Azhan Lake

It was past mid night; Laura was working late in her office. The council of the protectors had asked her to gather all the information she could find about “Azhan Lake.” She had no choice but to comply for, it wasn't just for curiosity but also to save her job and position in the Council. She had lost ten of her protégés to that lake.

She removed her glasses, arched her back, leaned her head backwards, and yawned.  Why all of the young people who had died showed they had died of old age, even though they all had been in their twenties. She wondered.

"Help me!" a whisper that sprinkled grit between the bones of her spine, grating against them and sending icy cold tendrils of pain through her body.

She rose from her chair and turned around thinking she was alone. She could see nothing except the tall buildings through the huge window.

I must be tired enough to imagine things. She thought.

"Laura, please I'm dying!" A soft whisper came from behind her.

She froze, changing her mind about her imagination.

"Who are you?” she said trying to convince herself that she was imagining things.

For a brief moment she allowed herself to hope that nobody would answer and that she would go home to her husband and everything would be fine in the morning. However, a voice responded at once, a weak, unstable voice that sounded as though it were dying.

Max, Laura I've no time to explain. I’m near Azhan Lake; could you please come and pick me up?”

Laura  sat on her desk again grabbing a map of Azhan lake she marked all the routes leading to Azhan lake and places that Max could be lost in.

"No, this won't work! Can you at least tell me where exactly you are?” Laura asked looking around; she went on in an unsure voice, "Max. Are you there?” but there was no answer.

Grabbing up her notes and the map, she ran to her car wondering if Max already had been lost to the lake. She checked all the routes to the lake, finding neither Max nor any sign of anyone. Giving up the search after two hours, she returned home to sleep hoping the voice and messages were only in her imagination.

* * *

The ringing woke Steve from a pleasant dream. He rolled over and snatched up the phone before it could disturb his wife Laura. The voice on the phone was hoarse and pleading.
“Come and get. I'm lost somewhere near Azhan Lake.” Then phone went silent.

Steve swung out of the bed and began dressing.

"Hun. What's going on?”  Laura said in a sleepy voice.

"nothing sweet-heart, go back to sleep.”  Steve replied.

Laura sat up on the bed dabbing at her eyes with her knuckles trying to open them.
“Why are you getting dressed?” she paused. “Going somewhere?”

"Err – yes Maxwell, your partner at work is lost somewhere near Azhan lake.” Steve said dressing. “I didn't want to wake you up because you came in from work late and sleepy... plus I know that you can’t tolerate the guy.”

Laura remembered the whispers in her office, and her job concerning Azhan Lake.
“Wait you can't go there alone. The lake is dangerous.”  She continued, “I was asked by the Council to research the lake and find out why anyone who drinks, or swims in it dies.”

"Well, if we are late, then your hated enemy would be dead. Right?” Steve said with a smirk on his face.

"I might hate Maxwell for his twisted ways in getting the job done but it's my duty and yours as human protectors to save his life no matter what.” Laura got out of bed and started dressing.

"Ah, I can see that you can differentiate between your two lives.”  Putting his shirt on. “Your secret protector's life and your life as a reporter in that worthless newspaper.” Steve said as he tied his shoelaces.

"You are just jealous.”  Laura shot back as both quickly finished dressing.

Laura reached for the map and her notes as Steve grabbed the car keys.

It didn't take Steve long to drive to the contaminated lake-shore.  “Damn earth protectors. They should have known someone would eventually die out there.”

The only light came from the moon that cast a cool glow over the dark lake. Steve and Laura hurried to the shore and began calling out Max's name. No one answered and they saw no signs of their protégée.

"I think I see something.” Laura shouted and began to run toward a dark lump lying on the lakeshore. Steve, with his long legs and stride, passed her and was soon kneeling beside an unconscious Max. 

"Oh my God Laura he's soaked!” Steve said then gazed at the lake. “Do you think it's from the lake?”

"Do you see any other kind of water around?”  Laura said in disbelief.

"No. Do you know how to save him?”

"Not sure, maybe I’ll find something in my notes.” She ran towards the car and reading the notes, she said. “Azhan Lake was created by the earth protectors to make human protectors like us suffer the loss of their charges by seeing them age to death, the only thing that human protectors can't save or interfere with is aging.”

"Is there a cure for this process?” Steve shouted.

"Well, I think the Protector’s Service is making a healing rock that prevents aging. It is being made for healing early cases of aging. It was originally made to heal Progeria.”

"Anything better than nothing.” Steve replied. “You go get that rock and I’ll wait with him here.”

Laura drove to the protector's service and went directly to the experimentation lab, where Drew was there working.

"Laura what are you doing here that late, and in my lab?” Drew asked.

"I'm looking for the rock that heals Progeria.”  Laura answered.

"I thought you were assigned by the council to research Azhan Lake not to research a rock that’s still going through tests.”  Drew said as she adjusted her glasses.

"Well it's a long story, but if the rock heals Progeria, a disease that causes the young to age then it will heal the effect of the Azhan Lake.” Laura said while searching the shelves for the rock.

"Fine then, you will find it there on the top shelf.” Drew pointed at the rock.

Laura grabbed it and left.

Weird... no thank you! Drew thought.

Returning to the lake Laura found Steve’s hair was changing color and Max’s had turned all white while his formerly smooth-skinned face already was filling with wrinkles.

"Oh God, Steve. What happened to you?”

"I touched him, that’s all.”  Steve paused looking at his hands and the wrinkles appearing on them before going on “I didn't know that touching his wet clothes would have this effect.”

Laura put the rock on her husband's face and started passing it through all the places with wrinkles, until he was healed, then she did the same thing with Max.

Max was still unconscious but was fully healed, Steve and Laura transported him home, and made sure that he won't remember any of it, after all they wouldn't want to endanger their secret identities nor the whole protectors’ organization.