The Lake

The Lake pt. 9

They moved slowly. With Haley's leg and his own expansive collection of injuries there was no choice, but the Lich hadn't caught up with them yet, which was a positive sign. Hobbling across the shore he guided her toward the lake.

He knew this was a bad idea. The trouble was, knowing didn't help,because there was nothing he could do about it, he'd already made up his mind. Once you jumped, gravity took over.

"Hey. I know you can hear me," he said as they reached the very edge of the lake. He sat Haley down and crouched beside her. "Or at least, I'm mostly sure, and it would be nice if I'm not talking to myself again..."

Haley groaned. "Look, fae, or whatever you are, we want to make a deal, okay? So... come make a deal."

"That's blunt," Jayden said.

"At least I'm not babbling like a lunatic. Honestly, you-"

There was a faint splash of water and they both jolted to attention, staring at the rippling surface. It fell still, and Jayden recognised the cold look on his reflection, an expression that didn't belong to himself.

"I offered you a deal," it said. "You refused."

"Oh that is freaky," Hayley muttered. He couldn't help but agree with her there, but it didn't seem tactful to say so aloud with the lake fae listening so carefully.

"That was then," he said to his reflection, "this is now."

"So you agree to my terms? We have a deal?"

"If we're making a deal I want it to be exact... I've worked with spirits. If you're dealing with anything powerful you don't take things on trust. I want your word... your absolute promise that you will destroy the Lich, this very night, and then, only then, will I give you what you asked for."

"I won't destroy the Lich," it said, "but I can show you how."
"We know how, we just... can't. That's the only reason we're talking to you," Haley interrupted, still managing to sound exasperated despite everything the night had thrown at her. "Can you do it or not?"

His reflection shrugged. It seemed largely apathetic, but that might have been a side effect of the glamour. "I won't. That's all that matters. But without me I'm confident you'll die. I can take you both somewhere it can't get to you if you like, for the same price."

Haley looked at him. Like she was waiting for something. For him to violently refuses, eagerly accept, suddenly change the subject... but Jayden found he had a hard time doing anything but stare back at his sinister reflection. Getting someone out alive, that was what mattered. Hadn't he decided that? Hadn't he already made this decision? So why was he faltering now, caught up in the same stream of old questions.

Here was an escape. An end to this night's terror, right within his grasp, all he had to do was agree. After that he didn't have to think about this anymore. Problems swept under the rug. Temporarily, he reminded himself. This wasn't something he could allow himself to forget entirely, not until the Lich was gone... but he couldn't face it here and now. It didn't matter how hard he tried, he wasn't strong enough.

Was it so wrong to leave to come back another day? Even... even with the price? He was wearing thin, half the man he'd hoped to be. What happened to trying, no matter what? God, he wasn't strong enough.

"You get both me and Haley out of here immediately," he found himself saying, "with no further harm to us, somewhere out of the range of the Lich, somewhere we can reasonably reach human civilisation. And you won't hurt us or intentionally allow us to come to harm, or trap us. Or tell the Lich where we went."

"And in return I get a week of your life," it said. "After that our deal is concluded."

"Wait, how does that work?" Haley asked, but no one was listening. He didn't want to listen, didn't want to think too hard about it.

Jayden had already stretched his hand out toward the water's surface. "It's a deal."

His reflection warped and distorted, suddenly bursting apart as a scaled hand rose to meet his own. Lifting it's head out of the lake the fae emerged, water cascading from it in sheets. It's lidless eyes almost seemed to glow in the moonlight.

Through a great force of will Jayden managed to remain still as it pulled itself closer. They were almost face to face.

Haley grabbed ahold of his shirt, fingers bunching in the material. Maybe she thought she could haul him back if things went nasty, maybe she was just frightened, he wouldn't blame her either way.

The fae smelled distinctly of fish, with a faint undertone of... he wasn't sure, it was a bit like the smell you got from a clogged drain– damp, clammy and beginning to rot. You needed strong stuff to get rid of that, the kind of chemicals that wanted you to wear gloves.

He snapped back to attention as the lake fae grinned, revealing rows of sharp, hooked teeth. It's grip on his hand tightened.

"It's a deal," the creature echoed, and just like that the night bled away.

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((Shortest chapter ever))