The Enchanted Melody [Discontinued]

The Nökken

"And watch out for the waterspirits, Britta." Her grandmother warned her. The girl nodded, though she didn't believe it. Those monsters were just fairytales to scare the children.

She walked home through the dense forest, leaving footsteps in the freshly fallen snow. Britta wore a thick cloak to keep warm, held together by an iron clasp. She'd taken much longer than expected, and the sun was setting. She had to hurry if she wanted to be home before dark. She didn't regret it, though. It was lovely to have seen her grandmother again. It had been a while. She followed the cobblestone path, leading through the forest. It was oddly silent, like everything was holding its breath, waiting for something.

Unexpectedly, a sweet melody ended the silence. She looked right, from where the sound was coming, but she couldn't see much. In the distance, there was faint light. She wondered who was making the music. She looked back at the path. Town wasn't far, she still had time to take a look. Britta hummed with the tune as she strayed off the path, deeper into the forest. She did not hesitate, walking on steadily. The song grew louder at every step. It gave her a warm feeling inside.

Britta felt somewhat disappointed when the music fell silent. She began to move faster, for fear they might have left if she was too slow. She felt relieved when they resumed. This time, not only did she hear the violin, but also a voice accompanying it. Hearing his voice, for now she knew it was a man, she felt a shiver run down her spine. "It's destiny, foretold by dreams, thus here I wait for my loneliness to fade..." She was sure that this was meant for her.

Soon Britta arrived in a large glade. In the middle was a lake, sparkling in the light. Lights seemed to float above the water and between the trees. At the opposite bank stood a young man, violin in hand. He had sleek, dark hair and pale skin. His eyes were closed, but they snapped open when she stepped on a twig.

They were an uncommon color, a bright teal that almost seemed to glow. And they were fixed on her. He gave her a smile, which she returned eagerly. He held out a hand as he came toward her. She went forward to meet him halfway. He continued singing softly.
"It's destiny, foretold by dreams, now here you are, the one I've been waiting for..." She didn't notice the freezing water lapping at her ankles, the water that was getting higher the closer she came to him.

Britta looked in his shining eyes, untamed like the sea. Suddenly, the young man vanished in the dark depths. His song was gone, as was the light. She shivered as she realized she was standing in the lake, water up to her waist. She quickly turned back, when she felt cold fingers close around her wrist.
"Don't you go running off," He said, his voice cold as ice. She turned around. Tangled in his dark hair were algae, and grinning at her she could see sharp, white teeth gleaming. His teal eyes had become a ghostly white. Only now, in the pale moonlight, she saw him for what he really was. A decaying corpse of a drowned man. A vengeful spirit that hadn't been ready to rest.
"I'm not finished yet."

He brushed her red hair out of her face. As he did so, she felt his cold fingers on her skin and pulled away. He lifted her chin up to make her meet his gaze. "I want to be the last thing you see, before you die." She tried to pull her arm loose, but he didn't budge. In fact, he grabbed her other arm as well.

He dove under the water, pulling her down. Britta tried to fight her way back to the surface, but he was very strong. She trashed in his grasp. She had to get back before she ran out of air. In the fight, she managed to give him a good kick in the stomach. He let her go, more out of stunned shock than pain. He made a grab for her again, but upon touching her on her cloak, he recoiled. The girl swam to the shore, grasping for breath when she reached the surface. Before she could get there, she felt him pulling her back down by her ankle.
"You won't escape!"

In a split second Britta realized what she had to do, as she remembered her grandmother's warning. She tore loose the clasp holding her cloak together, throwing it into the water. The cloak drifted away, as she spoke: "Nökken! Nökken! Needle in the water. I threw steel in the water! You are sinking, I float!" The chant seemed to do its job, as he let go of her. She swiftly made her way to the shore. By the time she reached it, she was panting, but she couldn't risk him entrancing her again. She didn't know how long that charm would work.

Glowing eyes glared at her from the water, filled with pure hatred.

Britta ran all the way home, arriving wet, cold and tired. She never came close to large bodies of water anymore, though she'd always loved to swim. She saw the glowing eyes everywhere. To anyone who'd listen, she'd tell the story to warn them. People laughed.

Who would believe in such nonsense?