Legend has it a boy killed himself in this lake. His heart had been broken and he flung himself into the water to drown. Now he lies in wait for couples foolish enough to stop by the lake. He takes one of them, cursing them to live a watery death.
Alfred shuddered, having finished reading aloud the pamphlet he had been given for the field trip. He glanced at his boyfriend nervously. Arthur was used to these childish fears Alfred had. Ever since he had arrived in Japan as part of his study abroad program at his university and met Alfred Jones, he learned quickly that for all of Alfred's bravado, he was actually quite a teddy bear. Arthur grew to find this quality quite endearing, especially when he could comfort his beloved American.
"Do you think we'll see that lake?" Alfred asked.
Arthur frowned, pushing at Alfred to put down the brochure down. "No. We'll make sure we don't go near any lakes on this trip, all right?"
Alfred nodded, slightly reassured. There was a loud laugh from across the aisle. Both turned to see Gilbert, the German exchange student, laughing at Alfred. "You scared of a wittle water, Jones?"
"Stuff it, Gil," Alfred grumbled.
Alfred had never gotten along well with Gilbert. They were too competitive, and would sooner dissolve into a full on brawl rather than shaking hands and saying the other was a good sport. Their prides just would not allow it. Gilbert, having lost the most, always found ways to push Alfred's buttons as a means of revenge.
"Oh please," Gilbert continued. "All Japanese folklore is the same. Always full of suicide and heartbreak and unnecessary deaths of the entire family. Feh. Overdone."
Arthur sighed once more, this time in agitation. "It is part of the culture and is something valuable for us all to lean. You agreed to it when you moved to this country. So if it bothers you so much, why are you here?"
"The food," Gilbert replied, shrugging off Arthur. He never let the feud go on for long when Arthur became involved. It just wasn't as much fun. He slouched in his chair, arms crossed, muttering something about how stuck up Arthur was.
Alfred smiled at Arthur, grateful for the man to stand up with him. The two began to chatter, effectively chasing Alfred's fears away.
The bus arrived at the hotel, and the students filed off the bus, heading inside with their bags. The hotel was a ryokan, a traditional Japanese hotel. Everyone had rooms with tatami mats, were to sleep on futons, and were treated to the best type of Japanese hospitality. Many students looked forward to the onsen outside near the gardens. It was quite the opportunity to find a hot springs in their hotel.
Alfred and Arthur shared a room with two other exchange students, Costel from Romania and Matthew from Canada. Alfred had hit it off with Matt in their shared anime geeky ways, whereas Costel and Arthur bonded over their love of the occult.
The group stared at their room in awe with Alfred constantly opening and closed the shoji screen doors and inspecting every inch of the room. He delighted in the traditional style bathroom, commenting on how it was like right out of an anime. Costel and Arthur had to roll their eyes at his statement, but Matthew shared in his sentiment.
"Come on," Matthew said after some time. "Let's change and go down to the onsen. Dinner isn't until later so we've got some time."
Alfred's attention quickly changed tracks and he happily began to undress so he could change into his yukata. Arthur turned away with a red face; no they had not gone that far yet thank you very much. Costel and Matthew exchanged snickers, bending close to whisper to Arthur.
"You'll have to see him naked some time," Matthew chuckled. "Now seems like a perfectly good time."
"Yeah, if you get a boner, you can blame it on the hot water," Costel said before laughing.
Arthur pushed the two laughing boys away, hiding his blushing face with his yukata. Alfred and Arthur had been together for nearly six months, but it was a slow process. Arthur was a very traditional man, and Alfred, understanding chap that he was, never pushed Arthur into uncomfortable scenarios or coaxed him for more. For now, make outs and holding hands and the occasional cuddling were good enough. Arthur just wanted to make sure he was the right one for him.
Somehow Arthur thought that would all change if they saw each other naked, even if other men around them were naked as well.
Before entering the onsen, the teachers warned the students of the consequences if they were too loud or disturbed the other hotel inhabitants. They were to remain on their best behaviors (that meant not cannon balls and no splashing or rough housing). That was short lived as Gilbert made his presence known. He hadn't come in a yukata, just a towel that he used a thong.
At his side were Antonio from Spain and Francis from France. The trio were inseparable practically since the program had begun, earning a nasty reputation in the process, especially when they would come back to the dorms late at night piss drunk. Antonio was wearing the yukata properly, but Francis was already naked. He and Gilbert were promptly scolded for their rude behavior.
Arthur tuned them out as he moved to a random locker. He could feel Alfred beside him, picking a neighboring locker and undressing. Arthur was slower than him, and just glancing at Costel's bare body made him scared. What would Alfred think when he saw him? Would he be too small, too thin, too pale? Was he ugly?
He had no doubt in his mind that Alfred was beautiful naked. Turning around proved him right. Alfred's body was well defined by toned muscles tensing and stretching across his tan skin just right. The light pubic hair flared up Arthur's face and more. But it was strange, when he thought about it. He was so used to Alfred in clothes that to see his familiar face on such a beautiful body was almost comical. If only Arthur hadn't suddenly grown amazingly hard.
