The Lake of Mystery

Pakistani author Tooba wrote this chilling story with zombie mermaid vibes. Republished with the author’s permission.

Zain, a PhD student at Stanford University, decided to take a vacation to visit his family in Pakistan. His friends Sarah, Remy, and Dave were also eager to join him on his trip. Being avid mountain climbers, they planned a trip to the beautiful Naran Valley in northern Pakistan.

As they arrived in Naran Valley, they were immediately taken aback by the stunning scenery around them. They couldn’t wait to start their climb to the top of the mountain. They set up camp at the base of the mountain and began their ascent early the next morning.

After their exhilarating climb to the top of the Malika Parbat mountain, they decided to explore the Naran and Kaghan valley further . They were eager to learn more about the local culture and customs, so they enlisted the help of a guide named Gul Jan.
Gul Jan was a knowledgeable and friendly guide who had lived in the valley his whole life. He was happy to show the group around and give them a detailed tour of the area. They visited small villages nestled in the valley, learned about the local cuisine.

As they explored the Naran Valley with their guide, Gul Jan, Zain, Sarah, Remy, and Dave learned that he was a famous storyteller in the village. Gul Jan was known for his enchanting folk tales and his ability to sing songs while trekking in the mountains. Travelers often sought him out to hear his stories, and he even gave boat rides to visitors on the beautiful Saif ul Malook lake, where he would entertain them with his tales.

Gul Jan’s stories often featured fairies and jinns, and he had a way of captivating his audience with his vivid imagination and storytelling skills. One day Zain along with his friends decided to explore the Saif ul Malook lake with Gul Jan. This lake was located in the middle of Fairy meadows and had beautiful green clear water, while they swimmed accros it Gul Jan sang folklores to entertain them.

loye loye pharh le kurhye
je tudh bhaandha pharnaa
shaam payi binn shaam Muhammad
ghar jaandi nai ddarna

He sang a song about a girl and her beauty, urging her to return home before Maghrib prayer after filling her water from the lake. Everyone was entertained by Gul Jan’s songs when Remy spotted a fish tail peeking out of the water. Intrigued, he asked Gul Jan about it, but the cheerful singer suddenly stopped and a shadow of fear appeared in his eyes.

“Don’t talk about the fish tail, Babu,” he warned, his voice trembling. “We must head back now. The waters are dangerous after Maghrib.”

Everyone became saddened by Gul Jan’s sudden change in mood, but they turned back and returned to their camp. The camp was not far from the lake, and they could easily see the moonlight hitting the water from their campsite.

As they settled down for the night, Remy couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. He asked Gul Jan about the fish tail again, but the singer refused to speak of it, claiming that it was just a trick of the light.

That night, Remy and Zain snuck out to smoke when they heard a melodic voice calling their names. They searched everywhere, but found no one. The voice called again, sounding increasingly desperate. The boys followed the voice, which led them to the lake. There they found Gul Jan, holding a piece of flesh and staring at the moon.

“Gul Jan? Is that you, bhaiya?” Zain called out. “I thought you said the waters were dangerous at night.”
Gul Jan slowly turned to face them. His eyes were red, and his skin looked rough.
“Follow me, Babu. I’ll take you somewhere safe,” he said, leading them to a boat.
Zain and Remy followed him, wondering where he was taking them. But he stopped in a dense part of the lake and stayed there for a while.
“Gul Jan, this isn’t funny. Take us back to camp,” Remy snapped.

But Gul Jan furiously looked at him and hissed when a fish tail appeared from the water. Upon closer inspection, the boys saw that it was a mermaid, but not like the ones in stories. This one had big teeth and scales all over her body. She slowly got on the boat and, in an instant, clenched Remy’s throat and bit him.

Zain screamed for help, but they were far from town. Gul Jan held Zain’s hands behind his back and whispered in his ear.

“I told you the waters are not safe at night, Babu.”

Soon, the entire green lake turned crimson as the mermaids feasted upon the two boys.