Be Careful What You Might Encounter

A paranomal investigator and his team find something that does not want to be found.

We slipped into the frigid water off the coast. In the distance the crags of jagged rocks rose out of the water like dragon's teeth. We've have to make our way, careful to not get bashed up against the shards.

Tony suggested we dive in deep to avoid some of the undertoe, but we would still have to swim strong and be vigilant.

I strapped my gear on as best I could, hoping to get at least some kind of signal back to the boat to record any usual frequencies we might pick up.

Andrea had said the place was possibly haunted. There had been stories of people going missing over the years.

The original story was from 1924 when a freak storm had engulfed the area and devestated everything in its path. The only thing standing was the mansion on the hill once owned by Victor Faulkner and his wife, Arlaina.

That storm killed over 200 people and only the bodies of the townspeople had ever been found. Anyone attending the gala in the manson's ballroom were never recovered. It was said they had been sucked out into the sea.

Apparently the grand ballroom was sunken down into the bedrock of the cliffs surrounding the mansion.

Other stories told of anyone who had tried to access the room had been foiled by the incoming waves and current that flowed out through the cracks around the door to the room. But no one had been able to open it.

One of these stories surrounding the ballroom was that it would occassionaly open and admit people. Those people were the ones never seen from again. It was like once they were able to see the secrets held behind that closed door, they were never allowed to walk the earth again.

Andrea's parents were two of the people that had been lost. She was desperate to know what had happened and since the police had provided nothing of any value she had contacted me and my team.

We were going to put our collective paranormal investigator hats on and storm the fortress.

We decided that since the door was not going to provide any entryway, we would opt for an alternative route. If the seawater was making its way in around the door, there had to be another way in that involved a sea passage.

It was risky and possibly death defying but my team and I were all the more excited by the prospect of finding answers, not only for Andrea, but for our own curiosity.

As soon as we descended into the depths of the water it grew even more frigid as the darkness closed in. It was like swimming in molasses.

By the time we found the entryway we were exhausted. Seeing a luminescent glowing before us once we make our way into the cave we felt a surge of energy. Tony stopped us just before we were to break the surface of the water. We stilled. He seemed agitated and signaled us to all be cautious.

Something felt off. I swore I could hear a faint chime of music the kind of sound that would come from an old phonograph. I had heard the sound before on my grandparents old gramophone.

We surfaced behind a large boulder - one that provided us a good hiding spot, but also allowed us to see what was going on.

I moved to pull off my mask.

Tony shook his head. His eyes were glued to the scene before us.

People dancing. Each of them dressed in their fanciest duds. Having the time of their lives. The thing was - they weren't alive.

I glanced down at my gyger-counter and watched the needle spasmodically jerking about as if it couldn't capture it all at once. I looked up at the people and noticed that they were not really, fully there. Each of them glowed as if wrapped in radioactive compounds.

We watched spellbound as they danced and gyrated as if they were all young and viral. Their energy did not seem to lag.

On closer examination, I could make out other people wearing clothing of various generations. Tie Dye miniskirts and long hair; polyester pantsuits with bold checkered patterns; hairdos teased up, legs covered in leg warmers. It was like looking back at a snapshot of times past.

A chill ran through me. I thought I was cold already, but now my blood seemed to freeze. I looked over at Tony who continued to shake his head then point down signaling for us to leave.

Milo shifted out from behind the boulder and began to swim towards the raised platform that was their dance floor. His movements drew the eyes of the dancers . The eyes were hollowed out and empty. Something evil seemed to lurk and I felt like a deer caught in the headlights.

I felt a vise reach through the water and grab me. Panicking, I struggled trying to rip myself away from whatever it was that grasped me. I caught sight of Tony. His eyes were wild with terror as he tried to maneuver himself to freedom as well.

I watching in horror as his head slammed into the boulder, his mask shattered and then he stopped moving and sunk into the depths.

Behind me Milo screamed, then gurgled as if being pulled under and drowned.

Fear gripped me and I fought harder. There was no way I was joining the living dead up there on the dance platform. With a surge of energy I threw my gear away form me and dipped down under the water's surface. A force grabbed at me, pulling at my air tank. In a final surge I let the tank go and swam forward as fast as I was able.

My lungs seized and burned. My body felt like it was being dragged along deep, heavy duty sanding paper. I wanted to scream, but instead I pressed my lips together and fought my way out.

I seemed to take an eternity, but at last I made it out of the cave and back to the surface of the sea. I miraculously managed to avoid the shards of rock. By the time I reached the boat, the captain and what was left of the crew. had to drag what was left of my body back into the boat.

I had survived, but the experience had left me broken. The life I lived beyond that was a whisp of a life. I had lost my ability to speak and much of my body functions. I was trapped in my body unable to communicate what I had seen. The nightmares haunted me and I could only wish myself dead. Still I lived on. A living memory to stay away and leave well enough alone.



Word Count = 1,131 words.