Black Lake's Curse

By Rich Cole

Grace Barrett only wanted to escape from her abusive husband and start a new life, but when her car breaks down in the small Illinois town of Black Lake, she is trapped there until it can be repaired. The sleepy little town seems idyllic at first, but the longer she stays there, the more she discovers lies below its surface, and how it ties in to her own family history.
Rumours spread that Black Lake was founded by a religious cult which performed a witch hunt one hundred years ago. A crazy homeless man claims to have seen six mysterious girls rising from the lake. Are the witches truly gone? Are they out for revenge?
When Grace's husband arrives in town, she immedietly becomes just one of dozens who have mysteriously vanished around the lake. The police must find out whether he has done something sinister, or if the truth could be far worse.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Seagull Editions
• Release date: May 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215733707

Book preview

Chapter One

No no no! Not now! Anytime but now! Grace Barrett said as her car sputtered, came to a halt, and went quiet.

She pulled up her collar as high as she could but it hardly sheltered her blonde hair from the pouring rain as she got out and opened the car’s hood. She stared at the mess of engine, tubes, and wires she couldn’t decipher. She had no idea what was wrong or how she could fix it. Her husband had always taken care of their cars. Now she could see why. It wasn’t just because it was ‘man’s work’. It was so Grace would be helpless without him. Maybe he’d sabotaged the car on purpose so it would break down and he would find her.

The thought made her shudder as she stared down the long road she’d come from. Ever since she’d left, ever car and headlight behind her had seemed like her husband’s car come looking for her. Every man who even remotely resembled him made her jump and want to flee. She knew she shouldn’t worry. He had no way of knowing where she was. He probably wouldn’t even come to find her.

Not knowing what else to do, she returned to the car, got out her phone, and looked up the number for a local towing company.

Can you give me your location? the bored sounding woman on the other end of the phone said. I can’t send a truck out to you without one.

I’m... somewhere in Illinois, Grace said, staring at the darkening surroundings. It was nothing but forests for miles, the tall trees seeming to loom down on her.

That’s not going to do much good. I can’t send trucks out through the whole state looking for you, the woman on the phone said with an annoyed sigh.

I... I don’t... Hold on, I think I just passed a sign. Wait a second, Grace said, spotting the back of a wooden sigh she hadn’t noticed as her car had come to a halt. She dashed back into the rain, becoming soaked all over again, and ran to the sign. It says ‘Black Lake, Knox County’.

Alright, I’ve got you, the woman on the phone said, accompanied by the sound of typing in the background. Just wait in your vehicle. The truck will be there within half an hour.

Grace returned to her car, wet and shivering. The radio signal was spotty because of the storm and she didn’t want to waste her phone’s battery, so she could do nothing but sit and stare at nothing. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she became aware of a large, dark shape she hadn’t noticed before. It was a lake which spread to the horizon, large enough to appear like an ocean. That must have been where the town got its name, she guessed. In this weather, it did look completely black. Almost like it was a pit.

Through the ceaseless pounding of the rain on her car, she thought she heard something else. Something melodious. Almost like singing. She looked back at the lake. If she squinted, she thought she could see a light. Was it a campfire? Who could light a campfire in this weather? Who would even want to be out in this storm? Yet the more she listened, the more she wanted to hear. She shuffled in her seat, prepared to get out and find the source of the mysterious song.

A rapping came at the window, surprising her so much she jumped and screamed slightly.

Sorry. Only me, the man outside said.

Grace noticed the bright lights ahead of her car and realised this was the tow truck driver she’d been waiting for.

Mrs Barrett? he asked.

Yes, she replied. She only now realised she’d given her married name over the phone and called herself ‘Mrs’. She really should go back to her maiden name, Norheim, and go by ‘Miss’. It would make it harder for John to find her, for one thing.

You can wait in the truck while I winch this up, the driver said, opening the door for her.

Thank you, you she said before running through the rain to the safety of his truck. It was messy and her soaked clothes ruined the seat further, but the driver didn’t even seem to notice once he’d winched her car up and climbed in the driver’s side.

So, where are we going? You got family around here?

No, I’m going to my mother’s place on the East Coast.

A little out of my way, I’m afraid.

Can you take me to the nearest mechanic?

To Fredrik’s place it is, the driver said as he pulled away.

The drive was quiet as the driver had to focus on the road because of the storm. Grace didn’t mind. She took in as much of the town as she could make out through the dark. It looked like every other small town in Middle America – old buildings, family homes with white picket fences, and small ‘Mom and Pop’ stores. The type of place which almost seemed to be frozen in time.

Grace knew she should have found it charming, but she was just thinking about how she wanted to get her car fixed and get out of there as soon as she could. She didn’t want to spend more time in this town – or any town- than she needed to. Part of her feared that the longer she stayed, the easier it would be for John to find her. It was foolish, she knew, but she couldn’t help the fear from creeping up her spine. Besides, this town was already giving her a bad vibe. Or maybe that was just because of the rain.

