Prohibitum Lacus

By: Elisa Macera

Prologue A glass dome trapped Ella inside. She screamed and yelled

for help, but no one could hear her. She ran around, trying to break the glass, but it seemed to be like metal. Ella was all alone, completely abandoned by the thing that put her in here. He was nowhere in sight.

Suddenly, a section of the glass slid open. Ella ran to leave, but a force-field held her back.

Then, a large, hairy figure walked out from the doorway. Her snarled and ran towards Ella, ready to pounce. His teeth dug into Ella’s pale skin.

Ella woke with a shriek.

Chapter 1The moon glistened over the lake. A crow soared over the

trees and screeched a warning. A warning that tonight, everything will change.

Ella ran to the edge of the lake. She peered inside, but all that she saw was her reflection. She could see the terror on her face. This frightened her, so she pulled away. Suddenly, a big hairy figure rose out of the lake. The figure growled. He spoke in a chilling voice.

“Run Ella, run. For you are the next victims.” And with that he pounced at her. His teeth sunk into her

skin.Ella woke up with a scream.

~~~~~ Ella walked down the stairs, and into the kitchen. She sat

down at the kitchen table and rested her head in her hands.“There you are. How was your night?” Papa asked cheerfully. “Not good,” Ella responded, clearly, not in the mood to talk.“Why not?” Papa persisted.

“Well, I’ve been having all these nightmares. You see, they all seem to be connected to one another.”

“How so?” Papa sat down next to her and served her some bacon and eggs.

“They’re always different, but they’re all the same,” Ella explained. Seeing the confused look on Papa’s face, she continued, “I’m always trapped somewhere. I’m unable to get out, no matter how hard I try. Then, when I’m about to give up, a large hairy creature appears out of nowhere and attacks me. And as soon as it sinks his teeth into my neck, I wake up! Isn’t that weird?”

Papa just nodded and excused himself. He walked up to his room in a daze and shut his door.

~~~~~Ella ran into her cottage. Her Papa was seated by the dying fire

that seemed to be gasping for air.“Ella dear, would please tend the fire?” Papa asked.“Yes, Papa,” Ella responded as she rushed to the fire. After a

moment of hesitation, Ella got the courage to ask something that had been bothering her all week.

“Papa? Clara is going to the beach. May I go with her?” Ella asked cautiously.

“Clara? The daughter of Acuzio? Go to a beach? ABSOLUTLY NOT! Acuzio is in debt to me, and you are not to go near his daughter until he repays me!” Papa exclaimed.

“Papa please!” Ella pleaded. “Clara is very nice!” Now she stood up, prepared to put up a fight.

“I do not want you near that girl! SHE IS NOTHING BUT TROUBLE!”

Ella was furious. “Ever since mother was killed, you’ve been treating me like I’m irresponsible!” As soon as Ella brought up her mother, she regretted it. It reminded her of the day. The day her mother was killed.

~~~~~Ella was four years old when her mother passed away. Mama

was tucking her into bed, singing her favorite lullaby. Mama’s beautiful voice filled the small bedroom.

Day is done, gone the sun From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky

All is well, safely rest; God is nigh.

Mama just finished the last line, when a man in a mask swung open the door and threw something at Mama. Ella watched in horror as she saw her mother sink to the ground. The man turned to Ella, setting his arm in position to through, when Papa ran into the room and picked Ella up, cradling her in his arms. The rest of the night was a blur. The police came, and then Papa was taken for questioning. Ella was left to stay with Mrs. Shan, an elderly woman who lived next door.

~~~~~This must have been too much to handle for Papa. Nobody

ever talked about his wife. Papa hurried out of the room. He ran upstairs and slammed his bedroom door shut so hard that the house shook from the impact.

~~~~~ Ella picked up her pale yellow dress and ran outside to

Clara’s house. Ella knocked three times on Clara’s bedroom window. This was their signal to open up their window.

Clara’s baby blue dress swayed as she glided over to greet Ella.

“And? May you come to the beach?” she asked fervently.“Papa refuses to let me,” Ella pouted. “But… we shall go.

With or without permission! Tonight, we shall meet when the full moon rises. Wear your black dress so that we blend into the darkness,” Ella whispered to Clara.

Clara gulped. “Y-you mean Prohibitum Lacus?” she stammered. “The

forbidden lake?”

Chapter 2Acuzio strolled down the hallway, towards the master

bedroom. Pass the bathroom and parlor he went. As Acuzio neared Clara’s room, he heard babble and laughter. Trying hard to hear, he pressed his ears against the door.

“And? May you come to the beach?” Clara asked fervently.“Papa refuses to let me,” Ella pouted. “But… we shall go.

With or without permission! Tonight, we shall meet when the full moon rises. Wear your black dress so that we blend into the darkness,” Ella told Clara.

“Y-you mean Prohibitum Lacus?” She stammered. “The forbidden lake?”

