Author's Note: This is my contest entry for The Village Square forum's monthly writing contest. This month's theme was Alternate Universe. I just bought Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar for the DS, and I must say, I am not impressed with it. But, I decided to use it for this month's theme because of the new characters that I do like- Freya and Kagetsu/Emiko. I call her Kagetsu in this because I think it sounds a little more intimidating than Emiko.

This also happens to be my first Horror/Suspense fanfic and my longest fanfic ever! It is also dedicated to AnimePirate! (whew, lot of info, sorry!)

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Fear the ocean, fear the sea

for beneath the waves, sirens search for thee

With lyrics they call you,

with voices they draw you

And with their sound

they drag you down

:.:.:.:.:

There were always rumors in the city. Gossip spread like wildfire, infecting all who it came in contact with. It was like a disease, never ending until it has claimed a victim. I was never interested by silly rumors. They were merely a waste of time, invented for those who thrived on the misfortune of others.

But this rumor interested me. When I was little, my father told me bedtime stories of women who lurked underneath the water. They sang for the land dwellers, hoping that someone would follow them down into the depths of the ocean. But if they did, their only reward was death.

This rumor sounded completely blasphemous. Anyone who would even begin to believe such a theory must be insane. But behind every lie was a bit of truth.

My father was planning to send me away to some rundown farm in a near desolate community that lay across the sea. Said he wanted me to make something of my life. We now stood by the pier, awaiting the boat that would take me to my new home. We waited. And waited. And waited. But it never showed. The word came to us later- the boat had sank halfway here. No one knew the cause.

The rumors spoke louder than anything at that point- the captain had supposedly jumped overboard. Not a single person truly knew the cause, but the rumors ran rampant. Maybe he fell. Maybe he was crazy. Maybe something made him jump.

Whatever the cause, another boat was dispatched the next morning and all the passengers were assured by the captain himself that nothing bad would happen on this journey. No one believed him.

Despite their worries, the voyage was seamless, though everyone was on edge. The moment the ship docked at the port, people were already scrambling to get off. It was a short walk to the entrance of the town.

The gate was old and stained with rust. On the gateway, a plaque read "Zephyr Town", the inscription faded with time. A robust man waited at the entryway, platinum curls shoved underneath the tiny hat that rested on his head. What did he hide underneath there?

He jogged to greet me, his smile too bright for such a dark and dreary place. He blathered on for a good five minutes, showing me through the village. His conversations were of no interest to me, so I merely listened and nodded when appropriate.

When we finally arrived at my farm, it was nearly nighttime. The heat of a summer day was fading, and a brisk breeze brushed past my face. The man who greeted me, whose name I managed to remember was Felix, paused mid-explanation and glanced around at the darkening field fervently. He stumbled over the rest of his words, handed me my farming tools and sprinted away. It would have struck me as strange had the man not given me an odd impression in general.

Fireflies began to sparkle amongst the weeds of the field. They fluttered around me, dashing around my arms and legs. "beware, beware" a voice spoke, soft and eerie. I spun around, searching for the source of the voice. The fireflies illuminated even brighter, their tails glowing like lanterns. "beware, beware!" It spoke again, but this time, there were several voices. They echoed across the wasteland of my farm, haunting voices whispering in my ear. The fireflies buzzed around frantically, as if they had all gone mad. In an instant, their lights were simultaneously distinguished, leaving me with one final warning- "beware, beware the siren song." I was submerged in total darkness, leaving only the faint lullaby of rushing water to comfort me.

.:.:.:.:.

I did not remember what happened the rest of that night. I did not remember unpacking my bags so that everything was organized perfectly in the drawers, or when I had gotten into bed or when I had fallen asleep. Nor did I remember much of the next day.

I had met a woman named Freya, a part-time inhabitant of the village who had come to my farm to introduce herself. I remembered little of what we talked about, but I remembered getting somewhat acquainted with her. Other than that, my memory was vague and clouded.

On the morning of the third day, I awoke groggily, unable to stop myself from yawning several times throughout my routine of freshening up. It was difficult for me to do my hair, for the only mirror in this house was eternally dusty and cracks made my image distorted. I threw on a bandanna over my hair, in fear of looking disgraceful to my neighbors.

