Cave Lullaby short story (590 words)

Dark and scary was the cave, but a strange lullaby lured in anyone who could hear it. Alex had been close to the cave for the past few hours reading a book that came with high recommendations, but only started hearing the lullaby when the story came to an end. It started low and slow, interfering in the overall music of the forest, and was now growing into its full stream.

Stella had taken a short walk through the forest, as opposed to the longer one through the town, and was stopped shortly before reaching her destination, the sea, by the same lullaby. Before she removed the earplugs she wore, she saw the young Alex walking towards the cave with a blank face. What’s up with that dude?, she thought but was soon wrapped in the same melody that seemed to have him walking in a trance like state.

Alex reached the entrance of the cave, which seemed to want to eat him whole. Stella wanted to stop herself from following him into the darkness that seemed all-consuming, but couldn’t stop her feet from walking towards the opening. She knew the lullaby had complete control over her body, but was it only her feet or could she somehow find a loophole?

Come to me, my children.

Stella wanted to push against the voice, against the power she had felt since hearing the first notes of the melody.

Give up, my dear child Stella, you’ve been promised to me a long time ago, and I always get what is rightfully mine.

“No,” she shouted, surprised by the simple fact that she had enough control to do it.

Join us, Stella, Momma takes good care of all of us, of all her kids. Join us.

As her feet walked her closer and closer to the entrance, Stella moved her arms towards her face, pushing the earplugs inside the ear. Alex turned around, his empty eyes fixated on Stellas ears, hands reaching out to get the distraction out of her ears at once. As pop music filled her ears, Stella was set free from the influence of the strange voice.

Get her, children! Without her as number twenty-one we cannot finish the ritual, and I can never rule this earth.

Alex started running towards the young girl, who tried to compel her body to move in the opposite direction. It struck Stella that she had a music box in her backpack, and she quickly pulled it out, while opening the tab on her phone to connect the two electronics. But before she could achieve the connexion, she tripped on a root and fell, head first, in a pool of mud. The box seeming lost in the dirt around her, she rose out of the mud, screaming her favourite song with every part of her body.

“Stop it! You sing like a pig about to be killed,” Alex shouted, trying to protect himself from the terrible song.It’s working, Stella thought, while getting back to her feet, ready to run further into the cave to free everyone else from the curse of the lullaby. Armed with her strong will and terrible singing skills, Stella entered the cave, not afraid of the dark anymore.

The deeper Stella got into the cave, the less her voice echoed, causing her to worry about the reach of her voice. But what was more worrying was the cracks she could hear when she sang.

That’s my girl, come to me. Your weak voice won’t be enough to defeat my lullaby.

Disclamer: this story has not been edited properly.

Copyright © Author Anne Sophie and Estelle van de Velde, All rights reserved