~~~~~ Ella jumped into bed. She tossed and turned, finally falling

asleep. But her sleep was filled with nightmares.Ella ran helplessly through the desert. Whatever direction

she ran, she ran into nothingness. Her thirst was unbearable. Ella frantically searched for water.

Finally, she stumbled upon a stream. The water trickled gently from the rocks.

Suddenly, the big hairy figure ascended from the stream. He spoke in such a chilling voice. Ella shivered.

“Run Ella, run. For you are the next victims.” Ella woke with a shriek. She looked out her window, just in

time to see the moon rise.

~~~~~ The moonlight shone into Ella’s uninhabited bedroom. The

window, which was completely ajar, allowed chilling wind to pour into the bedroom.

Suddenly, there was a loud banging at the door.Papa abruptly sat up. “Why, in the name of Francis, would

anybody bother them at this time?” he thought.As angry as ever, Papa stormed downstairs and yanked open

the door.All that there was, was a note.

Chapter 3Through the thick layer of trees, Ella spotted Prohibitum

Lacus. She ran as fast as she could, dogging tree limbs and branches, careful not to make any noise.

There, in the sand, stood Clara. She looked around, as if she was being watched. Ella ran to her. But something was wrong.

“Clara?” Ella whispered. “Are you alright?”“Father,” Clara said. “I ran out of the house- like you said

too- and I saw him, approaching your house. I would have stopped him, but I didn’t want to be seen.”

“But why would he be at my house?” Ella asked.“Because,” Clara explained. “Look at what I found when you

left. It’s my Father’s.”Clara held up a handkerchief.“It was right outside of my door. It must have fallen from his

jacket when he was passing by. He must have heard me talking, and wanted to know to whom. He overheard the conversation, and is going to tell your family!”

Ella tried to take this all in. If Acuzio told Papa, then they will look for Ella and Clara. And if they looked for Ella, then they will find them at Prohibitum Lacus. Prohibitum Lacus is highly forbidden. Papa would be so angry; smoke would come out of his ears!

Clara tried to comfort Ella.

“Ella? Are you alright? Don’t worry Ella. Your father will never trust my father,” Clara told Ella.

Trying desperately to soothe Ella, Clara hugged her. Ella gasped.

“What?” Clara asked cautiously. Ella looked petrified, as she looked over Clara’s shoulder.

Slowly, Clara turned around.There, standing with a sword in his hand, was Acuzio.

Chapter 4“Ah, daughter, I was hoping that you would be here,” Acuzio

chuckled. “Clara, why don’t you run along home? It’s not you that I want.”

Clara looked at her father hatefully. “You,” Clara whispered. “You’re my father! First you betray

mother, and now your own daughter? How could you do this to me? HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ELLA? YOU’RE MAD AT HER FATHER! NOT HER!”

Acuzio laughed, “You’re mad at me? You should be mad at yourself! You let Ella drag you hear, to Prohibitum Lacus, the most forbidden place!”

Clara looked at her father like he was a child, “Oh really? Where are you standing right now?”

Acuzio ignored his daughter’s back-talk, “Listen, sweetie. I don’t want any more drama. It will just ruin our great father-daughter relationship. So run along home, and let me kill your friend!!!!!”

Clara sighed. “Does he hear himself? He is out of his mind!” she thought to herself.

“If we have such a good relationship, then you should know that I’m not going anywhere,” Clara said to her father.

Clara ran up to her father and yanked the sword out of his hand. Expertly, she lunged at him and sliced his shirt.

“Father? We have such a great bond. Remember when you taught me how to sword fight?” Clara asked in her best little girl voice. “Big mistake.”

Once again, she lunged at him and sliced her father’s leg. Acuzio cried out in pain. He shot a hating look at his daughter.

“So I see you are not backing down without a fight. I guess that I will have to kill both of you. Any last words Clara?” Acuzio sneered.

“Yes,” Clara said, “Tell me how it is in Prohibitum Lacus!”And with that, she shoved her father into Prohibitum Lacus.

Chapter 5All he could see was water. He could feel his wet clothing

cling to his body. His arms flared violently as he struggled to reach the surface. The only way to get back to the surface was to shed his human layer.

Slowly, Acuzio lifted his arm to his mouth and bit down. Hard. A streak of pain ran through his body. Acuzio yelled out in pain, but nothing came out except bubbles.

Instantly, fur sprouted all over Acuzio’s body. His arm muscle doubled. Acuzio could now swim up.