Freya visited my farm again today. I saw her approach the property hesitantly, taking small steps at first before taking a deep breath and cautiously walking towards me. I arched my eyebrow, but said nothing. "Have you heard of this farm?" She asked suddenly.

"I'm not sure what you mean." I responded honestly. She was acting strange, but then again, maybe everybody in this hick town was simply a bit queer. Her eyes narrowed in frustration. "Did you ever hear about what happened to the previous farmer? You know the one that died." She emphasized died as if I should be getting some larger value from it than I was.

I shook my head, confused as to what she was getting at. Her eyes widened a bit. "You really don't know?" I shook my head once more, furrowing my eyebrows. Something in her tone made me fearful. She frowned, not at me, but seemingly at something beyond me. "Well, I suppose it's best that you know," she gripped my wrist and led me away, continuing on a whisper while glancing behind me once more, "but not here. I don't want her to hear." I looked behind me, but there was nothing but a lone firefly on the ledge of the fence.

She dragged me as far back as her own house, securely locking the doors once we were safely inside. She sat herself at the edge of her bed and motioned for me to sit at a chair next to a study desk. I studied her for several moments, her face tinted red with frustration. Evidently, whatever she was about to tell me was not going to be easy.

She sighed eventually and stared at me straight in the eye. "I tried thinking of some way to not be so blunt, but I couldn't think of anything. So, I'm going to give you the honest truth. That farm you own- it's haunted."

I laughed. It was unexpected to me and to her. Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment, then set back into their stony gaze. "What's so funny?"

"You're telling me that my farm is supposedly haunted? What, is this some sorta joke? Does everybody in town gang up to play a trick on the new kid? Too bad, Freya, I'm too smart for your little game." I rolled my eyes and smirked. Who was she trying to fool? But something within her stare told me that she was not kidding. I was too foolish and proud to care.

"This is no game, Jack." She leaned in closer to me. "The farmer before you died there. No one knows why or how, they just know that one day they found her in her house. She was sitting in a corner in a little chair, staring into the mirror. When they turned her around, she" Freya paused her, turning her face from me to hide her fright, "was empty. Hollow. There was nothing left but a soulless corpse."

My brow crinkled, trying to comprehend the situation. "So what you're saying is that the last girl that lived in my house lost her soul?" Freya nodded grimly. "…and you expect me to believe that?" Again, she nodded. "Why should I?"

"You've seen the fireflies." I froze. "How do you know that?" Her face hardened. "Because I saw them too. I'm in the same boat as you are. We're both losing our minds, Jack." She gazed downwards at the floor, shuffling her feet.

"What do you mean, losing our minds? What's gonna happen to us?" My voice cracked at this last part. The fear began to gnaw at me. "Are you finally going to listen to what I have to say?" I nodded reluctantly. "Alright, then I'll tell you everything I know."

"Her name was Claire. We had grown up in the city together and together we moved here in search of our dreams. We stayed here for about a month after college before she came bursting through my door one night in a panicked frenzy. She was rambling on about 'fireflies' and 'ghosts' and 'voices', I could barely understand any of it. I thought she had lost her mind. Maybe I was right."

"Over time, her visits to me- or the town at all, to be exact- grew farther and farther apart before she stopped coming at all. One day, I went to visit her. But when I got there, she just stood there and stared at me. And stared. And stared. When she finally spoke, she told me 'You are not welcome here. She would not want you here.' A bunch of fireflies flew around her and she chased me out of the farm with her sickle held high. She had gone mad, completely and utterly mad."

"I thought that would be the end of it. I was never going back to that house, that was for sure. But I knew something was wrong, and I knew she was my friend, so I went back to help her. When I went back to help her, all these fireflies started chasing me and I heard these strange voices but I ignored them. That's when I found her in her house next to the mirror."

A single tear dripped from her eyes and she hastily wiped it away. "I still hear those voices in my head," her gaze turned to me, "and now it's infected you, too." She sobbed into her hands and, out of sympathy and fear of my own, I embraced her. We sat there for a long time, for we knew that we wouldn't have much time left for things like this.

Freya begged me to stay at her home for the night, for it had grown dark outside and she feared for my safety, but I assured her that there was nothing to be scared of. Secretly, I was telling myself that too.

