Danger: Drowning Hazard. Please repeat the following phrase slowly and clearly before continuing.
'I do not recognize the bodies in the water.'
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Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the scp universe, only my OC's. All the credit for the scp's belongs to their respective authors and the scp wiki.
These stories may contain bad language, blood, violence and sometimes death. You have been warned.
Without further ado,
Chapter 2: SCP-2316_Field-Trip
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The sun edged on the break of dawn, painting the arctic horizon in hues of rose and gold. Shadows stretched across the ground as the feeble light of morning filtered through the leaves.
Branches coated in crystals of ice bowed down to the ground, praying for the warmth of spring to arrive once again. Unfortunately, spring wasn't so forgiving, or warm. It was already summer and the warmth they wished for never came. It never does in this area.
Emma pulled her coat tighter. Her body shivering when a cold draft of wind stung her cheeks and ears. Had she known it be this cold, she would have worn more than just a cheap cotton trench-coat. But what did she expect? It's not like she could afford thick extravagant clothing. Live here was already hard as it is.
She tucked her hands together and let the moist steam evaporate from underneath her warm breath. It didn't help much. Only granting warmth for a split second. Even so, this almost insignificant amount of heat was enough to lessen the tingling sensation in her fingers.
The world around her seemed silent. A bit too silent. Even the birds had lost their voices. All she could hear, was her own controlled breathing and the dead leaves that crunched beneath her feet.
The smell of damp pine made the air feel fresh and clean. There was just something about being surrounded by nature that felt so relaxing and peaceful. It was the perfect distraction from the harsh reality she wished to never face. That's why taking an early morning walk through the forest seemed like a great idea. Now, not so much. She should go back home and enjoy the beautiful nature from 'inside', next to a warm fireplace with hot Choco.
Emma stopped on top of a hillside. Her eyes slowly wandering from one side to another. Which way was back home again? She had never ventured this far from the town before. Her mother used to warn her about going too far. Something about a weird accident that happened so many years ago. Most knew about it, but sadly everyone has forgotten. Why did they forget?
A faint glister in the distance grabbed her attention. There was a spark of curiosity that immediately burned into a wildfire and overpowered her desire to go home. Emma cautiously stepped towards the glister and into the open.
Countless fern trees of pine and oak edged a massive lake. An overgrowth of dried reed covered the left side. Discarded and neglected by the community, the lake had seen better days. Icy black water of unclear depth rested lifelessly beneath a veil of ghostly-white mist, so thick, she couldn't even see the other side. Mist was normal in this area, but not around this time of year. Which was a bit strange.
Birds were nowhere to be seen and wolves dared not to speak, not even the leaves rustled in the wind. Instead, the water lay desolate and still, as though it was in a death-like slumber.
Quite depressing to look at really. But at the same time, there was something captivating about it. Emma had heard of this lake before. First time seeing it though.
She shivered. It seemed so much colder here. Emma quickly put her hands in her warm pockets. Her fingers tingled for a second before glowing painfully hot.
The misty moist sticked to her hair and eyelashes. Every time she blinked; wet droplets trickled down her cheeks. To any outsider, it might have looked like she was crying.
Emma let her lungs fill with humid air. A little cold wasn't going to stop her. She stepped into the wet grass and walked towards the old wooden dock. It looked like it was going to fall apart at any given moment. The stench of rotten wood mixed with mold assaulted her senses. Giving undeniable prove of its battle against the elements and the test of time.
She rubbed the moist off her face while admiring the lakes unique beauty. It really was a sight to behold. One of the best spots in the entire region if you asked her. It definitely had a high 'creepy' vibe, but that just gave it a lot more character. It wasn't the type of lake one would swim in. But Emma was sure that the lake could have been a wonderful swimming spot at some point in time.
It was....
Playfully she tapped her foot on the water. Watching the soft ripples dance across the surface in a race towards the other side. Even though they quickly vanished behind the veil of mist.
Emma giggled. They should definitely make a movie about this place. It would be the perfect location for a creepy slasher movie. Or maybe a classic 'hunted house by the lake' kind of story. Wasn't there supposed to be a cabinet nearby?
"Maybe I should just make a movie of my own?"
Suddenly Emma looked up. In the distance, something bobbed along the ripples. A faint silhouette just behind the mist. It was barely visible, but it was definitely there. Something was floating in the water. She narrowed her eyes. Was that a piece of driftwood?
It's us...
Emma stepped forward. Her eyes unable to sever from the vague drifting object in the lake's center.
Can you see us?
The unnaturally pale skin, soaked over time seemed bloated and swollen, almost beyond recognition, yet still enough to see it for what it truly was. Blue veins popped from the arms and neck like the stretched skin was made from fragile rice paper. The whole scene looked like the aftermath of some horrific murder of suicide.