She was thankful when the tow truck pulled up to the mechanic and backed her car in. She sat in the waiting room, flipping through the ancient magazines. It must have taken hours before the mechanic stepped out.

Sorry to tell you this but it’s bad news, he said. He’d introduced himself as Fredrik and he had sandy blonde hair, blue eyes, and a thin face which made him appear younger than he probably was. It’s going to take a few days.

I don’t have a few days. I need to get to my mother’s house, Grace said desperately.

I’m sorry but I need to order some new parts and they’ll take a few days just to get here. Maybe you have family nearby you can stay with for a while?

No... I’ll find somewhere, Grace said, using the last of her phone’s batter to look up local hotels.

She retrieved her things from the car, everything she owned in the world now, and braved the rain a final time to find a motel she’d looked up. She somehow found it in the darkness – The Red Rock Motel. The owner, an apple cheeked old man named Mr. Bishop (at least according to the name plate on the front desk), didn’t even mind that she had arrived so late or that she was dripping water all over the floor as she signed in.

We don’t get a lot of tourists in Black Lake, he said. Are you just passing through.

Yes. I’m on my way to stay with my mother in Florida, she answered.

She decided not to bring up the fact that she was fleeing from her abusive husband. She didn’t know whether the man would take pity on her or think she was being foolish and return to her husband. She didn’t exactly like talking about it. She wouldn’t mind if she never had to talk about or even think about John ever again. She’d thought about leaving plenty of times before but had always convinced herself to stay. She wasn’t going to be convinced otherwise this time. She wasn’t going to turn back out of fear.

Will you be staying long? he asked.

I... I don’t know. The mechanic said it could take a while until my car’s ready.

Well there’s no rush. We’re not exactly overbooked all the way out here, Mr. Bishop said as he handed over her room key. So, stay as long as you want. Black Lake may not exactly be a tourist hot spot, but it is lovely this time of year. When it’s not stormy, of course. I hope you’ll enjoy your stay here.

I’m sure I will, Grace said, just to be polite.

She was glad to see that her room was comfortable and quaint, looking more like a room from a doll house. It was far better than the bland, sterilised chain hotel rooms she had been staying in until now. She was most thankful to take a warm shower and dry herself off with some thick, fluffy towels. She felt far better when she put on the robe hanging off the bathroom door.

Seeing her phone had charged, she decided to tell her mother why she would be late.

Grace, are you alright? her mother asked the moment the call connected.

I’m fine, Mom.

John didn’t find you did he? She knew all about John and the reason her daughter was moving in with her. Do I need to call the police?

Mom, it’s ok. My car just broke down and it’s going to take a few days to repair. I found a motel in a place called Black Lake.

Black Lake? her mother said. Grace could almost picture the colour draining from her face. In Knox County?

Yeah. How did you know?

This is odd but... your grandmother was from Black Lake.

Really? I never knew.

Grace had never known much about her grandmother. She knew she’d been adopted as a baby, but she’d never said much about her own past. It hadn’t even been included in her obituary, at her request. Whenever Grace had asked her, she’d grown quite and pale and moved the conversation on to something else.

Yes, she was found by a hunter in a cave near the lake. He took her in. That was my grandfather. I know she moved away from Black Lake at some point but she would never tell me why. Neither did grandpa. It seems there is something strange about that place.

Maybe she didn’t like the small town life, Grace said as she parted the blind slightly, looking out at the gloom. Part of her was still alert and expecting to see John’s car pull up. She closed the blind quickly, as if he really would find her if she were to as much as peek out. Or she wanted to move somewhere with better weather.

You’d best be careful. There have been a lot of missing person’s cases around there. Even recently. I know they’re probably just hikers who have gone off the trail, but you can never be too careful in remote places like that.

I’ll be careful, Mom.

She was always careful now.

Alright, well you probably want to get some rest. Be sure to call me and let me know when you’re back on the road.

I will. Night, Mom. I love you, Grace said before hanging up the phone and getting into bed.

It felt odd to be sleeping in the same town where her grandmother had grown up. Her past had always been an empty hole in her family history that she’d never been able to fill. Maybe it was more than just coincidence that her car had broken down right as she’d driven into Black Lake. Perhaps the Lord wanted her to find out more about her grandmother’s mysterious past.

She didn’t exactly have a lot else to do in this town, so she would investigate a little whilst she was here, Grace decided as she turned off the bedside lamp and nestled underneath the covers. As she listened to the gentle patter of rain, she thought she heard that melodious song again as she fell asleep. Even in her dreams, she felt compelled to follow it.

Chapter Two

Many of us are lost, or have found ourselves trapped and stagnating in the same place, the preacher spoke enthusiastically from the alter, which looked like it had been carved from a piece of rock. "But we can’t find the place we’re meant to be on our own. We have to turn to the Lord to show us the right way. The place