I rushed to my farmland, bursting through my door and double checking to make sure I had locked every possible lock. I chose to ignore the fireflies pressing against the windowpanes.

I crossed the room, the floorboards creaking beneath my feet, each step echoing those same cryptic words- beware, beware. I was reaching into my dresser when something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. Something sparkled faintly in the mirror. A nagging voice inside my head told me not to go anywhere near that mirror, but curiosity got the best of me.

The mirror was no longer clouded and cracked, but nearly transparent. My reflection beckoned me to move closer, my pressed lips appearing as an impish grin across it's flesh. I took a step closer and the image quivered momentarily, calling me forward once more. I hesitated and it mouthed something to me. Come closer, my dear. I ventured to step forward once more.

The reflection was no longer myself. It was something quite similar to me, but in a way, nothing of this world. It's eyes were a deep, endless pool of violet that seemed to gaze far beyond this realm. The locks on its skull were jet black, like ravens' feather, and fell to the floor. Was it a man? Or a woman?

Its hand reached for me, pressing against the glass. Its mouth moved in rapid succession. The words were difficult to make out, but the point got across. Come closer. Come closer. Come closer, my dear. I don't bite. Soon I could hear it's voice, the melancholy echoes of a phantom. The chant repeated on and on and on. Soon, the words became lyrics, repeating unearthly melodies.

Something in the way it moved, the way it spoke, the way our eyes were locked somehow entranced me. Without even knowing fully why, I followed its command without resistance. My feet moved of their own accord, approaching the mirror until my nose was nearly pressed against the glass.

The devil's grin grew wider, its wicked fangs gleaming. Its nails seemed to grow like claws, piercing first the glass, then my throat. Its bony fingers wrapped around my throat, hoisting me up into the air. Maniacal laughter rung throughout the air.

And the next instant, the illusion was shattered, the spell broken, the glass split in two and sent sliding across the floor. There was no demon in the mirror, no fingers grasping my throat. There was no trace except for the shards that were scattered across my bedroom. But I knew it was real.

I sat in shocked silence, staring at the glass before me. I knew the fireflies were still perched on my windowsill, observing my every movement. I heard the tap tap of water against my windowpane. Was it supposed to rain tonight?

Then there was a knock at the door. I dared not answer it. The knocks turned into raps, which turned to blows against the wooden frame. I rose to my feet unsteadily and stumbled to the door. No one was there.

But there was someone (or something) guarding the gateway to my farm. Though it was near midnight, I could clearly see the figure's eyes. I knew those eyes. They traced my movements, never leaving my body. It turned to leave, and I knew what it wanted me to do without even telling me. Follow me, it called, if you want this nightmare to end tonight.

As I went to follow, the fireflies buzzed around me, as if trying to drag me back. Their voices were louder, more audible than ever.

Little boy, little boy, guard your ears. Do not let her unleash your fears. One warned.

Do not fall under her spell, or your life is doomed to Hell. Another spoke.

She will charm you, she will call, under her spell, you will fall. And then they dispersed, hiding among the bushes. But I had no choice. I had already lost my sanity- why not end this chaos while I can?

The shadow led me to the waterfall, the roaring waters soaring around me. The silhouette had disappeared once we had reached our destination, though I knew not where to go. I didn't have to knew. Before I knew it, the waterfall split in two and I was shown the way in.

Inside was a grander place than I had ever imagined, something straight out of another universe. The secret world behind the waterfall was something heard of only in legends and fairytales. The walls were draped in curtains of the deepest shades of violet and navy. There were carpets of lilac and paintings depicting the vastest of oceans. Water flowed freely throughout, gliding freely through the chamber. A majestic voice drifted throughout the air, singing a sweetly seductive song unheard of to any mortal. In the center, a massive shrine stood like a tower.

At the center was a woman of such excruciating beauty I thought she must not be mortal. She had flowing locks of ebony and eyes of endless amethyst. Her robes of lavender graced her petit figure with such elegance, a design embroidered on them that only the gods knew how to sew. Everything about her fluttered about her body as if it defied gravity.

"Hello, dear," she spoke, though her lips did not move. Her voice matched the one in the mirror. "Welcome to 'el paradiso diablo'. A world where nightmares and dreams are as one." Her face was stagnant, unmoving. Her lips remained pressed against one another, her eyes never drifting off of mine, limbs never bending.

