New house

         It's been about a week since our closing date. All the stress from finding the perfect house, getting that mortgage, finding money to pay for that mortgage and finally getting all the paperwork done was all worth it. My Fiance and I are finally settled into our home. There is still some work that needs to be done. I still haven't completely finished painting the kitchen and the basement still needs to be cleaned up a bit, but it's no big deal. We'll get it done.

Now I'm lying in bed with my Fiance next to me. She's already asleep, her soft breathing the only sound in the darkened room. I stare at the ceiling. Part of me feels as if I'm trespassing in somebody else's home. That I do not belong here. It keeps me awake thinking of this. I close my eyes and try to think of other things, better things.
Our wedding is in a few months, more stress to come. There is still much planning to be done.

I try to turn over and find a more comfortable position. It's no use, no matter what I try sleep just will not come to me. With a sigh I sit up and I swing my legs out from under the covers and slide my feet into my slippers. I stand and slowly make my way out of the bedroom to the small hallway.Maybe I'll get a snack or something to calm my nerves. Walking to the kitchen I pass by the living room. I don't know what it was but something caught my eye and I stepped into the living room. It was dark, the only light coming from the full moon outside casting it's light through the big picture window.

Curiosity getting the better of me, I walked into the living room toward the big window.
The window looked out over the backyard and the lake that was behind our house.
The lake was one of the main reasons we had picked this house out of the many we looked at. It was a small man-made lake not far from the main road in out town.

I walked to the window and looked out at the lake. At this time of night a fog covered most of the lake. I could not see the houses at the far side. I could see what seemed to be a giant bonfire burning on the far side. It's light dimmed by the thickness of the fog but it was definitely a bonfire. Must be someone partying late over there.
Then I noticed more smaller flames glowing among the far side of the lake. Through the gloom I could barely tell what they were.
Then some movement caught my eye. I could see three people coming into my backyard. They were wearing long black robes, the hoods covering their heads and most of their faces.
Each one carried a lit torch, Eerily casting shadows across my backyard.
They crossed my backyard and passed onto the patch of sand by the water. The three spread out into a circle and tossed their torches into the middle. The flames grew erupted as they hit the ground. Streaks of flame reached out into the night.

I wanted to scream out at them, to tell them to get off my property but something made me hold back. What were they doing?
The figures in the robes all faced the lake. Form where I watched they seemed to be statues, still in the night, the only light cast upon them from the fires they stood around.

The silence of the night was suddenly broken. A loud chanting broke out among the robed beings.

"Chtul alm med gal."

Repeated over and over again. It pierced the night. I found myself moving closer to the window. My hands and face pressed on the glass.

"Chtul alm med gal."

The words echoed through my head. I even felt myself saying it underneath my breath.

"Chtul alm med gal."

The pace picked up and I watched as the robed men and women began to dance around the fires.

"Chtul alm med gal."

Then I saw the strangest thing I can say I have ever seen.
The fog covering the lake split and moved away as if unseen hands parted them.
Small bubbles formed on the surface of the lake that grew larger and rougher.

Something was coming out of the water.
I could not look away, I was completely mesmerized by what I was witnessing.

Slowly breaking the surface a being I could not comprehend appeared in front of me.
The size of a small island, it was covered in gaping mouths filled with razor sharp teeth.
Eyes of varying sizes and shape dotted the area between the mouths.
I watched in complete awe. There is no way there can be more of this monstrosity under the water.

As those thoughts passed through my mind, more of it rose out of the water.
Long tentacles shot from the water toward the night sky. Some well passing the tall oak trees that lined sides of the lake.
They swung around in the air casting sheets of water everywhere.

Then as if on cue they all stopped and shot out towards the bonfires around the lake.
I watched as one tentacle wrapped around one of the black robes and lifted him into the air. The black robe put up no fight or did not scream as he was taken closer to the center.
The tentacle released him and he fell into one of the many open mouths. The other tentacles were doing the same. Plucking the black robes from the shore and dropping them into a mouth.

I wanted to turn away, to save myself and my sanity from this horror. But I was compelled to watch on, unblinking as it pick another up and fed.
As I stared one of the larger eyes focused upon me.
My eyes locked with it and I felt fear that shook me down to my soul.

In my head I could hear voices talking to me.
I could not understand what the words meant but I knew it was speaking to me.
It was digging deep into my mind, touching me in intimate ways that I can not explain.
It showed me things from my past, dreams and thoughts I had throughout my life.
Then I saw what will never be taken from my mind.
A dead, decrepit wasteland as far as I could see and in the center, this monster that I see in front of me.


"Honey, are you ok?"
I am shaken from the vision. I turn to see my fiance is standing in the doorway.
"What are you doing up?"
I struggle to find words as I turn back towards the window.
There is nothing. Where the horror I witnessed was now was just the peaceful lake behind the house. The bonfires, the black robes were gone.
My fiance came up beside me and took my hand.
"Your all sweaty, are you sick?"

I looked at her.
"No, I feel fine. Just couldn't sleep."
She gave me a tight hug.
"Well, I'm lonely in there by myself. Come on."

She dragged me back toward the bedroom.
I gave one more glance back towards the lake and a chill passed through me.


"Chtul alm med gal."



Word count: 1235