Moaning Lake

"What do you mean by we lost the true path?" George asked, confused.

"We are lost! And it means we are in trouble!"

But as soon as Diego finished talking, a cold wind suddenly brushed their skin. It made all the hairs on their body stand on end. And it caused the horses to panic. They had to calm them down or they would risk losing the horses.

"I don't like it here, Diego. Can we go back to where we came from and find whatever this true path you're talking about?"

"Me neither. But I don't think that's—George? Wait. George? Where are you?"

Diego was so focused on calming the horses down. And when he turned around, there was no more George. And only then did he realize that a pearl-white fog now covered the whole area. Now everything seems hazy.

"You must be kidding me, right? Don't tell me we're in the moaning lake?" He muttered. But unfortunately, they were indeed in the moaning lake. And that George was indeed missing.

Moaning lake was a peculiar lake. As weird as anything that surrounded it with the purple trees and mossy ground. And the huge bat-like animals that curtained the branches. Unlike bats, they had gray, fluffy fur. And a large pair of eyes, as big as a toe nail. Pink three-fingered hands and had two tiny fangs.

The lake produces fog. And the fog makes you lose your sense of direction.

And that's exactly what happened to Diego. Made him take the wrong turn.

He climbed back to the driver's seat and decided to find his missing companion. "George? Where are you? Yuhoo!" He couldn't just leave the coach and the horses behind. Afraid he'd lost it too.

But there was no response. And he was starting to worry.

"Hmmm Hm Hmm Hmmm" Then suddenly, he heard a voice of a woman humming in an off putting tune. "Hmm Hm Hmmm" It wasn't a pretty tune at all. One of the many reasons why it was called the moaning lake to begin with. But it was harmless. If it is, it would be included in the forbidden regions of Phulas. It does nothing other than mess with your senses.

Then he saw something black. Lots of it. They scampered into the big purple tree. Probably the biggest in the area. And he heard them whispering to each other. He didn't wish to know what they were whispering about. Nothing good ever comes from listening to Phulas creatures.

At first he tried to ignore them and went about his way to finding George. But they started to climb into his coach and he had no choice but to go down and shoo them away. But they were persistent.

"Go away! Why don't you just go away?" He was starting to get annoyed. "Just leave me alone! Can't you see I'm trying to find someone?"

Obviously, they didn't listen.

Instead, they climbed into the coach's roof. Into his legs and into his arms. They were taking over him and the horses.

"Neeiiigh," the horses cried and threatened to run. Fortunately, Diego was still holding onto the reign and stopped them just in time.

"Kak! Kak! Kak!" The tiny black things took over his coach completely. "Kak! Kak! Kak!"

He couldn't decide whether to call them a rat or a dog. They had rat-like bodies and canine faces. Not adorable at all.

Then suddenly, he heard a lazy voice coming from behind him. "Are you looking for someone?" Just from the voice alone, Diego could almost imagine a plump old man with a long mustache.

He flailed his limbs to shake the rat-like things off before he turned around.

There was none.

He looked down. And there was a huge tortoise chilling on a small pond. "Hullo! Are you looking for the boy with curly hair perhaps?" Asked the tortoise lazily.

"Yes! Yes, I am!" Diego immediately said.

"Hmmm… Wouldn't look for him if I were you." Then the tortoise yawned. "Spending years in the void isn't fun at all," it added.

"Wait! You are a Phulas resident too?" Diego asked, surprised. As he continued to flail his limbs.

"Even those rats are Phulas residents too, are they not? They live in Phulas after all. But if you're asking if I used to be a human, yes I am."

"I… have nothing to say about that," Diego said. "But if you have seen a guy with long curly hair then please tell me already so I can go on my way."

The tortoise nodded its head. "Yes, I did. Hmm. I saw a guy with long curly hair indeed."

"Then please tell me! And stop talking too slow! Please!" His patience was about to snap.

"Hmm. What can I do? What can I do indeed? After all, I'm just a tortoise. A tortoise in a pond. Chilling. But best not go. Crazy witch. Dowsing rod. Made curly hair sleep. Then boom! Gone!" The tortoise said lazily. Even the 'boom' was done lazily. "There. I said it. Don't bother me anymore." Then the tortoise closed his eyes.

"Oh! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Diego cursed. "Fuuuuck!" Then he kicked the tree in annoyance only to curl in pain afterwards.

"Kak! Kak! Kak!"

"QUIEEEEEET!" He yelled at the tiny black things.