~~~~~Papa looked around, searching for whoever dropped this

note at 3:00 in the morning. No one was in site. Slowly, Papa reached down and seized the note.

Papa unfolded the note. Papa had a pretty good idea who had written it. All that it said was:

I know where Ella is.She is at Prohibitum Lacus.

She is in great danger, unless you freeMe from my debt.

If you love your daughter,

You will come to Prohibitum Lacus But I warn you that you

Will be in danger if you come.Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Papa ran to grab his coat and darted out of the door.

~~~~~Clara ran over to Ella and hugged her. Ella was still in shock

of what she had just witnessed.“Why?” Ella asked to no one in particular. “Why is your

father mad at me? Why did he come after me? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, of course not! My father was just mad at your father, and because your father loves you, he thought that if he hurt you, then your father will get hurt emotionally,” Clara explained.

The two girls calmed down. Little did they know that Acuzio was not done with them yet.

Chapter 6The surface was just out of reach. With one last stroke, Acuzio’s broke the surface. He gasped for breath. He spotted Clara and Ella sitting on the beach, watching the waves crash onto the rocks, while seagulls sang songs about the night sky. They whispered back and forth and giggled occasionally.

“They look so sweet, so peaceful,” Acuzio thought to himself. “I hate it.”

He jumped out of the water and quietly ran over the dunes, to the beach that was located about three-fourths of a mile away from Prohibitum Lacus.

As he neared the girls, he started to pick up on their conversation.

“‘Big Mistake,” Ella said, mimicking Clara when she was fighting with her father. Both girls fell down in laugher.

Acuzio snarled in anger.“Did you see his face when I pushed him into the water?”

Clara asked. Again, they broke out in laughter. Acuzio slowly stepped out from his hiding spot behind the

dunes. He growled. “Girls, girls, girls,” he said in a voice that sent shivers down Ella’s back. She heard this voice before… but where? She didn’t have time to think. He was speaking again.

“Did you really think you could defeat me?” he said.

Clara stood up. “Father? Wow. I couldn’t recognize you. Did you do something with your hair? It really brings out your eyes,” she smirked.

“Oh, Clara. You always were the clown of the family,” Acuzio said, clearly not amused. “Now, I’ll ask you one last time to run on home, and go to bed.”

Clara didn’t budge. “I’ll count to five, and you must be gone. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.” Clara didn’t move.“Please darling. JUST GO HOME!” Just then, Papa appeared from behind the dunes. He rushed

to Ella’s side.“Who are you?” Papa growled. “WHO ARE YOU?” he asked

more forcefully. “It’s me, Acuzio,” Acuzio bows. “I should have known,” Papa said angrily. “Come on Ella, go

home.”“Sorry. But I have other plans for Ella. Just let me tear her

into shreds, and we can all go on with our normal business!”Papa just stared at Acuzio like he was a beast. Who could

blame him? After all, he was literally a beast.“No! What kind of person (or more like beast) are you?” Papa

asked, but you can tell he wasn’t looking for an answer.“Fine, you give me no choice,” Acuzio bared his teeth.“Oh, I’m SO scared!” Papa said sarcastically. Suddenly, Papa

howled. A huge transformation took over his body.

After a minute of howls and groans, Papa showed himself. He was a werewolf.

Chapter 7Papa lunged at Acuzio and sunk his razor sharp teeth into

Acuzio’s furry skin. Acuzio screamed in pain. He swung his arm over his head, and dug his claws into Papa’s arm.

Ella screamed. She couldn’t bear watching Papa in so much pain. Then she realized something else. Ella decided she was not about to lose another parent. Not after what happened to Mama.

Ella ran in between Papa and Acuzio. “STOP!” Ella cried. “STOP! Just- just get it over with. It should

be me, not Papa. But before I die, tell me one thing,” for some reason, she thought Acuzio would have an answer. “Tell me who killed my mother.”

Acuzio sneered, “Well, you aren’t the sharpest tool in the shed now are you? For the major’s daughter, I would have assumed that you have already figured this out!”

Ella just stared blankly at Acuzio. Normally, she would have been insulted, but she was too petrified to even blink.

Acuzio sighed, “It was me. I killed your mother.”

Author’s NoteBefore you are yelling at me for leaving you hanging on a

cliff, please realize that this is a series, and I am writing the next book right now! But, I am not going to tell you about that at all! I want it to be a surprise!

I want to thank my MG teachers for helping me when I got writer’s block. I had a lot of fun writing this book and I really hope that you enjoyed it.