This is the fifth chapter of a six part story. I recommend reading all chapters, but if you want to read only this one, here is what happened so far:
For three years, Laura has suffered due to a mysterious pendant that suddenly appeared in the small town of Leskow. First her class mate Martin controlled her with the help of the pendant, and then her former math teacher Mr. Seger did the same. In the end, Martin returned. Eventually Laura always managed to free herself and now has the pendant in her possession. Though her plan was to destroy it, she now decides to use its power for herself.
~~~~~
The waves of Lake Leskow splash gently against the shore of the perfectly round, small island. The brightly green grass on the island and the long reeds growing around it sway in a gentle breeze. The island lies right in the middle of the lake. On it, its outlines set sharply against the evening sky, stands a castle. Its delicate towers stand tall, their roofs sparkling golden in the evening light. The castle gives an almost surreal quality to the idyllic picture of forest, water, and setting sun. Like a page torn from a book of fairy tales.
Not far from the castle, at the shore of the lake, lies the small town of Leskow. On this warm summer evening, everyone in the town seems to be taking a small break: People are looking up from their daily work, to enjoy this scene of peace and beauty. Their faces rapt, their mouths open, everyone displays an expression of breathless admiration. All have turned towards the castle, which is bathed in a golden glow as the sun slowly sinks down behind the trees.
Were a stranger to walk into Leskow this very evening, he would surely join the citizens in their admiration, all the while wondering how happy they must be to have a view like this one in front of their eyes, every day of their lives. The stranger would not be able to stop thinking about how wonderful life in a town like this must be. He would feel envy for all those people living in such a tidy and quiet place. He would be amazed at the peace of the little town. There are no arguments ever to be heard in Leskow, everyone is content. The people of Leskow love their little town, they love each other, and more than anything else, they love their queen.
And the queen loves her subject. She loves the little town that she rules over. Every evening she steps out of her castle, stands at the shore of her little island, and looks over the dark waters towards Leskow, to the simple houses standing opposite her majestic home, bathed in the same golden evening light. Her most trusted servants surround her; they never step away from her side. The lake lies calmly in front of her, the muddy waters tamed. To the queen, Lake Leskow is the beginning and the end of all: She was born from this lake.
***
From the moment that Laura stepped out of the waters of Lake Leskow, the locket's chain hanging around her neck, she knew what she had to do. She did not have to learn how to use the little piece of jewelry; it was, as if all the skills Martin and Mr. Seger had acquired through practice and hard work throughout the last three years, were transferred to her automatically. The young woman and the locket seemingly became one; they belonged together. There were no questions for Laura anymore. Her own future, the future of the world, and her own role in it: All of it was a path she could see clearly laid out in front of her. All she had to do was step onto that path. And now, that she
knew
, she was more than willing to do so.
Now, the power of the locket was hers alone, and anyone who had taken part in making her suffer during the last years would feel the consequences. Of course, her true enemies had been Martin and Mr. Seger, and they were both dead, and thus beyond even Laura's reach. Everyone else, however, was still there: All those people the two of them had used to torture and humiliate her again and again were still living their safe and happy lives in Leskow. They would have to suffer now. She would take revenge on them, on all those young men from school, who had been coming to the forest on Martin's orders. For the rest of the town's inhabitants, however, Laura was planning to be a gentle queen, strict when necessary, but fair and loving.
Though she was still naked, Laura held her head majestically high as she strode through the forest, towards Leskow. The closer she got to the small town, the more people she met. Some of them were taking afternoon walks in the forest; others lived in the outskirts of Leskow and were working in their gardens. The people stopped their walks and their work as they saw her coming. They bowed their heads respectfully. Not one of them remarked on her lack of clothes -- in fact, not one of them seemed to notice. Once Laura had passed them, they followed her at a certain distance, awaiting their queen's orders.
Finally, Laura stepped once again toward the shore of Lake Leskow, but not in the forest this time. As she stood on the meadow next to the school, the whole population of Leskow gathered in a half circle around her. Vaguely she remembered standing at this very place two years previously, gazing out over the water: She had awoken for a few moments back then, but now it seemed to her like a long forgotten dream. This had not been her; this had been a different Laura. Now she was queen.
With a benevolent smile on her face, the queen turned around to face her subjects. The crowd stirred and moments later a young woman stepped forward, falling onto her knees in front of Laura. She lifted up a long, cream colored dress, presenting it to her queen. Despite its simplicity, the dress was exquisite and clearly expensive. There was only one shop in Leskow that sold such dresses, and Laura had always wondered who in town could even afford to buy anything there. After all, throughout most of her life she would not even have been able to buy a T-shirt in that shop, and she was by no means from a poor family. Now, however, as queen, she clearly needed dresses befitting her status. A queen can't be naked in front of her subordinates.
As soon as she had thought that, the people of Leskow turned away respectfully, allowing their queen privacy, as she with some difficulty slipped into the dress. The dress was really quite different from the jeans and t-shirt Laura was used to wearing. As she allowed her the people to face her again, the crowd gasped and then broke out in cheers of pride: They had a beautiful queen. Laura let her gaze wander from face to face. She had an appropriate dress now. She would need servants, too. And a castle.
The queen turned to the lake. She lifted both hands, pointing their palms towards the dark waters, from which immediately bubbles started to rise; at first a few, then more and more, as if the whole lake was boiling. After a few moments, the outline of something big appeared under the water's surface. Something was slowly rising up from the lake's bottom, like a huge animal or a submarine. The crowd, however, did not seem surprised or scared. Instead they started cheering happily, as the playful little rooftop towers, the jutties and arched windows of a fairy tale castle slowly rose out of the water. After a few minutes, the whole building stood on an island in the middle of the lake.
