The Legend of Maude Shaw

“The Legend of Maude Shaw goes all the way back to 1804,” said twelve year old Kane Wilkinson to his younger brother Cooper. “It is said that Maude Shaw was a twenty year old school teacher who was murdered on the night of her wedding.” His face looked grim under the candle he was holding, as he told his brother a bed time story.
“What did she look like?” Cooper asked, eyes wide with wonder. If you looked closely you could see them shimmer.
“The night of her death she was wearing a white, long sleeved flowing gown, her sunlight blonde hair was pinned up, and she wore, on her left hand, a red ruby ring. But her happily ever after never came, for the legend says that the groom murdered her with a carving knife. Do you know what he did Coop?”
“N-no what’d he do?” he stuttered, now clutching the blanket close to his face; as if to hide behind it.
“He stabbed her! multiple times in the heart.” Cooper clasped his hands over his mouth as Kane smiled, “and then, he dumped her body off somewhere in Bab’s Creek.”
Cooper straightened himself then, “You’re lying!” He accused. “She can’t be in Bab’s Creek, I swim in that water all the time and I ain’t found no body floating in there.”
“Well the legend says that she was tied to the bottom of the creek. Underneath the water. So you wouldn’t see her. Until. She. Grabs you!”
Cooper screamed as Kane jumped at him, knocking them both off the rock hard matrice of their bed.
“You’re lucky Coop.” Kane whispered on the floor beside him.
“Why?”
“Because, do you know what Maude does to little boys who cross her path?”
Cooper didn’t say a word, but Kane went on. “She drags them under the water too, because it was a boy who broke her heart, so now she want’s revenge.”
None of them said a word after that, but crawled back under the covers. Kane blew out the candle, patted his pillow, and said, “Night, Coop.”

When morning came Kane was already awake and eating their moms’ home-made porridge at the new wooden table. Cooper yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he shifted aimlessly to his chair at the table; still wearing his Long Jons.
“So Coop, I was wondering if you wanted to go fishing with me down at the creek today.”
Cooper eyed his bother with suspicion. He did not sleep well last night, not after that horrible story Kane told him. What is he trying to do, scare me more so I never want to leave the house? Cooper thought to himself. “But what if we run into Maude Shaw, she’ll kill us.” He said.
“Oh Coop,” Kane laughed. “You are so gullible. Did you even hear how old that story is? I said 1804. It is 1893. Parents used to tell their kids so they wouldn’t go to the creek. It’s not real Coop, just an old story.”
“Well,” Cooper said, still contemplating the thought although knew his brother too well. If he didn’t go than he would never hear the end of it. “I guess so, but I get to carry the fishing pole.”

As the two boys entered the bush of overgrown trees to Bab’s Creek, Cooper couldn’t edge away the gut feeling he had that was telling him to turn around and go home. He promised himself that he wouldn’t crack. He wouldn’t be known as mama’s little goodie-goodie again. It was time he grew up some if he wanted to be anything like Kane -courageous and sharp as a nail- so their father called him time and time again.
“Alright, here she is,” Kane announced with enthusiasm at the creek before them. It was swarming with bugs. The ground was covered in moss and the water was a dull green. In any sense the creek could have easily been mistaken for a bog. “Okay Coop, catch us some lunch!”
Cooper headed towards a stump near the water and then lowered their home-made fishing pole into the water. As soon as he sat down his mind went on the fritz. Why is the water so green? It is never green. What if the story is real, what if Maude is still in there? Oh come on Cooper, stop your babbling. Of course she’s not in there, He rolled his eyes at himself. Kane was right, he was always right. The story is so old that if there was a Maude in there somewhere, she would be a pile of bones.
“Hey Coop, check this out.” Kane said from across the creek. Cooper hurried over and looked into the water where Kane was pointing. “What is that?” In the water there was something shining, but since the water was a grungy green they couldn’t see what it was. Kane extended his hand to the water as he focused on the shiny object inside.
“What if it’s gold!” Cooper exclaimed. “We are going to be rich and Ma’ and Pa’ won’t ever have to work again!” Just as Kane’s hand touched the surface of the water a hand reached out and grabbed his arm. Cooper screamed as his brother was yanked into the water. It splashed violently, but all Cooper could think to do was yell for his brother. His eyes bulged as he scanned the surface for a chance to pull his brother out, but there was none. Whatever had him was not letting go. As Cooper searched frantically he remembered a part of the story his brother told only the night before.
“The night of her death she was wearing a white long sleeved flowing gown. Her sunlight blonde hair was pinned up, and she wore , on her left hand, a red ruby ring.” instantly Cooper knew what was happening. He started to recall the hand that grabbed Kane only seconds ago. The greyish, pigment of the skin that was pulled tight, and on one of the fingers, a ring. It had to be Maude!
“Kane!” he screamed again. “Hold on I’m going to get help!” Cooper ran faster than a shot of lightning out of the bush and back home. He threw the screen door aside and hollered for his parents. They came running and tried to calm him down, but he didn’t have time for their comfort now.
With a quiver in his voice he told his parents what happened. “And I ran here as fast as I could, but we have to go or Kane will drown!” The worry on his parents faces faded as they looked at each other and back at Cooper.
His mother had a small smile on her face as she said in a playful voice, “Did Kane put you up to this?” Cooper stared disbelievingly at his mother. She thought Kane was playing a joke on them.
“No, it’s not a trick, come on we have to hurry!” Cooper began to sweat, hoping that they would give in soon.
“Cooper honey you can stop the act, Kane is probably outside laughing at us right now.” His mother was laughing now. “I must say this is a good one though. Maude Shaw, don’t you remember that story John, we used to tell it to Kane before he went to bed when he was younger.”
“Go get your brother Cooper, this game is over.” His father said as seriously as he could while shooing Cooper away with his hand.
“But!” he tried to argue.
“Ah-ah,” His mother started, but was then distracted by the kettle in the background.
Cooper couldn’t stand it anymore, and screamed at the top of his lungs, “Kane is drowning and you don’t even care!” Then he left the house, heading back to Bab’s Creek.
“Do you think he’s telling the truth Mary?” John asked while watching his youngest son run back into the bush.
“Oh you know Kane, always full of jokes. They’ll be back sooner than you think. Would you like a cup of warm honey?” she offered her husband, and they both sat down at the table together.

