What the River Demands

I swallowed the pain and cast my line again.

Almost the second the hook hit the water, something bit.

Another fish.

No, something was wrong. It did not feel normal at all. It was like… something down there was waiting for me.

"Dad… it's another dead fish," I said, my voice shaking.

A dark, twisted smile spread across my dad's wrinkled face. "There's hope… there's hope…" he muttered under his breath.

"Elaine, good job. Keep going," he said, leaning in close.

He looked desperate.

The more desperate he seemed, the more uneasy I felt.

I pretended to fix the bait and secretly opened my stream. The chat was flooded with concern.

[Are you okay? Your dad seems violent.]

[This is so sad…]

[I'm fine. Thanks for worrying,] I typed quickly to reassure them.

The truth was, I was used to my dad hitting me. A slap like that barely counted. What really bothered me… was what Alaric had said.

[What do you mean?] I typed quietly, turning slightly away so my dad would not see.

Alaric Vane replied almost instantly. [Your dad made a deal with a restless spirit. A life in exchange for yours.]

I stared at the screen, stunned.

My dad might not like me, but… he wouldn't actually want me dead, right? He had just asked if I had enough money for college.

However, his message sent the whole chat into chaos.

[A paranormal stream? I'm in.]

[Why are we doing this at noon? I'm scared.]

[No matter what, your dad is scarier than any ghost.]

When I saw the words "exchange your life," my mind went blank. My fingers slipped, and I accidentally hit the power button on my phone.

The screen went black. In the reflection, I saw my dad's face. Right behind me.

"Elaine, what are you looking at?"

"Ah! Dad, what are you doing!" I screamed and stumbled backward.

"I… I need to use the bathroom."

I no longer cared about anything else. I only had one life. I needed to get away, even if just for a moment.

Besides, today my dad was acting way too strange. He actually wanted to eat the dead fish we caught.

"Such a hassle. Go, then come back fast. Don't keep me waiting," he said, pointing toward a crude little shack not far away.

I ran.

As soon as I got inside, I hurried to message Alaric.

[Alaric, can you explain clearly? If he's trading my life… then whose life is he trying to save?]

[Someone who died here on this exact day a year ago. Once you hook three dead fish properly, the contract with the restless spirit is sealed.]

[You're lying. No one died here a year ago. And what kind of spirit comes for someone's life in the middle of the day? I'm not buying it.]

At that point, I was even more convinced he was just making things up to get attention.

"Are you done? Come out now!" my dad shouted from outside.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

He started kicking the door hard. If I did not go out soon, he might actually break it down.

Alaric sent a bunch more messages, but I ignored them. I figured he was just trying to explain himself.

"Elaine, keep fishing. Just one more, then we'll go home," my dad said, pushing me toward the river, his excitement almost feverish.

"Dad… did someone die in this river last year?" I asked.

Alaric's words still lingered in my mind.

"Someone dies every year. Didn't your mom almost drown here on this exact day last year?" he snapped impatiently.

"Why are you asking so many questions? Just fish!"

It sounded like he realized he had said too much, because he quickly tried to change the subject.

However, in that moment, a cold wave of fear crept up my spine.

On that exact day last year…

Someone really had died in that river.