Lac Du Mort and Other Stories

By Joanne Van Leerdam

From the macabre to the deeply disturbing, Lac Du Mort and Other Stories delivers eight chilling tales that will please lovers of horror and dark fiction.  

• Language: English
• Publisher: WordyNerdBird
• Release date: Aug 24, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386809340

Joanne Van Leerdam

Joanne Van Leerdam is a poet, blogger, writer, thinker, puzzler, teacher, traveller, photographer and generally nice person. Despite having lived all her life in Australia, she has, thus, far, avoided being killed or consumed by any of the deadly wildlife, which is probably a good thing.  Other than Australia, Canada is her favourite place in the world.  In addition to writing powerful, thought-provoking poetry and short-but-incredibly meaningful stories,  she teaches senior high school English, History and Drama/Production. She is an active member and performer in her local theatre company.   Her poetry is contemporary, sensual, moody and easy to read - and it will get you in the feelings.

Book preview

Lac du Mort

The Creep

Out The Window 

Garrawi Lake 

Flat Mate 

Tumbleweed

The Trial of Evan Stoane 

Wild Dog Bend 

Frosted grass crunched underfoot. Trees and bushes sparkled white in the early morning sunlight. Every breath of frigid air made his lungs ache until it warmed inside him, transforming into the vapour that billowed from his nostrils as though he were some kind of slender dragon that trudged along the trail on long, bony hind legs. 

The lake almost shimmered with wintery excitement at daylight’s arrival. Not yet thick enough to skate or walk on, the sheet of ice captured and magnified the sun’s fickle rays. Leaving the trail, he crossed to the edge of the lake to watch the fish swimming under the ice, attracted by the sunlight but held captive under the frozen surface. Smiling at the sight of several large trout, he began to plan an overnight stay later in the season for the purpose of ice fishing, one of his greatest winter joys.

He turned to leave, but something under the frozen surface of the lake caught his eye. Frightened, pleading eyes were framed by a pale face and vivid red hair that swirled in the water as she moved, pushing and banging on the ice and beckoning to him for help. Instinctively, he ran to the shore and found a fallen tree branch sturdy enough to knock a hole in the ice. He raced back to the same spot on the edge of the lake and started pounding at the ice with the pointy end of the stick. 

Splinters and chips flew through the air, but he made no progress, so he turned the stick around and bashed the ice with the thicker end, grunting with the brute force of each blow until the ice cracked. Three more strikes and the stick broke through the surface. He kept pounding until the hole was big enough for her face to break the surface, gasping for breath. 

Please— hurry! she panted between breaths. I'm so cold! She took a deep breath and went back under the surface, and he resumed smashing away the sides of the hole until it was big enough for her to fit through. Now that it was broken, the ice seemed to submit to his aggression more readily. She returned to break the surface and breathe again, and he threw the stick aside when her head and shoulders emerged from the frigid water.  

Help me! she cried, reaching for him with both arms outstretched toward him. Her lips were purple with cold and her skin pale blue, contrasting with the deep green of her eyes and the magnificent red hair that framed her face. Save me, please! 

He lay down on the ice and reached for her. Take my hands, I'll pull you out. The intense coldness of her hands shocked him as they gripped each other's hands and he began to pull, but he couldn't lift her out of the water. Instead, he began to slide toward the hole. 

Hold on, this isn't working, he grunted, trying with all his strength to pull her up and out of the hole in the ice. Sliding on the smooth surface, he tried to gain some traction with his feet but there was no foothold to be found. Damn. I should have made a notch as a toe-hold or something. Wait. Can you push yourself up onto the ice? 

I can't. I'm too cold. Please don't let go, she begged. 

This isn't working. I need to do something else to make it better. Hold on, I'll be right back he assured her, but when he tried to let go, he was unable to release his hands from hers.  You've got to let me go for a minute. 

I can't. I won't. I don't want to let you go. 

Please... you're going to pull me into the lake with you if you don't.

I don't ever want to let you go. 

"I can't save you unless you do.

You can't save me unless I don't.

What? That doesn't make sense. 

Her eyes locked with his. You're so warm. So kind. I want you to be with me. 

Then let me pull you out of there.

That's not how it works.

His eyebrows rose for an instant until understanding flooded his senses. His stomach constricted and his heart began to thump in his chest as she drew him slowly