"The Cottage" by Tanya Kolb

The Cottage 

by Tanya Kolb

The day that started it all began just like any other. I was sitting at my kitchen counter on  my first cup of coffee when I heard the knock at my door. I didn’t think much of it. I jumped up  and peeked through the window to find a courier standing there. I couldn’t help but notice that he  was a little attractive. He smiled without looking directly at me and handed me a clipboard and  pen and said, “sign here”. I signed and he handed me a large envelope. 

I sat back down on my stool and tore open the letter. My head started to spin as I read the words.  My Aunt Ruth had passed away and left everything to me. I couldn’t decide what I was feeling. I  was overwhelmed with shock, confusion, and sadness. I never knew my Aunt Ruth. My mother  told me that she passed away when they were young. I always knew that she had a sister. She  said that they never got along. I always pictured my Aunt Ruth as being a little unhinged based  on what little that my mom told me. She never wanted to talk about her. It was not a good  subject. It always seemed to upset my mother.  

I had so many questions. I couldn’t ask my mom now. She had passed away herself two years  ago. I looked back at the papers and found that they came from an attorney. I decided to start  there. I dialed the number for Parker Lyles, attorney at law. It seemed like the man was a ghost  he was never in the office and wouldn’t return my messages. According to the paperwork, I had  inherited my aunt’s home. I decided that I may find answers there, so I packed a bag and headed  out to see what secrets I could uncover. 

The GPS took me down a dusty dirt road miles out of town. The road was overgrown with trees  and looked like it hadn’t been used in years. I was starting to feel a tightening in my chest just as  the road began to open out into a clearing. In the clearing sat a small cottage. I was surprised to  see how nice it looked after that drive to get there. I got out and cautiously walked to the front  porch. The boards creaked as I walked inside. 

It was clean and well kept. Everything was organized and welcoming. There was a stone  fireplace on one wall and wood stacked beside it. What caught my eye was a large picture  window on the back wall. It ran floor to ceiling. Outside that window, there was a lake. I hadn’t  noticed the lake on my drive up to the cottage, but it was breathtaking. I just stood there,  mesmerized by it. How had I not noticed before? Something about it just drew me in and I  couldn’t stop staring at it. I don’t know how long I stood there. I finally went back to the car to  get my things and try to settle in for the night. I planned to start going through this cottage to  look for some answers.  

I sat down and ate dinner and settled in. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the moonlight over  the lake. I also couldn’t imagine what was so bad that my mom had told me that my Aunt Ruth  was dead all these years when she was right here the whole time. How could she not want to be  in this place? This was magical. There couldn’t be a view like this anywhere else. I walked out  into the backyard. I wanted a better view. I was just standing there feeling the wind against my  face when I thought I heard crying.  

I held my breath. It sounded like a child crying. I walked closer to the water; in the direction it  was coming from. The crying grew louder. As I got closer, I could make out a figure. Sitting  beside the water’s edge was a little girl. She was leaning over, sobbing. I felt panic rising inside  me. Something told me to turn around, but my head told me that this child needed help. I  approached her slowly. 

“What’s wrong?” I asked her. 

She didn’t answer. I walked closer, with my hand reaching out to her. 

“What can I do to help?” I implored.

She sniffled and her crying seemed to lessen. 

“I am here to help. I won’t hurt you.” I reassured her. 

I had almost reached her by then.  

She whispered, “Will you walk with me?” and held out her small hand. 

I grabbed her hand and she stood. My heart was racing and my head was screaming to run. We  slowly started walking. We were walking toward the water. Before I knew it, we were walking  into the water. I tried to let go of her hand, but I couldn’t. Her grip was like a steel trap. 

I turned to her and yelled, “Who are you?” 

She turned her face to me, and her eyes were like yellow suns and when she smiled, her teeth  were like razors. Her laughter rang out over the water like a shrieking owl. We went down under  the water, and everything went black. I found the answers I was searching for under the water. I  inherited my Aunt Ruth’s legacy. My mother never told me that she was the Wailing Witch of  Crystal Lake.