Eerie Erie

Outside a storm was raging. The wind howled and whined loudly. The rain beat against the windows. A bolt of lightening flashed and then it happened. The boat became unhitched from the dock. I ran out of my small cabin, into the pouring rain, down one hundred muddy, slippery stairs without any sight of where I may fall and onto the crickety pier. Lake Erie was experiencing treacherous winds and spine shattering rain. 1

As I ran down the creaking path of the rotting dock, there I saw it. Mournful Helen. She stared at me with her dull, grey eyes, and her tattered, rain soaked white wedding gown, which had looked like it had been aged, along with her dreary, matted hair. Her veil was ripped, wrapped around her throat as if it were used to strangle her, and her fragile body moved slowly as she advanced towards me.2

"You've finally returned for me." she stated as if I were her long lost love. "What took you so long? I've decayed here, body and mind, starving myself from you, and now look at me. LOOK AT ME!"3

I stood there in silence, not knowing how to react or what to say. Am I seeing things? This couldn't possibly be a real woman. Especially by the diseased look on her face. "I'm sorry. Who are you?" I asked, uncertain of her identity.4

"Helen, dear. Helen, your lover. You don't remember your own lover?"5

"I don't know any Helen. I'm sorry." I replied as I turned to walk away from her.6

"You don't remember your own lover?! How can this be?! Have you forgotten October 31st? The night we were together on the S.S Sharksworth. Three years ago. How can you not remember!?" she was getting angry now.7

"I don't recall any of that, I am sorry. You must have me mistaken for someone else." I turned around and started walking to the other end of the dock where my boat had drifted off to.8

"YOU ARE LYING! HOW DARE YOU BETRAY ME! YOU'LL PAY!" she yelled as she sprinted at me, her cold, shaking hands grasping tightly around my throat, piercing my skin with her nails.9

I screamed, her nails were like razorblades, cutting deeper and deeper at every breath I took. I managed to face her as she was strangling me, and I looked at her with pleading eyes. She showed no mercy. Her grip tightened as more blood dripped through her hands and down my neck.  The wind picked up, and I shivered, losing consciousness and sight, I raised my fist and knocked her to the ground, the rain burning me as it poured down violently on us, attacking my wounds. One quick swoop and the battle was done. Breathing heavily, I looked down at her, placing my left hand on my throat, I felt the blood cling to the ripples of my fingertips. She had fallen, but all that lay on the ground was her white torn wedding gown. I stared in shock, realizing I had hit a woman, which in my culture was a sign of total disrespect and hatred towards the beautiful creations. I looked at my clenched fist and frowned in shame, then looked once more at the gown laying there. Was she a ghost? I was so confused. Then I heard it. The horn on my boat had gone off, roaring loudly in the October wind. I feared for my life, and ran back to my cabin, slipping up each step as I ran for dear life.10

My heart pounded as I opened the door and closed myself inside the cabin. I ran to the sink in my bathroom and looked up in the mirror only to find that the marks the woman had made on me were now gone. With fear still in my eyes I ran and got a drink of water. I locked all of the doors and windows and sat down, looking at the floor for what it seemed like an eternity. When morning came around, and the storm ended, I had awaken in the same chair I had fallen asleep in, only to find the woman's white gown hanging on the doorknob of the front door. I will never know if she was a ghost or real, but I do know I will never visit that cabin on Lake Erie, ever again.11