The House on the Lake by Olivia Salter | Short Story

 

The House on the Lake

By Olivia Salter

Word Count: 2,498

The winding road to the lake house seemed endless, each turn revealing another stretch of dense trees that blotted out the late afternoon sun. Nadine’s hands tightened around the steering wheel, the smooth leather warm against her palms. Her box braids brushed her shoulders as she glanced at the GPS, the route line growing shorter with each passing minute. The radio murmured quietly in the background, but it did nothing to calm the unease pulling at her. She had always hated long drives, especially to isolated places like this.

"Almost there," she whispered to herself.

Beside her in the passenger seat, Evan sat, staring out of the window. His expression was distant, almost haunted, his fingers drumming nervously on his thigh. There had been a subtle shift in him ever since they passed the first sign that pointed toward the lake. Something about this trip was bothering him, though he wouldn’t admit it outright.

Nadine cleared her throat, her voice cutting through the silence. “You okay? You’ve been quiet for a while.”

Evan’s head jerked slightly, as though he’d been pulled from a trance. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking.” He offered her a weak smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

The GPS chirped, and they rounded the last bend. The lake house came into view, standing at the edge of the water like a forgotten relic. The once-grand structure was decaying, its wooden exterior weathered by years of exposure to the elements. Ivy crawled up the sides of the house, as if trying to reclaim it for the forest. The lake, dark and still, stretched out behind it, reflecting the fading sky like a sheet of glass. It was eerily quiet—no birds, no insects, just the soft lapping of the water against the shore.

"That’s it?" Nadine asked, trying to mask her disappointment. "It looks... different than I imagined."

Evan glanced at her before looking away, his jaw clenched. "It’s been a while since anyone’s been here. It’s not what it used to be."

As they parked, Nadine grabbed her phone, snapping a picture of the house and sending it to her best friend, Kayla, with a quick message: Made it. Wish me luck.

She hadn’t told Kayla everything about the trip—just that Evan wanted to show her his family’s old lake house. The truth was, Nadine didn’t fully understand why he was so intent on coming here, either. It felt important to him, though, so she had agreed. But now, standing in front of the dilapidated house, an uneasy feeling settled deep in her chest.

“Let’s get inside,” Evan said, grabbing their bags from the trunk. “We can relax and unpack. Maybe we’ll head out on the water tomorrow.”

Nadine hesitated, casting another glance at the lake. The water was darker than she expected, almost black. She forced herself to look away, turning her focus back to the house. It was just an old house, she told herself. Nothing to be afraid of.

***

Inside, the house was worse for wear. The air was thick with the scent of mildew, and dust coated every surface. The furniture looked ancient, untouched for years. Nadine ran her fingers over the arm of a faded couch, the fabric rough beneath her skin.

“I guess your family didn’t come here much,” she said, trying to lighten the mood.

Evan shrugged, his back to her as he fumbled with the keys to the back door. “We used to. But then... things changed.”

Nadine raised an eyebrow, sensing that there was more to the story. “Things?”

Evan’s shoulders tensed, but he didn’t answer. Instead, he opened the back door and stepped out onto the porch. Nadine followed, the wooden boards creaking beneath her weight. The view from the porch was stunning, in a haunting sort of way. The lake stretched out in front of them, its surface smooth and unbroken. The sun had begun to set, casting long shadows across the water.

Nadine shivered, though the air was still warm. There was something about the lake—something unsettling. She glanced at Evan, but he was staring out at the water, lost in thought again.

“Evan?” she asked softly. “What aren’t you telling me?”

He finally looked at her, his face pale. “My family stopped coming here after... after my sister disappeared.”

Nadine felt a chill run down her spine. “Your sister?”

“She was young,” Evan said, his voice hollow. “We were all here for the summer, like we always were. One day, she went out onto the lake... and never came back. They never found her.”

The weight of his words hung in the air between them. Nadine’s heart pounded in her chest. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

Evan shook his head. “It was a long time ago. But after that, no one wanted to come back. The lake... it took her.”