He clutched a small hand towel to his crotch and fled to the onsen, ignoring the sharp yell from a teacher. Once inside he strode to the far wall of the squat showers, sitting down on the plastic stool on the ground. He turned on the shower, rubbing shampoo into his hair until he scratched his scalp raw. He turned on the shower, lifting the flexible nozzle and rinsing his hair out. He turned it to a lukewarm temperature so as to get used to the hot water. Not even in yet and he could tell it would be hot just from the humid air around him.
That was when he felt a hand slide down his spin. It was a perverted or sexual move in the least, but felt more like someone was claiming him as theirs. It slid down with the water like goo, slimy and sticky all at once, and sending a shiver up Arthur's spine from the sheer freezing temperature of it. It faded when it went too low down Arthur's backside.
Arthur sat up, his body tight and rigid, dropping the shower head. It sprayed a few nearby classmates. Oh how Arthur wished it had been Alfred making a move on him, or even Francis playing another perverted joke of his, but there was no mistaking that, that hand had been something else. Something not entirely human.
"Artie?" Said man blinked up, seeing Alfred standing over him with a concerned expression. "What's wrong? You're so pale? Are you sick?"
Arthur snatched up the shower head, shoving it into his crotch and grimacing at the hot water on his penis suddenly. He was only thankful he was no longer hard. "Y-yes! Sorry," Arthur replied lamely. He returned to washing himself, ignoring Alfred's curious glances.
Soon they got into the actual hot spring. Arthur felt himself relax and his earlier woes melted away. Perhaps it was just some cold stream of water that sneaked passed the hot jets. The more Arthur thought back to the event, the more likely it was he had imagined the entire thing. While that slipped away, it brought him back to the more pressing issue at hand- Alfred's nudity.
Any of Arthur's precious self-deprecation was destroyed the moment Alfred leaned over and whispered, "You are beautiful", placing a hand on Arthur's knee and squeezing. "What I wouldn't give to kiss you right now."
Arthur slid down in the water, blushing all the more. Suddenly he felt hands on his ankles. He was yanked down until he was all the way under the water. An overwhelming panic settled in and he began to flail, popping back up with a scream. He clutched a hand to his chest, gasping for air as if he had been underwater far longer than a few seconds.
Gilbert surfaced from under the water. He pointed and laughed at the horrified Arthur. "Haha! I totally got you!"
Alfred splashed at Gilbert, cursing at him to go away. He helped the sputtering Arthur to calm down. "That was low… Are you okay, babe? It's all right. You're safe now."
For the remainder of their time in the bath, Arthur kept his eyes on the water. He didn't talk to anymore, didn't enjoy the relaxing feeling of the hot water or the steam, and he certainly didn't go wandering over to anyone else to strike up a conversation. An unshakeable feeling had nestled its way into Arthur's gut, making dinner almost inedible and sleep almost unreachable.
Alfred noticed, but nothing he said or did helped Arthur's nerves. He waited until the lights were out in their room and he could hear even breathing from the other two friends to try one last time.
"Hey," Alfred whispered. "You awake?"
"Yes," Arthur replied quietly.
Alfred said nothing more. He reached across the floor, taking Arthur's hand in his, and dragging him from his futon. Arthur didn't question him. They left the room without disturbing Costel or Matthew.
They carefully made their way down the hotel stairs, there were no elevators, and out into the gardens. The garden had beautiful sakura trees that emitted their own glow, petals fluttering down to the soft manicured grass below. Calla lilies and buttercup flowers peppered the stone pathway that wound its way around the entirety of the garden. The pathway curved around like a snake, getting lost in amongst the trees that bended and twisted almost in a mystical way. It was here that Alfred sat Arthur down on a bench, sitting beside him. They had remained in their yukata after the bath. Had it been any other time, Alfred would've commented how much it seemed like an anime.
For a time they basked in the solitude of nature, soaking in the Japanese scenery. It was quite a romantic experience; sitting under the timeless trees and enjoying the moonlight that seemed to shine just for them. They were so used to the city and the distant rush of the cars racing past, but here, not even a cricket or an owl was heard.
"Arthur?" Alfred asked after a time. He took Arthur's hands in his. "I…I will never let anything hurt you. Ever."
In the moonlight, Arthur's green eyes shinned as if illuminated by magic. He smiled in a way only Alfred got to see, and he never took those precious moments for granted. Overcome with emotion, Alfred leaned in, sealing his promise with a kiss. That clenched feeling loosened in Arthur's stomach. Still, a nagging fear lingered on his mind for awhile after that. But here, kissing Alfred right now, managed to shut his brain off for awhile.
Come morning, the class set out for their tour of the historical forest. Alfred was none too pleased as there were numerous tales of ghosts and other creatures of Japanese lore lurking within. He tired to remain cool on the outside, but anyone who knew him could see how scared he was. He talked louder and faster, ate more, and clutched at Arthur to the point Arthur's patience was wearing thin. But given how wonderful Alfred had been last night, Arthur supposed he could let this slide. After all, wasn't Arthur just as nervous?
