The Fisherman

by
Gaby Marranzini


Amy's Diary,
October 7, 2002:
You will not believe what happened today. I was looking for my shoes in my closet when I bumped into the side wall and a tiny latch opened this little door I never noticed before. I looked inside and there was a hidden passageway to a room I've never seen before. There was a bunch of old stuff that was all dusty and gross. I found a diary of this lady that had the date 1897 on it! Here's an interesting part of it.

Gloria Donovan's Diary,
September 12, 1897:
Today I was getting ready for church when I couldn't find my pearl necklace that I love dearly. I wonder where I could've put it. Well, Sara got proposed to by a man named Tim, and she said yes! Well, I must go to bed now. It is quite late and I have been drowsy all day.

September 13, 1897:
I can't believe it. Now I can't find my gold pendant of a fish. I wonder if I'm losing my memory. I am in the middle of making a congratulations party for Tim and Sara so I must go.

September14, 1897:
I wonder if I shall go see a doctor about my memory because now I can't find my water crystal vase that mother gave me, or the expensive camera that I just recently bought. Tim is a psychologist so perhaps he can help me.

September 15, 1897:
I solved my little mystery of my missing, valuable items. I was going up the stairs to the attic to get a tablecloth when I stumbled upon my fish pendant! As I kept walking, I found my vase, my necklace, and my camera! After gathering my precious belongings, I went to the attic, but before I could get my tablecloth, there was a strange man sitting on the ground, staring straight ahead, and talking to himself. He was muttering something about how the fish aren't biting and that the lake has had the fish sucked out of them. I was so frightened that I could hardly breathe, so I ran outside and told Jack, my coachman, to take me to Sara's house right away. And that is where I am now, in Sara's house. She has been so kind to let me stay here. I'm quite unsure about when I will go back to my own home. I don't know how a madman could have gotten into my house. Madmen can be quite clever so perhaps he picked the lock. Or maybe he persuaded Jonathan, my butler, to let him in. Oh dear. Sara actually thinks he's a ghost! Can you imagine? How silly. I must go. It is time for dinner.

September 16, 1897:
It is 3:00 in the morning and I cannot sleep. I won't sleep. I refuse. I had a horrible dream of the madman following me with a whip. I woke up screaming and swearing, and am afraid I woke up Sara. She was generous enough to come see me. She's quite comforting, but she as gone back to sleep. Something I would like to do but fear it. The night is long and I am paranoid, flinching at any noise I hear. Fatigue is strangle coming over me. Goodbye.

September 16, 1897 (Later):
This morning I woke up to find Sara speaking to a gypsy. A gypsy in her own home! I was quite confused but sat down at the breakfast table anyway. The gypsy was actually quite nice, but I was startled when she said, "Deary, what you have in your house is a ghost alright. No doubt about it. Frightful things those ghosts are. What is it that he was saying? Perhaps I can find a way to get rid of him so you can go back to your own home and sleep peacefully."
"Well he talked about there not being anymore fish in the lake. It was very confusing. I became frightened and ran outside. I didn't even have the proper shoes on," I told her.
"Well it was very smart of you to run out like you did. If you as little as touched the ghost, then they will take you into their world forever. I believe your ghost must have been out fishing. So to him, he wasn't sitting on your attic floor, but sitting by some sort of body of water to try to catch a fish." Suddenly what she said started to make sense. Then she told me, "What you can do is take a cup of salt and sprinkle all of it on top of him, but be sure not to touch him. Then, you must stay within one foot of him, even though it might be frightening, and say Acrizon Forvlatta three times. If you complete the task, he will diminish into his own world." And with that she left without a word. How strange, but somehow the gypsy gave me comfort. Much comfort, in fact. Well I shall go prepare for my task I must complete.

September 16, 1897 (Later):
Here is what happened. I got my cup of salt and was riding over to my house as I practiced saying those two words. I stepped inside and walked up the attic stairs with great precaution. I walked in quietly and there he sat, just where he was before, mumbling about the fish. I quickly poured the salt over his head. He wailed a long, piercing scream causing me to jump back, but I stepped forward, overcoming my fear of him. I shouted Acrizon Forvlatta three times and as I stepped back, his body was slowly becoming blurry, until finally, he disappeared altogether. What lay in his place was a painting of a fisherman.

So diary, I was a little unsure about whether or not I was to believe this amazing story, but as I was walking out of the secret room, I stumbled upon a painting or a fisherman.