Nadine opened her mouth to respond, but something caught her eye. Movement—just beneath the surface of the water. She blinked, trying to focus. It was probably just the reflection of the setting sun, she told herself. But the feeling of unease only deepened.

***

That night, Nadine couldn’t sleep. The house creaked and groaned, as if settling into itself after years of neglect. She tossed and turned, the sheets tangling around her legs. Every time she closed her eyes, she thought of Evan’s sister, out there on the lake, lost forever.

At some point in the middle of the night, she gave up on sleep and slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Evan. She tiptoed through the house, her feet cold against the wooden floorboards. The air felt thick, heavy, as though it carried the weight of all the memories left behind in this place.

Nadine found herself drawn to the back door. She opened it quietly and stepped out onto the porch, the night air cool against her skin. The moon hung low in the sky, casting a pale glow over the lake.

The water was still, impossibly still. And then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw it again—movement, just beneath the surface.

Her heart skipped a beat. She leaned forward, squinting into the darkness. For a moment, she thought she saw a hand—a pale, slender hand—reaching up from the depths.

Nadine gasped and stepped back, her heart racing. She stumbled inside, closing the door behind her, her breath coming in short, panicked bursts. Her mind raced, trying to make sense of what she had seen. Was it real? Or was her imagination playing tricks on her?

***

The next morning, Nadine tried to shake off the unease. She didn’t mention what she had seen to Evan. He already seemed on edge, and she didn’t want to make things worse.

They spent the day exploring the area around the lake, but Nadine couldn’t stop thinking about the water. Every time they passed by it, she found herself glancing at the surface, half-expecting to see the hand again.

By evening, her nerves were raw. She suggested they head back to the city, but Evan brushed her off. “I just need one more night,” he said. “I want to say goodbye to this place, for good.”

That night, the tension between them was intense. Evan was distant, lost in his thoughts, while Nadine was consumed by her fear of the lake. As darkness fell, the house seemed to grow colder, the shadows stretching longer, darker.

Nadine lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching her, waiting. She turned to Evan, but he was already asleep, his face peaceful in the dim light.

Suddenly, a soft whispering filled the room.

Nadine’s blood ran cold. She sat up, straining to hear. The whispers were faint, barely audible, but they were unmistakable. They were coming from outside.

From the lake.

Nadine’s heart pounded in her chest. She slid out of bed, her hands shaking as she crept toward the window. She peered out, and what she saw made her blood turn to ice.

There, standing at the edge of the lake, was a figure. A woman, her long hair dripping with water, her clothes clinging to her body. She was facing the house, her empty eyes staring straight at Nadine.

Nadine stumbled back, her breath catching in her throat. She turned to wake Evan, but when she looked back at the window, the woman was gone.

***

Nadine’s mind raced. She couldn’t stay here another night. She needed to leave—now. She shook Evan awake, her voice trembling. “We have to go. There’s something out there.”

Evan groaned, rubbing his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“The lake,” Nadine whispered, her voice frantic. “There’s something in the lake. It’s been watching us.”

Evan sat up, his expression wary. “Nadine, you’re just tired. It’s an old house, and you’re probably—”

“I saw her!” she interrupted, her voice rising. “There was a woman standing by the lake. She was... I don’t know what she was, but she wasn’t human.”

Evan’s face paled, and for a moment, she saw fear flicker in his eyes. He didn’t say anything, just sat there, staring at her.

And then, the whispers started again.

This time, they were louder, closer. They filled the room, swirling around them like a cold wind. The whispers wrapped around them, swirling in a haunting melody that sent chills down Nadine’s spine. She backed away from the window, her breath quickening, eyes wide with fear. Evan sat frozen in place, his face pale, the flicker of fear in his eyes now undeniable.

Nadine grabbed his arm, tugging him out of bed. “We have to go, Evan. Now. Something’s wrong with this place.”

Evan stood reluctantly, his movements sluggish as though he was trapped in a fog. “Nadine… I don’t…” he muttered, but his voice trailed off as the whispers grew louder, more insistent. They weren’t just coming from outside now—they seemed to echo from the very walls of the house.

