The library was fast turning into their wedding planning oasis. Jake and Audrey sat across from each other in their favourite chairs, as they fine-tuned more details. With the dresses now ordered, and flowers picked, they needed to decide on venues and a celebrant.

"The Rose Garden mid-morning would be perfect for the ceremony, overlooking the lake," Audrey said. She flipped the binder to a blank page and drew a rough sketch of the area behind the mansion. "If we seat up the seating like this and have a walkway from the house here. We'd have the most beautiful backdrop for the photos, don't you think?"

Jake leaned in, scrutinising the diagram, then rubbed his chin. "I have no problem with that, but I pictured you as more of a church kind of woman."

"We can look around town for alternative venues if you really want to," she replied, but Jake noticed the way her smiled fell at the suggestion.

"No, no. It'll be beautiful, I'm sure."

"Really?" she replied with a sheepish grin. He nodded sincerely. "So then, the ballroom for the celebration? I was thinking we could get someone in to cater."

"Love it," he exclaimed.

Something distracted him through the window. He could barely hear their screams as they sprinted towards the house, but he saw the terror in their expressions. Audrey followed his line of sight, but they were already at the door. It heaved shut with a thunderous bang before Aislinn called out.

"Jake."

He moved briskly down the hall to the foyer, where the girls huddled together, wide eyes still brimming with panic. Audrey followed closely behind, then dashed over to the girls when she saw their distress, wrapping her arms around them both. Jake loosely hung his arm around the group.

"What happened? Are you girls OK? Where's Ben?" he asked.

As Aislinn explained what happened, Audrey frowned, but she held back from the I-told-you-so's for now. It wouldn't do anything to ease their anxiety, nor help find Ben.

A loud bang reverberated from the mansion's front double doors, rattling them.

"The creature," Aislinn whispered, voice dripping with fear.

"No, we came in the back door, Ais. How would it know to go to the front door?" Ellie said.

Three more bangs followed. Aislinn sobbed into her mother's chest as Jake straightened his posture.

"No, don't -" Aislinn squealed, as he moved towards the front of the house.

As he grew closer, he could hear someone yelling, but the thick wood doors and the stone façade had blocked out so much he couldn't tell who it was. Jake cracked a door open an inch wide before it swung open completely. Ben rushed inside.

Securing the door shut again, he turned to see Ben now beside the girls.

"I thought it grabbed you," Ben said, trying to catch his breath.

"We thought it got you," Ellie replied.

"You're safe now," said Audrey, as she pulled him into the huddle, too. "How about we set you two up in the guest rooms down here for the night?"

As the teen's nerves eased, they settled in for sleep. Audrey and Jake regrouped in the kitchen. She glanced over at the campsite through the kitchen's window, noticing the campfire's orange glow.

"Do you think it's safe to put the fire out? I'd hate for the forest to go up in flames," she asked.

"I'll go," he replied.

Twenty minutes later, the mansion lay still and silent as they lay beside each other. Flashes of her daughter's ordeal flashed through Audrey's mind on repeat. She knew better than to let them investigate, but allowed it, anyway. There was no one to blame but herself for their terrorising trial.

But placing blame was the furthest thing from Jake's mind, as he considered their safety, and his fiancée's dream wedding in the garden. He hated to dampen her spirits, but the thought of the creature showing up and ruining the wedding, or worse, hurting someone, well, he couldn't do it.

"I know you want to get married in the Rose Garden, but given this turn of events, perhaps we should consider somewhere safer," he said.

She rolled over onto her side, facing him. The moon's light didn't reach his face tonight, and she waited for her eyes to adjust before speaking. "I know you're right. Maybe your Aunt Maggie can suggest something."

Jake rolled over to look at her. He shuffled closer, so they were touching, then brushed the hair from her face before cupping her cheek in his hand.

"You will be beautiful no matter where we get married," he said.

The warmth of her breath delicately danced on his lips as he leaned in closer, pressing his lips against hers. Their kiss not only reinforcing their love for one another, but a metaphor for their partnership in all things. As Audrey returned the passion of his kiss, he rolled over on top of her, and proved to her just how much she meant to him.

Aislinn slept poorly that night, disturbed by dreams of the abandoned building she'd dreamt of previously. She stood before a pair of white arched double doors. Turning the antique knobs, both doors opened widely to reveal a long-carpeted aisle covering wooden floorboards. Rows of wooden benches lined each side.

She stepped further inside the building, taking in the tall ceiling and rafters overhead. It had to be at least twelve or fifteen feet high. The walls flanking the sides held small windows. The bright colours now faded with a layer of dust. At the end of the aisle was a tiered platform which held an antique lectern, revealing handcrafted engraving the closer she got. A large crucifix hung from the wall, a backdrop to the stage. It was clear to her now; this was an old church.

Waking from her sleep, she checked her phone - 3 AM. Despite being clueless about the dream's meaning, she sensed a connection to spirits. Aislinn scanned her room, then went back to sleep. As she lay there with eyes closed, she recalled her previous dreams. They had revealed more over time, and she rested assured that this would too. But this time, she didn't feel scared or alone.

The next morning, Ben and Ellie waited for Jake to wake before heading back to the campsite to collect their belongings, fearing what they might find. While the terror from the previous night still weighed heavy in her mind, Aislinn couldn't wait to look at the camera footage. Hopefully, there would be some answers in there somewhere, she thought. They packed up the tents, swinging bags over their shoulders before leaving.

"Sorry we can't stay longer to watch the footage, Ais," Ellie said.

"It's OK. I'll let you know what I find," she replied.

Ben's nerves gnawed at him as he stepped closer to Aislinn, hugging her tightly. "We'll be at the activity stand until 4 pm. Any chance you'd want to come hang after?"

She smiled warmly and nodded. "Yeah, that sounds really nice."

"See you later than," Ellie said with a wry smirk, punctuated by a wink. Aislinn let out a laugh as she waved them off.

However, her focus returned to the footage, as she prayed there might be an answer to the lake's ominous creature.

As her mind lingered on the previous night's events, and the looming presence of the creature preying on them, she dared to hope that perhaps, at last, she might uncover the elusive truth.