THE CONEAL

prologue

1881, Belkon City

The little flashlight dim into the night, flickering for some time before getting stable at the center of the room. Four girls, around the same age of thirteen sat round the flickering torch with a blanket hovering over them. All intense in what's happening to be an impossible task before them, with a strong gaze at each other.

It past midnight and none of them seem tired or ready for sleep, thank goodness it a weekend. The torch flickered a little, casting shadows down on the wooden floor.

''It's a dare,'' a girl with a pale face, big blue eyes and a loose blond hair spoke in whisper, glancing down at the piece of paper in her hand. A game of truth and dare, chosen from a small bowl that as to be pass round the girls. And her victim must be the one seated at her left hand side when she picked a paper, ''I don't think it's possible.'' She finally said.

''What does it say?'' One of the girls asked

The little blond girl looked at her side facing her victim. ''To go into...the lake at the back of the house.''

''What!...I can never do that at this time.'' The victim, who was a girl with long straight black hair stood at her feet abruptly causing the blanket to fall and the flashlight illuminating the entire room. She face the blond girl who still has the paper in hand ''Margaret, pick another one.''

''Come on, Tamera, there's nothing wrong in going into a lake at this time.''

''Then you do it Isabelle!'' She shot back to the girl with a bob haircut sitting opposite from her. ''After all, you wrote them in the first place.''

There was quick silence before a girl with a pigtail hair spoke softly, ''I don't think it'll be nice to wake my grandma, aunt and little sister with all this bickering. And Isabelle why will you write something like that.''

Isabelle shook her head in irritation ''I was not the one who brought the idea to do it this night. I thought it would be better to do this...'' she pointed to the bowl placed in their middle, ''...in the afternoon but you all agreed it should be now. So if there's anyone to be blame for this it's three of you,'' she pointed her fingers to the three girls facing her, Margaret, Rachel and Tamera.

''Fine!'' Tamera gave an heavy sigh before wearing her slippers, ''I'll do it.'' She picked up the flashlight and her coat leading her way towards the door.

''We'll watch you from the window.'' Margaret spoke quietly as the girls were now on their feets. Tamera gave them a nod before shutting the door after her. She walked gently down the hallway careful not to wake Rachel's grandmother or aunt, or else this will be their last sleepover here.

She tiptoed down the stairs and getting to the main living room, she walked round a corner leading to the kitchen foyerlike and quietly with ease open the kitchen door letting the cool starry night breeze hit on her bare face, giving her a little chill before walking down the pathway of the backyard.

The lake was separated from the house with a few flowering plant making it easy to have a clear view of it. She walk towards the lake quickening her step so everything could end up so to escape from this chilling night. She gasp at the captivating look of the lake, glistering from the brightness of the full moon before looking back at the house behind her. The window of the exact same room widely open with the girls standing right at the window side looking down at her, watching her move closer to the lake.

She place her foot gently in the lake to feel it temperature before going in deeper. Her nightgown spread on the lakeshore together with the coat and the flashlight. The lake was cold no doubt about that, and the goosebumps appearing on her skin was so visible but she know so well it was not from the cold but fear. She's afraid of the night. A night where no one is around but instead all fast asleep in their home, oblivious to things around them.

She looked up at the girls watching her complete the horrendous task she was unfortunately given. Having decide she's done enough, she tried swimming back to the shore but suddenly felt a grip on her left leg.

It was like a force trying to draw her back into the lake. She deep her head inside to see what it was but she couldn't see anything except for her left leg not floating like that of her right. The other girls are starting to get curious of what was happening but they dare not call her, for their voice will obviously be heard.

Tamera lift her head from the lake to breathe in some air and again, tried swimming to the shore, but this time, the force from the grip became stronger and forcefully making her lose her balance.

It drag her into the lake while Tamera struggles to escape from the grip, water splattering, hitting her face escaping into her mouth and weakening her legs and hands until she couldn't move and gradually sunk into it like something was drawing her deeper into the lake. The girls watch in horror and fear as they bolt out of the room not caring if their movement was loud enough to wake the adult in the house.

Their running leg hitting hard on the wooden floor, fear creeping in each and everyone of them as Rachel flung the kitchen door open with a violence force not caring about the rattles of the hinges. They pour out onto the yard running closer to the lake but stumbled over something that appeared suddenly at their front with a loud yelp.

The girls were unsteadily ready to face their fear, but were shushed by an all too familiar voice causing them to look up at a very familiar wet black hair, nightgown and a coat hugging her body with a flickering flashlight facing the ground.

''TAMERA!'' They all squawk at the girl before them with wide eyes before giving her a big hug.

''What happen?'' Isabelle questioned as they drag themselves back into the house.

''Nothing.'' Was what came out as a reply.

''What do you mean nothing,'' Margaret scowled, ''you were obviously struggling in the water for some minutes ago like something was holding you down and if I could remember, you passed out!''

''Oh, that?'' She asked rhetorically, ''it's just, my leg got stock into something. But thankfully I was able to set myself free and get out. It's nothing scary I swear.'' That seems convincing enough so they shrugged it off and let it go.

They all stood froze at the sight before them. The bulb in the main foyer was already turn on and sitting on a rocking chair was Rachel's aunt with her hand folded across her chest and a stern look masking her face. She look up at the girls with a questioning brow.

''Aunt Sara.'' Rachel gasp, mouth open wide lost of word.

''What are you girls doing?'' Her voice similar to her expression was also stern.

They explained all what happened without leaving anything out, for aunt Sara is as wise as an owl in the night. She scold them for what they did and how dangerous their action was, most especially Tamera for getting into a lake before sending them off to their room.

But not until she warn them to lock their door and window tightly and never open it until sunrise no matter what happen or what they hear. Leaving the girls in a state of confusion but still they didn't question why.