"Oh god." Emma gasped as she stumbled backwards. Her heart pounding loudly against her chest. There was a body in the water! A human body!
"I need to call 911! I need to—."
Her eyes followed the ripples further down the lake when a gust of cold wind whistled through her ears, carrying soft yet unmistakable whispers.
Can you see us?
The voices echoed louder and louder through the trees, almost in a rhythmic way. The once impenetrable mist slowly cleared up, revealing a graveyard of bodies drifting along the water.
Don't you remember?
Emma opened her mouth. No horror-movie-maiden in distress could compare to the scream that followed. Just how many lifeless corpses slept in this lake?... 20?... 40?... 100? Emma could feel her stomach turn and without warning, a hurl of sour vomit splattered across the already soaked grass. She needed to call the police, the authorities, ANYONE!
It's us.
Emma looked up. Her heart skipped a beat. They looked so familiar. She had seen their faces before. Where had she seen them before?
Don't you remember?
The woman... She recognized the woman in the water... How could she not. The curled coffee-brown hair... the drenched floral dress... It was Jannifer. One of her classmates from high school. They were friends. She was so nice to her.
And the boy next to her... How could she forget Johan? The cool kid of the class. He always got into trouble.
Emma let out a sudden gasp of pain. It felt sharp, like a knife dipped in alcohol just jammed through her skull. She had migraines before, but nothing like this. Yet it was something she knew all too well. It was something she once forgot.
She recognized them now... She recognized them all. Her friends, her family! What were they doing there? She had to help them. She couldn't leave them.
Slowly Emma let her feet sink into the dark water, which went down a lot further than she had thought. The frozen water coiled around her knees like snakes. Her legs stung from the cold. With each step forward, the ground felt further and further away. The stinging sensation spread from her legs and quickly grew into a strange numbness. Every muscle in her body cramped up in pain.
Help us, please.
What about all those years?
You promised.
The water was now to her stomach. She swore something just slithered passed her feet.
Was it all for nothing?
We need you.
Emma shook a little when the frozen water passed her chest. Her heartbeat dropped and she quivered out of control. Her skin burned. Her eyes fluttered. The migraine didn't make it any better. She could feel her head pulse.
Remember us?
You promised.
Another step forward. She had to keep going. She could help them. It didn't have to be this way. We could all make it. Emma panted for air like an exhausted racehorse. The water was up her neck. She couldn't feel her lower body anymore. But she was almost there.
It's all right.
Please.
It's all right.
It's all right.
Don't turn back.
Don't leave us.
Emma gasped above the water. She could just barely keep her stand. Her vision began to blur. It was getting more and more difficult to breathe. The ground suddenly disappeared beneath her feet and she broke through the surface. Her feet swung back and forth, desperately searching for the ground, but it was already too late. The cold water embraced her.
It's alright.
It's alright.
We've waited so long.
She couldn't see anything. The frozen water felt like needles poking her skin. Her burning lungs spasmed out of control, begging for air.
It's okay.
She was running out of air...
Please.
No air...
We've waited so long.
She couldn't breathe...
Remember?
Emma looked up towards the shimmering surface. Ignoring her body's desperate pleas for survival. Everything was clear now. She remembered it all.
This is where she was meant to be.
She was in their arms now.
They were finally together.
She remembered that faithful day.
They were all here.
How could she forget?
They had been waiting for her...
They were her friends, her classmates, her family.
Emma smiled and let her body limp. For a moment... Everything was fine. The paralyzing cold slowly carried her away. Back to that faithful year in the fall of '75, when they were supposed to graduate.
She opened her mouth and took a long, slow, deep and mostly satisfying breath. The icy liquid quickly poured down her warm throat, straight into her lungs. It burned for a second, but Emma didn't care. This was it.
She was with her friends again.
As the darkness creeped in, her friends whispered in joy.
"Welcome back......."
Not long after, a group of strange people arrived and the lake was sealed off by a perimeter.
Do you recognize the bodies in the water?
Do you remember what happened that day?
Don't let them make you forget.
Don't forget us...
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Thank you for reading this story. I hope you guys liked it. I'm still new at writing, so any feedback is appreciated. Love to learn.
This story was inspired by scp 2316. (http://www.scpwiki.com/scp-2316) I did a lot of research on the subject, but I'm no expert. So, there may be some inconsistencies. This is just my own interpretation of the lore behind scp 2316 and the-class-of-76.
I implemented some lines of the 'Not far away' story on the wiki, just to keep things in aligned with the already existing stories about 2316. (I read through the lore behind the-class-of-76... It was a bit confusing to say the least. But I did get a general idea of what happened.)
The way the lake was described and depicted made me think of a place that was always cold, even in the summer. So, I rolled with it and made the weather awful. This also gave the atmosphere a bit more aesthetic.
If you have a suggestion or a specific scp you wish to see a small story of, let me know.