"Are you the Harvest Goddess?" I asked her. Surely she was no ordinary woman, for she was like nothing this world had ever seen. The edge of her lips curled upwards in a smile that seemed to almost resemble a scowl. "…Yes, child, I am the goddess of which you speak. Now, come to me. Come to the Goddess you love so dearly."

I stepped up to the center platform of the shrine and looked at her in the eye. Her hand extended and slid across my arm, caressing the skin tenderly. "Poor thing," she cooed, "you've been in for quite a scare, haven't you?" I nodded, smiling faintly. Something about the way she spoke both soothed and scared me.

Slowly, she pulled me into an embrace, her arms wrapping around my back. "Hush now, for all your nightmares will now be over." Her voice had changed as the sentence progressed. It started soft and gentle and ended almost malicious.

The haunting laughter returned, but this time, more voices joined in with it. The jeering of dead souls taunted me. He's as good as dead now, they whispered. Oh yes, oh yes, he is dead indeed. More meat for us to eat.

I pulled away from her, stumbling backwards. The figure before me was no goddess. Her robes were now ripped and torn, her body shriveled and weak, with bones protruding from every side. The fangs in her mouth were nearly as long as the claws on her hands. Her hair was now a mangled mess of black cobwebs. A single black wing ripped through her back, casting a shadow over my mortal form. She was no goddess- she was the devil.

She grasped my wrist and smashed it with a single flick of her arm. I screeched, the searing pain burning my flesh. She chuckled at this, as if she actually enjoyed viewing my pain. She drew her claws and raked them across my cheek, slowly drawing blood and licking the substance clean from her fingers. "What delicious blood you have," her voice had changed, now fiendish and eerie, "it would be such a shame to waste it."

I tried to run, but the waterfall had once again become one, sealing my only exit. My only chance of survival. Spirits danced around me, sneering at me, their crippled faces laughing demonically. They dragged me back to their queen and laid me at her feet. With a single crimson-stained claw, she tilted my chin up. And with her other, she shoved her daggers into my back.

Blood poured from the wound, falling from the slits in my back. My hands remained limp at my side. My brain was blank. My whole body was in a complete paralysis. Was this what death felt like?

"Oh no, doll," she said is if reading my thoughts, "we're not done yet! Our fun has just only begun." She leaned in closer, digging her claws even farther into my back. "I'm going to rip you limb from limb, and I'll be sure to keep you alive through the whole thing. I want to hear you scream."

On scream, she wrapped her arms around my back and smashed every bone in my back. They cracked and screamed within my body, their screeches being voiced through my mouth. Blood spilled from my mouth and my back, leaving me faint.

I knew what she would do. She would rip my arms off, then my legs and my head. Or maybe she would just play with me before going straight to my heart. But what did it matter? I was to die in this watery tomb. Here I would die and here I would live on in the afterlife, as her eternal slave.

They say when you die, your life flashes before your eyes. But all I heard was the fireflies chanting, beware, beware the siren song as the pain overtook my frail form.

.:.:.:.:.

The woman leaned back in her throne. Her tongue danced across her fingertips, savoring the salty sweet taste of the boy's blood. He was an exceptionally fun victim. His blood was so utterly delicious.

"Claire, dearest," she motioned to one of her devilish slaves, "could you clean that up for me?" The blonde nodded, gathering together the bones and soaking the floor to relieve it of the blood. Her features remained expressionless. "You have done well for your first assignment, Claire."

The girl's face brightened for a moment. "I was hoping it would please you, Lady Kagetsu." She tossed a bone to one of the spirits to consume and continued. "He was almost too easy, though. His mind was so feeble, it was especially fun to add Freya into the mix too. Very dynamic pair, those two, wouldn't you think, Lady Kagetsu?"

Kagetsu snickered, sucking her fingers dry. "Oh, yes, very interesting indeed. You know your next task already, don't you?" The servant girl nodded. "My next task is to lure little Freya here, right?"

"Right, little one." A firefly flittered around the mistress' face and landed on her fingertip. She took it in her palm and smashed it, the wings twitching and the light flickering beneath her crushing touch.

"And kill off these damned fireflies. They are such a nuisance."

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