Despite Alfred's work the night before, Arthur had reverted back to being a nervous wreck when he awoke. The memory of that cold and slimy hand going down his back haunted his dreams, making his sleep very restless. Odder still was the face that their room's tatami mats were covered in wet spots, all seeming to congregate around Arthur's futon. Matthew and Costel blamed it on Alfred, saying he hadn't dried off properly after the bath. Arthur knew otherwise. Someone had come in during the night, someone had watched him, touched him, and was pulling him towards a lake.
It was in the distance in the same forest they were sightseeing. Everyone was to keep together and follow the path so as not to get lost. They stopped for pictures here and there and their tour guide explained the history of the forest and what it meant to Japanese culture, but Arthur could've cared less. He kept hearing a ringing in his ear that only faded when he got closer to the lake. He heard a sad voice, calling to him.
When Alfred was distracted and finally let go of Arthur's hand, he wandered away. Normally Arthur wasn't great with directions, in fact, he was downright terrible. But now he traversed the forest as if he'd lived there all his life.
There it was; an expansive lake lying in the middle of this valley. The mountains around it looked blue, a reflection from the large body of water. But it all was meaningless to Arthur as he approached it. He stopped just short of the border, bending down to look at his reflection. He couldn't even see the bottom of it, though the water seemed crystal clear.
"Arthur!" Alfred called.
He snapped out of his reverie and turned to his boyfriend. He smiled, an almost sad smile. Alfred hesitated at seeing that. He had never seen Arthur have that kind of expression before.
Then, the water behind Arthur seemed to explode. Alfred jumped back, but then reached for Arthur. The water turned into hands that grabbed Arthur, pulling his limp body down into the water and slapping Alfred back. The loud noise scared the birds and they flew into the sky. When the water retreated all that was left in the vacuum of silence were the caws of the birds.
Then Alfred sprang into action. His knee-jerk reaction was to run away from a horror story coming true, but damn it all. Arthur had been taken down to the bottom of that lake. And he couldn't swim.
The cold water woke Arthur up, and he struggled to free himself. But thin arms tightly secured themselves around his waist. Arthur punched and kicked, but the small Japanese man holding him would not let go. He had short hair that flowed just above his ears and a serene smile reflected in his brown eyes. Arthur would've thought him beautiful had he not been dragged down to the bottom of the lake and was slowly drowning.
He heard a noise behind him, and craned his neck around. Alfred was swimming towards him. He reached a hand out. Arthur managed an arm free and reached back.
The Japanese man hissed at Alfred's initial approach, but when their fingertips brushed against each other, he turned vicious. His hair grew longer, the ends turning into hands that pushed Alfred back. A long snake-like tongue came from his mouth as fangs and claws grew from seemingly nowhere. Alfred shrieked in surprise, losing all of his air, and letting go of Arthur.
Arthur watched him swim back to the surface with pain in his eyes. He wasn't supposed to leave! No, come back! You promised! Alfred!
Students had heard the noise and gathered around the lake when Alfred resurfaced. He tossed his jacket back to shore.
"Alfred! Where are you going?" Matthew yelled.
"Arthur's down there! I have to save him!"
He dove back down.
The swim back down felt longer than the first time or maybe they had gone even further down than before. The light was thinner here, making it harder for Alfred to see. But there was no mistaking it. That Japanese boy in his white kimono was there, holding onto to Arthur. Around them were hundreds of other skeletons. Alfred would not let that happen.
The Japanese boy saw Alfred and began to hiss again. But he looked at Arthur and then released him. Arthur's body was heavy and sank. He didn't move. His head bobbed in the water. Alfred pushed the Japanese boy aside and grabbed Arthur's lithe body. He kicked off a random skeleton and hurled back to the surface.
Once they had broken free, he quickly pulled Arthur to the ground. Laying him flat and calling for help, Alfred opened Arthur's mouth and began to perform CPR on him. The other students watched in mute awe. How had Arthur gotten here? How had he fallen in?
Alfred kept talking to Arthur as he pushed on his chest. "Don't leave me, Artie! Don't do this! Please! Oh God, come back! Come on, baby! Don't!"
But Arthur's body remained lifeless. He didn't open his eyes, he didn't smile. Alfred collapsed atop him and cried, his body heaving as he sobbed into hysterics. Only Matthew came over, draping a jacket over Arthur's face and closing his eyes.
Hoshiko2's cents: So it was a real struggle for me to think of an ending. Sad or not. This is the original ending, however, if you'd like to see an alternate ending, please click here (hoshiko2(.)tumblr(.)com/post/17330107530/alternative-happy-ending
Japanese stories of people drowning themselves in lakes and the lake becoming haunted or cursed are numerous around the country and many are pure legends. I had always wanted to find a cursed lake in Japan, but never did. Sadness. Originally I wanted to do "Suicide Forest" at the base of Mt. Fuji, but I didn't get nearly as much motivation. You should look that up! It's creepy…