Nadine moved toward the door, her bare feet cold against the wooden floor. The sound of the whispers grew stronger, louder, as if the house itself was breathing. She pulled at Evan, trying to snap him out of his daze. “Evan! We need to go!”

Suddenly, the back door creaked open, the hinges groaning under the weight of something unseen. A gust of cold air rushed into the room, and in its wake, the figure reappeared, standing just beyond the doorway, framed by the blackness of the lake. The woman’s hair clung to her face, wet and stringy, her eyes vacant, yet filled with an unnatural hunger.

Nadine gasped, stumbling backward, her legs trembling as she stared at the figure. She looked to Evan, desperate for him to do something—anything—but he stood frozen, his eyes locked on the figure as if entranced.

The whispers shifted then, turning into something darker, more harsh-sounding. Nadine could hear words now, though she couldn’t make sense of them. The woman by the door raised her hand slowly, beckoning to Evan, her fingers curling as if pulling at invisible strings. His body jerked forward, his feet dragging across the floor toward her.

“No!” Nadine screamed, grabbing his arm. “Evan, don’t!”

He blinked, his eyes wide with confusion as if waking from a nightmare, but his body continued to move toward the door. The woman’s grip on him was unbreakable, the power of the lake pulling him closer, like an invisible shackle wrapped around his soul.

Nadine’s mind raced. She had to do something—anything to break this hold the house, the lake, the woman had on him. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for something, anything she could use. There, on the old mantle, was a small silver pendant, half-buried beneath a thick layer of dust. Without thinking, she lunged for it, her fingers wrapping around the cool metal. It felt warm against her skin, as though it pulsed with life of its own.

“Evan!” she yelled, racing toward him. She thrust the pendant into his hand, forcing him to clutch it tightly. “Hold on to this!”

For a moment, nothing happened. The woman at the door stood motionless, her empty eyes fixed on Evan as the wind howled through the open door. But then, as Evan clutched the pendant tighter, the air in the room shifted. Making the whispers lose their strength, the ghostly voices fading, and the figure at the door hesitated, her outstretched hand trembling.

Evan blinked again, this time fully aware of where he was. His body jerked back, and he stumbled away from the door, gasping for breath. The woman let out a long, wailing moan, her form flickering like a candle’s flame in the wind. The force that had pulled Evan toward the lake was weakening.

Nadine didn’t wait for the figure to gather her strength again. She grabbed Evan’s hand, pulling him toward the front door. “We need to leave. Now!”

They bolted through the house, their footsteps pounding against the creaking floorboards as they raced down the hall. The whispers followed them, growing fainter but still there, lingering in the shadows. The front door groaned as Nadine yanked it open, and together, they burst into the night air.

The cold night surrounded them as they fled down the overgrown path, not daring to look back. The house stood behind them, its dark windows watching, the lake stretching out like a black abyss. The air was thick, suffocating, but Nadine didn’t stop. She couldn’t. Not until they were far, far away from that place.

They reached the car, breathless and shaking. Nadine fumbled for the keys, her hands trembling as she jammed them into the ignition. The engine roared to life, and with a sharp turn of the wheel, she sped down the narrow road, the house on the lake shrinking in the rearview mirror.

Neither of them spoke for miles, the silence between them heavy with the weight of what they had just escaped. Nadine’s mind raced with a thousand questions, but all she could do was focus on driving, on getting as far away from that cursed place as possible.

After what felt like hours, Evan finally spoke, his voice hoarse. “That woman... she was my sister.”

Nadine’s heart skipped a beat. “What?”

Evan’s eyes were hollow as he stared out the window, his voice distant. “She drowned in the lake. All those years ago… she drowned. But she’s still there, waiting. She’s always been there.”

Nadine swallowed hard, her hands gripping the steering wheel tighter. She didn’t know what to say—what could she say? The house, the lake, Evan’s sister… they were all bound together in a way she couldn’t understand.

But one thing was clear: they had escaped, for now. And Nadine knew one thing for sure—she would never, ever return to the house on the lake.