The Lullaby of the Forgotten Child

The moon hung low in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the sleepy town of Willowbrook. The streets were empty, save for the occasional rustle of autumn leaves and the distant hum of traffic. Inside the rundown farmhouse on the outskirts of town, the air was thick with anticipation and dread. The clock on the wall ticked slowly, counting down to the moment that would change the lives of the residents forever.

Ellen Harper had lived in Willowbrook her entire life, her family's history woven into the very fabric of the town. Her parents had died in a tragic accident years ago, leaving her to raise her younger brother, Michael, on her own. Ellen was a single mother, working two jobs to make ends meet, but she never let that stop her from giving Michael the love and care he needed.

One evening, while Michael was at school, Ellen found a peculiar note tucked under her door. It was a simple lullaby, but it carried an unsettling tone:

"Rock a cradle, lullaby,

In the shadows, where you'll die.

The child you love, the child you'll know,

In the night, you'll see, you'll see..."

Ellen dismissed it as a joke or a prank, but as the days passed, the note returned, each time more insistent. It was as if the lullaby had a mind of its own, whispering secrets Ellen couldn't ignore.

One night, Ellen found herself alone in the living room, the moon casting long shadows across the floor. She picked up the note and sang the lullaby, her voice barely above a whisper. The room seemed to respond, the shadows shifting and swirling around her.

The next morning, Ellen found Michael missing. The school had no record of him, and the police were baffled. Ellen's heart raced as she searched the house, but she found nothing. It was as if Michael had vanished without a trace.

As the days turned into weeks, Ellen's sanity began to fray. She kept hearing the lullaby in her head, its haunting melody driving her to the edge of madness. She turned to the town's old timer, Mr. Thompson, who had lived in Willowbrook his entire life.

"Ellen, you know about the forgotten child?" Mr. Thompson's eyes held a mix of fear and respect as he spoke.

Ellen nodded, her eyes wide with a mix of terror and curiosity.

"The lullaby you're hearing is a child's last cry," Mr. Thompson explained. "It's the tale of a child born to a woman who was cursed by an evil spirit. The child was never to be touched by the light of day, or else the curse would be unleashed upon the town."

Ellen's heart sank as she realized the truth. The note, the lullaby, everything was real. Michael had been the forgotten child, and now he was gone, the curse having claimed its victim.

Determined to uncover the truth, Ellen ventured into the depths of the old, abandoned mansion at the heart of Willowbrook. It was there, in the dimly lit corridors, that she discovered the room where Michael had been hidden away for years. The room was filled with old toys and faded pictures, each one a reminder of the child's lonely existence.

Ellen's voice broke as she whispered Michael's name, and she felt a presence in the room. The air grew thick with fear, and Ellen could feel Michael's spirit reaching out to her. Just as she was about to succumb to despair, she heard a faint whisper:

"Mommy, I'm here."

Ellen spun around, but there was no one there. The whisper had been so faint, almost inaudible. She felt a sense of relief wash over her, but it was short-lived.

The lullaby began to play again, louder this time, and Ellen knew she had to act quickly. She rushed to the mansion's attic, where she found a hidden door leading to a small, dusty room. Inside was a glass case containing a small, ornate locket. Ellen opened it and saw a picture of her and Michael when he was a baby.

As she held the locket, the lullaby grew louder, and Ellen felt a chill run down her spine. She knew what she had to do. With trembling hands, she opened the locket and placed it in the center of the room. The locket began to glow, and the lullaby reached a fever pitch.

Suddenly, the room was filled with a blinding light, and Ellen felt a surge of warmth envelop her. When the light faded, she was alone in the room, the locket still in her hand. The curse had been lifted, and Michael was free.

Ellen rushed out of the mansion, the lullaby now a distant memory. She found Michael waiting for her outside, unharmed and bewildered. They returned home, and Ellen held her son in her arms, tears streaming down her face.

From that day on, Ellen and Michael never spoke of the mansion or the lullaby again. They had survived the curse, and they were grateful to be alive. But as Ellen looked at her son, she couldn't shake the feeling that the lullaby had been a warning, a glimpse into the darkness that still lay hidden in Willowbrook.

And so, the town of Willowbrook lived on, its secrets whispered in the wind and sung in the night, a chilling reminder that some curses are never truly broken.