Closeup of The Screamer.
About 'The Screamer'[]
In a small countryside Cottage named Aberlie lay a spooky myth. Everybody at Aberlie knew about this. The myth was based at a shallow lake, now nicknamed 'Dead Lake'. It was named this because a young black kid named Russ drowned there. His body was never found and the lake seemed practically impossible to drown in. One of Aberlie's biggest and only news reports. The locals would always say, "Dead Lake. Nobody goes there, less you have a deathwish."
My name is Patrick Hadriar. I am well known for my line of documentaries based on Ghosts and the Paranormal. I work with Channel 4 and they have asked me to do an hour-long episode in Aberlie to uncover facts on the missing child Russ and to see if the myth is true. I will have Sadie the medic and Pete the cameraman joining me on this journey.
We set off toward the Cottage. It was a long 2 hour drive, cramped, sweaty and the camera took up a lot of leg room. We pulled up at the cottage sign: 'Welcome to Aberlie'. Sadie got out first and stretched like a sleepy cat over the hud. Pete had lit another cigarette and began going over the papers. "Okay so, first we film the local's take on Russ and the Dead Lake. We should film some of the older generation.. to make it more real, what do you think?" We agreed together and set on our way.
The cottage was lovely, the countryside is always nice so Sadie thought. Houses and huts all well kept and special shops that only the citizens of Aberlie visit.
We had began filming already, we visited a few houses and recorded a few interviews with the locals. One stood out over any of them we had just heard. It was the owner of a home that overlooked Dead Lake, an old man called Boris said, "Sometimes, if you look across the field there, you can see right down to the lake. That shed just by the lake there is said to be haunted by Russ. I would go in daylight Patrick..We know it's just a Myth here but, we have no wild animals here, no murderers, Russ just vanished. Gone. And at night, I sometimes hear gargling screams..I hear rocks hitting the water and that's all the way from here! I try to look out and catch him but not once have I..."
There was also Henry, a friend of Russ when they were all kids. He was there on the day that Russ vanished. Henry was a 24 year old adult now. The filming was quite unreal with him, very emotional but very interesting. Henry said, with tears heavy-set in his eyes throughout, "Me and Russ man. We were good mates let me tell you. I just never thought something like this happens to you..y'know? A friend dying? I. (he wipes his eyes) I guess Russ was my best mate, yeah. I'm happy that you're doing the documentary, it will be nice for the people of Aberlie. I can only guess you lot will be going down there tonight? 'Patrick nodded uneasily, listening intently. Henry continues, "Well. There's only one thing that can keep me up at night. I'll tell you but, when we say avoid Dead Lake at night, we mean it...It was around a year after Russ had gone. He was my best mate..y'know? And we were young, man. I was 10 at this stage. My father kinda made the Myth up because I'd always say I'm going back to find Russ. Y'know? Maybe he's there wondering where we went..maybe he was still playing out there? Well, this was on my mind for the whole year. I didn't believe he died in the Lake, I mean it's so shallow, y'know? Anyway, I snook out at around 10pm. It was already dark and I went alone. I got to the field and stood halfway toward the steep hill. The shed was old, the window seemed so creepy and the lake's running stream knocked rocks back and forth. Anyway, I walked farther and had mini flashbacks from when we would play and 'jump the lake'. I sat by the stream, right? I had a small pocket torch and a flash camera so yeah, I was really scared. I was young, the image of my dead mate was too creepy, yeah? (he looks at Pete with sad eyes and pulls out a photograph) I turned and clumbered up the hill. Everything was going so fast! I ran and ran but suddenly, I heard the door of the shed repeatedly slam. Open, slam, open, slam. I couldn't help but look but I only saw the door opening and closing. I kept pacing away right? I then heard what's best described as something chasing me from the lake. The rocky sounds and the water splashing off of a person. I had dropped my torch in the scuffle but didn't care about that. I took multiple snaps with the camera as I ran. I was definitely safe by the time I got back to the halfway point..I stopped and cradled myself. I slowly turned and looked back. Here. See this photo?* I took it in the panic...This is all I can show you, though. And well, it looks like Russ but it also doesn't. I know it has no explanation but, I know this is Russ. I know it."'
We stopped at a cottage cafe around 9.30pm. It was specially open for us and Channel 4 so we could have a break before we go to Dead Lake. Nobody was saying much at all, Henry had shook us with his story. Pete explained that he 'feels too strange' in Aberlie. He decided to pack up and get a vehical back to the studio. I didn't blame the guy but Sadie the medic was more than happy to stay. Pete finished his cup of tea and his 10th cigarette of the day and had departed thenafter. I explained to Sadie that we had been in worse situations. Like staying in Mildred Mansion - one of our most watched Documentaries of all time. She agreed with me and we stuck together. We left the little cafe around 9.45pm. The time had come.
Filming began back at the house that overlooked the lake. Sadie was going over Henry's story, pointing out the halfway point where he stopped and cradled himself. The fear at this stage was overly familiar...Such a silent cottage. The field was circled with shrubs and trees and the shed was in vague sight. We continued toward the steep slope that led to the lake. In Sadies head, she was wondering why Patrick was confidently stepping into the lake, it was surely too cold and very hard to see. "Patrick? Pat, don't you go any farther in there!" - he replied saying 'I'm really not going to be that silly. We have to film what happens, I have to try a few things before we leave here'. This was standard paranormal procedures. Sadie walked to the shed. It was an old, decayed shed. She circled it, touching the 4 walls around and feeling where the door might be. She got to the window and cupped her hands around her eyes to see clearer. Nothing.
Sadie turns toward Dead Lake calling Patricks name. She knew he was playing around as he always did this. Though her heart began beating rapidly and she felt instantly alone, right near a yucky shed where a dead kid lurks. She had had enough and shouted 'Patrick!?' loudly. Her heart sank and her eyes widened, as she shouted his name she heard a screeching coming from the lake. It was far too dark and the camers was sat atop of the slope. Sadie was frozen still, she just didn't know what to do? The screech then became much clearer. It was just as Henry said, the rocks began to clutter and dripping water as if off of a person. She knew it. It was Russ. She was a rough 6 seconds from the lake when a small black shadow began to sprint towards her, screaming and gargling. She didn't move until the shed door absolutely slammed right next to her. Patricks body was throttled at immense speeds and splatted right next to her. Within a blink, she sprant and sprant. She grabbed the camera on the way past but it was too heavy to just pick up like that. It fell and she carried on running. At the halfway point in the field, heart maniacally pacing and her eyes seeing 'flashing dots' she stopped and cradled her legs. She had her head inbetween her legs as she sobbed and breathed funnily. Her right eye crooked open and right near her feet was Russ. He was looking at Sadie. Just looking... He stank of coal and fire, weeds and wet dog. He stood up and trampled away in the grass. He moved very fast and walked to his shed. The door shut behind him. He stood at the window and watched Sadie. He wanted her to leave. And so she did.