Maria is a normal girl. She goes to school, has friends, and loves exploring. As she was growing up, her Father brought her up to his old home in the village often. Now, he brings her every weekend, to see where he grew up. She loves the nature, and wanted to show her friends. Maria's father is a kind man, so he immediately agrees to bring her and her friends up to the village on Friday. 

Friday comes along, and Maria and her friends are traveling up the mountains. "That's Lake Maria," she says to her friends, "My parents named me after it." They all made their way to the cottage her father had lived in. 

"Tell us a story," her friend Alyssa said.

"Oh  yes Maria, you tell the best stories," Jane mused. Seeing their amusement, Maria gave in. 

"Okay. Sure." She replies. "When I was younger, my father told me an old legend. All the villagers had been talking about it, and they still do. So, there was once a family, with a daughter. The three of them were happy. Then one day, another child came along, and the family was now bigger. The boy grew up, but he wasn't normal. He heard voices in his head. They told him bad things, things that nobody could explain. The family, caring about him, had to make a decision. In the end, they decided to send him to an asylum like place in the village over."  

"Oh. Where is this going?" Jane asks, Alyssa nodding along. 

"Be patient. So, the boy was sent there. Every week or so, the family would visit him, and give him treats and stuff. Gradually though, the family forgot about him. The visits became less frequent and then eventually stopped. The sister got married and went away. The parents moved on too , as though their son had never existed."

"That's quite sad. Just because he's different doesn't mean his family should ignore his existence..." her friends said, their voices trailing off. 

"Alright. Just you wait," Maria said. "A few years went by, and the boy grew into a teenager. Then one day, the family heard a teenage boy, with the exact description of their son, had escaped. Although they were worried, they never found him. But they didn't need to. The boy had lurked in the woods, watching them. Then one night, he went into the cottage, and murdered his entire family. Apparently, he claimed they were just going to dark sleep."

"Oh." Is all her friends could say. 

"The villagers talked about him all the time. They said he comes out at night, and puts people to dark sleep. There's a rumor that hanging a charm on your front door keeps him away, as a sign of his remembrance."

"Well? Please tell me there's one on your door.."

"Yeah. There is. My father doesn't really believe in the charm thing, but I insisted he put it there anyways."

~~

Although there was a charm, they were scared to death that night, flinching at every sound outside. The next morning, the three girls go on a walk with Maria's father. They are scared the boy will show up, but Maria insists they go see the lake. 

Along the shore, they find a diary. Curious as ever, Maria opens it, with Jane and Alyssa peering over her shoulder. They flip through the pages and read the last few entries: 

09/03/1992 ~ Today was a good day. I hadn't  come home after a long time. I have been taking care of the farm for a while. Mother, Father, and Sis are proud. I can still hear their voices in my mind. They understand the need for some dark sleep. Now, they can be with me forever. 

05/18/1998 ~ I met a girl a few weeks ago. She's very sweet. I hope to get married soon. I care for her quite a lot. Maybe one day, she'll go to dark sleep, and forever be with me....

02/16/2003 ~ My wife died a few years back. She didn't go to dark sleep, but died of a disease. I was very sad. But on the upside, we have a daughter. She's just like her mother, and grows more like her by the day. I will miss her so much if she goes into the same fate as her mother. I can only hope she'll go to dark sleep. 

01/06/2010 ~ I am so proud of her. She turned out just like me... Only, she doesn't hear any voices. She goes to school and has friends. I hope she has a good future. Maybe one day she'll go to dark sleep too. I can only hope. I love her so much I named her after something I've always loved. The lake. Her name is Maria. 

They stop reading there. Slowly, they hear footsteps behind them. Maria turns around to find her father standing there. He had an ax in one hand, and a devilish grin on his face. 

"You weren't supposed to find that...." he whispers, before Maria and her friends go into dark sleep. 

They say you should always be aware in sleep, for once you start sleeping.... you may never wake up.