“That’s it. If they don’t believe me, I’ll show them!” Cooper repeated to himself as he tore off his button shirt and threw it to the moss covered ground. The sky was beginning to grow darker now. “I’m coming Kane!” he yelled as he jumped into the cold creek. Shivering he went under the water and felt around for his brother. When his hand landed on something soft he almost screamed. Mentally, he decided that the soft thing between his fingers was hair. As he moved his and lower he recognised a face. Lower, a hand. A Hand! Cooper screamed in his head, and opened his eyes. He could barely make out the figure but he was sure it was Kane so he yanked at the body.
As he was busy at freeing his brother a movement passed in the corner of his eye and he let go as if he were burned by fire. He was starting to run out of breath which meant he had to surface. He pushed himself up, but something was wrapped around his foot and dragging him back down. Cooper panicked, and tried to swim but it wouldn’t give. He looked down at his ankle fearing the worst. And there it was, a gray hand with a red ruby ring.
Cooper opened his mouth to scream, forgetting that he was under water. Almost instantly the water rushed into his mouth as his body became limp and his world went black.

The sky was pitch black now, and still Cooper and Kane had not returned home. Mary started to worry, and John was becoming impatient.
“John, what if Cooper was telling the truth.” John said nothing in return, and Mary started crying.
“I’m going to call a search party. Mary darling, I’m sure they’re fine. Kane is as sharp as a nail remember, so if they did get into something he will get them out. I taught our boy well.”
“You’re right.” Mary sniffled and patted her damp eyes with her apron. “Let’s go call the neighbours then.”
In a matter of ten minutes John, and Mary had managed to get half the town and the authority to help find their boys. They headed straight to Bab’s Creek. Everyone yelled out the children’s names in hopes that they would hear, and yell back.
When they got to the creek the first thing they found was Coopers shirt and the home-made fishing pole. The water was clear when the flashlights ran across it.
“Hey, over here. I think I found them!” Someone in the crowed yelled. Mary ran over, dreaded to asking the person where, but she did anyways. “I’m sorry,” said the man holding the flashlight as he nodded towards the water. John snatched the light from his hands and shone it at the water. Mary gasped and fell to her knees in a wave of shock. She stared to cry and John stared into the water. Two constables entered the crystal clear water to retrieve the three bodies.
Once they were out one of the constables said, “I’m sorry Mr. and Mrs Wilkinson, your boys have drowned. The third corpse could not be retrieved. However is unrecognisable, all but one piece of evidence that we could rescue from it. This.” the constable held up a red ruby ring and then the other constable spoke.
“When we were retrieving the bodies, the hands of the third were clenched around each of the children’s throats. Actually it was more of a corpse than a body; all that was left was skin and bone. The corpse was,” he paused to clear his throat. “appeared to be chained to the bottom of the creek, we could not release it.”
Mary began to feel ill and grabbed John’s hand for extra support as she held back the urge to vomit. The crowed eventually began to disappear and John carried his wife back home where they both sat in silence. Not one of them said a word. Not even the crickets chirped. All was dead-quiet.
Years from now the story of two young brothers that drowned in Bab’s Creek would be the new legend, and more young children would test the questionable tale. They would go to Bab’s Creek in search of the bodies and find instead, Maude Shaw.