The Haunting of Black Hollow Lake

A Return to the Forgotten

It was the summer of 2023 when Lila Montgomery returned to Black Hollow, a forgotten town nestled deep in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. The lake that gave the town its name was dark, mirror-like, and unsettling. Rumors swirled around it—stories of lovers drowned under mysterious circumstances, of whispered voices in the woods, and of the Black Bride who haunted the lake’s edge.

Lila hadn’t planned on coming back. She’d left ten years ago after her parents died in a fire that no one could explain. But when her estranged aunt died and left her the family home, Lila felt a strange compulsion. It wasn’t just about the inheritance. Something called her.

The house stood just beyond the tree line, overlooking Black Hollow Lake. It was two stories of decayed elegance—gothic windows, peeling white paint, and a porch swing that moved even when the air was still.

As she stepped into the dusty foyer, her phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number lit the screen: "Don’t trust him. Not again."

Lila frowned. No one knew she was here. No one but...

The Stranger

She met him the next day. His name was Elias, and he appeared as if conjured from a dream—tall, dark-eyed, with a voice like midnight thunder. He claimed to be a historian researching the region’s folklore. They met by chance—or so he said—at the old general store.

Their connection was instant. Elias seemed to know things about her—how she liked her coffee, that she hated thunderstorms, that she once dreamt of becoming a violinist.

"Have we met before?" she asked him one evening.

He only smiled and said, "In another life, maybe."

As the days passed, Lila’s nights became filled with vivid dreams. She saw herself in a different era, wearing a lace wedding gown, running through the woods as a storm rolled in. Always, she ended at the lake. Always, someone was waiting.

Elias.

The Journal

In the attic, Lila found her mother’s old journal. The last entry chilled her:

“He’s returned. I thought we were free. But I hear him at the lake, calling. I won’t let him take Lila, too.”

The more she read, the more disturbing it became. Her mother spoke of a man who seduced women, only for them to disappear. The town knew, but no one dared speak his name. They called him The Mourning Groom.

Elias’ face flashed in her mind.

The Truth Beneath

Lila confronted Elias, heart pounding. “Who are you really?”

He didn’t deny it. He led her to the lake at midnight, where the water reflected not the moon, but memories. From its surface rose images—women in wedding dresses, walking into the water, smiling as if entranced.

“I loved them all,” Elias said. “And they loved me. But I am cursed. Bound to the lake. Every fifty years, I return. One woman always calls me back.”

Lila trembled. “Why me?”

“Because you were mine, once. In 1873. You jumped into the lake on our wedding day, to save me from this fate. But the lake took you instead. You’ve returned in many lives, always forgetting. Until now.”

She backed away. “You killed my parents.”

“No,” he said, voice full of sorrow. “They died trying to protect you. I never wanted harm.”

But the lake rippled. Something stirred beneath.

The Choice

The Black Bride rose from the water, her veil soaked and eyes hollow. “He lies,” she hissed. “He deceives. He devours.”

Elias knelt. “I never wanted this. Free me, Lila. End it.”

The bride pointed at Lila. “You must choose. Him, or yourself. If you stay, he lives. If you leave, he returns to the lake forever.”

Tears streamed down Lila’s face. The memories of all her lives came crashing back—every lifetime, every love, every betrayal. Her soul ached.

She kissed Elias one last time. “I love you. But I can’t do this again.”

She turned and walked away. The lake screamed behind her. Elias called her name one final time.

And then silence.

A New Dawn

Lila left Black Hollow the next morning. The house was gone, swallowed by the forest. The lake, still and black, held no reflection.

Years passed. Lila married, had children, and never spoke of Elias. But sometimes, she’d hear violin music by the water.

She never went back.

But the lake waited.

And in the dark, he still dreamed of her.