes shut under the onslaught of pain. The gentle hum of crickets and coo of distant owls was drowned out by the sound of ragged breathing⁠—and the persistent, chilling tune of the girl’s locket.

Then, in the midst of the agony, a soft touch landed on Jake’s shaking shoulder.

Jake’s eyes shot open, and he was met with Mara's concerned gaze. Her auburn hair, tangled from the forest’s embrace, framed a face filled with relief. The thick canopy of trees above shielded them from the moonlight, but her eyes held an undeniable glow.

“You okay?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly as she examined his manic eyes.

Blinking rapidly, Jake tried to process his surroundings. The fog had dissipated, the enigmatic girl was nowhere in sight, and the pain… the pain was gone. Instead, the soft fabric of his sleeping bag enveloped him. He was lying in his tent. The realization hit him hard – it had all been a dream.

“A nightmare,” he managed to croak out, his voice raw.

Mara sighed, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “You were thrashing and screaming. Theo and I were worried.”

The memory of Mara evaporating before his eyes flickered through his mind, of Theo pinned against the tree, helpless against the vengeful fog. Jake shot up, looking around wildly. “Where’s Theo?”

Seeing his panic, Mara quickly reassured, “Theo’s outside, collecting firewood. He’s fine.”

Jake exhaled deeply, relief washing over him as he flopped back onto his nylon cocoon. But the dream, with its vivid details and haunting sensations, refused to fade. He touched his wrists, half expecting to find them cut and bruised. They were unblemished. Only the cold dread that gripped his heart remained.

“You want to talk about it?” Mara offered gently, clasping his hand in hers.

Jake hesitated. The memory of the alluring girl in the black lace dress, the fog, the message... it was still too real, too raw. “Not now,” he whispered, his throat constricting at the mere thought of voicing his fears.

Mara nodded, understanding in her gaze. “Alright. But remember, it was just a dream. You're safe.”

Safe. The word echoed in Jake’s mind. But the seed of unease had been planted. His confident, flirtatious demeanor was replaced with a cold vulnerability that he couldn’t shake off. It seemed to remain firmly attached to his innermost core.

The trio packed up their camp the next morning, the jovial atmosphere of the previous day replaced by quiet tension. Jake’s bravado returned in small bursts, but the shadows under his eyes spoke of an inner turmoil.

When they finally emerged from the woods, silent on the car ride home, Jake decided that he needed a distraction. Something to take his mind off his nighttime ordeal. The pulsating lights and thumping beats of a club⁠—his usual hunting ground—seemed like the perfect escape. The memory of the nightmare faded as they arrived at the familiar streets of home. Still, something about that night lingered with him, pulsing inner turmoil that wasn’t normally there. He could almost hear the music box playing its chilling melody in the back of his mind.

That night, as Jake stepped into his favorite club, he tried to push the final remnants of the nightmare to the back of his mind. The music was loud, the alcohol was strong, and he tried to lose himself in the colored lights and swaying bodies.

Jake sighed. He needed this. The thrill of the chase, the intoxication of flirting. His eyes scanned the crowd, landing on a familiar sight – the silhouette of a beautiful blonde. Jake felt a smirk playing on his lips. This was his domain. Everything would be okay. This was just the distraction he needed.

He approached the young woman, confidence in his stride. Then, just as his hand reached out to tap her shoulder, the club's cacophony seemed to fade, replaced by a chillingly familiar tune. The woman turned, and the world around Jake began to ripple. Something wasn’t right. The girl before him⁠—her hair was growing darker. It wasn’t blonde at all but midnight black. Those fathomless black eyes, that haunting smile.

She was the girl from his dream.

The locket's melancholic song crescendoed. Fog swirled around him. The lights of the club were replaced by the silvery shimmer of moonlight. As the darkness encroached, Jake felt tendrils of hardening mist encircle his wrists and ankles.

A scrawl of mist snaked across his field of vision. “I told you. Mara was the lucky one. I let her go. I’ll never do the same for you…”

Jake’s head rolled back as the pain started anew. Eyes finding the hollow center of the streaming moonlight, he began to scream.

2,894 words
Prompt: Music box