Devil Lake

It was going to happen today thought Sheriff Owen. Finally after so much research and so much effort that darn Devil Lake was going to be drained. It had taken so many lives but Jeffrey Owen was a reasonable man he really did not expect to find the Devil sitting at the bottom of the lake, What he did expect to find were the bones of the missing and an answer as to why people died in Devil Lake. That was about all he could hope for and then fill up the lake so that no one would have to worry about anyone losing their lives ever again.

Crystal Lake - The Beginning

Oakdale was a small town in the middle of Iowa. It was a place with friendly people who were proud of their community. The summers were usually hot and everyone was glad to have beautiful Crystal Lake to swim in and the beach to enjoy. The lake was on the outskirts of town with a fairly large sandy beach. There was a picnic area with barbecues and it was usually crowded on the weekends in the summer.

To help out the town with much-needed funds there were six cabins by the lake that were rented out to tourists who wanted to enjoy some quiet time and perhaps do some fishing. The cabins were equipped with electricity, small kitchenettes, and bathrooms. Just what vacationers needed who spent all their time outdoors. Being modern times TVs were added for those gray, rainy days.

Dark Clouds Gather

Bad times began four years ago on a typical summer day. It happened to be a Saturday and most of the townfolk were at Crystal Lake. The water near the shore was full of screaming and splashing children and parents hovered nearby watching over their chicks. Some people were firing up the barbecues and it was looking to be one fun-filled day. Then out of nowhere the clear blue sky over Crystal Lake became almost as black as pitch and a cold wind began to blow.

It froze almost everyone in their spots as they all stared at the sky and down at the lake. The water started churning and suddenly parents went rushing to grab their children. The Macintoshes weren't so lucky. Billy Macintosh began screaming and it appeared as if something was pulling him away from shore. By the time all the other children had been pulled out of the water Billy was gone. Linda and Brad Macintosh held on tight to their four-year-old daughter Lindy but Billy who was six was nowhere to be seen. At the moment that Billy disappeared the sky cleared and the sun came out again.

Sheriff Owen and his men arrived, the firefighters, and a rescue team. Along with a couple of divers and some townsfolk who volunteered the diving began. It seemed they dove down and came up almost everywhere in the lake. There was no shoreline on the opposite side since the lake and the entire area was surrounded by a thick pine forest. If someone wanted to walk in the forest there were plenty of trails leading through it. Bill Grant shouted that he had discovered a kind of deep hole in the middle of the lake. It seemed that there was a spot so very deep you could not find the bottom of the lake.

By the time the sun was setting and the evening shadows were lengthening there was no sign of Billy. Linda and Brad Macintosh were consoled by Sheriff Owen and he felt so bad having to tell them that there was no way to drain this lake. They had to accept the fact that tragic as it seemed Billy must have wound up pulled by the churning water into the middle of the lake where it was the deepest and drowned. They would never recover his body. It put a huge damper on the rest of the summer in Oakdale and even though townsfolk continued to gather at the lake they kept an eagle eye on their children who played and splashed as always.

Strange Happenings in the Autumn

Autumn came and many men from the town enjoyed the cooler mornings to get out on the lake to do some fishing. Jeb and Al two best buddies in their retirement years drove out one early morning at the end of September to fish. They got the boat out of Jeb's truck and placed it on Crystal Lake. Then they turned on the motor and went puttering out toward the middle of the lake where the fishing was better. Some time passed in idle chatter, jokes exchanged between buddies, and beer enjoyed but no fish were biting.

Toward noontime at one point the sun seemed to blaze down on them and then suddenly a large dark cloud gathered overhead. Al looked at Jeb and they both looked up at the sky. They decided that a rainstorm was coming so they began puttering toward shore. Their boat had not gone far when the water started churning and then they were caught up in a whirlpool. They both held on to the sides of the boat in desperation but it tipped over. Al shouted to Jeb and he shouted back but then there was silence. The sun came back out and the boat bobbed on Crystal Lake.

Late that afternoon Mary and Joy entered the sheriff's office. Sherrif Owen looked up in surprise. He was no longer smiling when they informed him that their husbands had gone out to Crystal Lake that morning to do some fishing and had never returned. The sheriff shouted some commands and taking the ladies in his car they all headed out to the lake. The scene that greeted them was of Jeb's pickup truck parked on the path to the lake and the boat bobbing in the water. Sherrif Owen shook his head because he knew how this was going to go down. If only that darn lake could be drained if only and of course Jeb and Al were never found. The sheriff put up a sign that said until further notice Crystal Lake is off-limits to everyone.

Another Summer Another Tragedy

Despite what had happened at the lake the following summer and in the autumn the townsfolk were once again enjoying some summer fun. Three cabins had tourists who mingled with them and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Two teenage girls Janey and Molly were challenging each other to swim out to the middle of the lake and back. With long strides, they set out swimming. Suddenly the sky got dark and the water began churning and the girls began screaming. Both Janey and Molly were trying to turn around to swim back to shore. Panting and gasping and scared to death Molly reached the shore and collapsed on the sand. Janey never made it out of the lake. Once again the sun was shining as if nothing had happened. That did it for Sheriff Owen as Janey's parents clutched at her younger brother Mike. He came back to the lake with a large sign and hammered it into the sand. The sign said No Swimming Allowed.

Fencing Off the Lake

Came the autumn and Sheriff Owen knew some darn fools were going to go out fishing on Crystal Lake. However, by that time the townsfolk were already calling it Devil Lake after all the lives that were lost. So the sheriff had a chainlink fence stretched out along the property just before Crystal Lake with a sign that said NO TRESPASSING. Oh, sure there might be those that attempted to skirt around the fence and get directly onto the lake but he could not account for everyone and he was doing the best he could. That autumn a couple arrived who said that the autumn foliage around Crystal Lake was the most beautiful in the state and they were professional photographers who wanted to take photos. They wanted to rent a cabin for a week.

Sherrif Owen explained the situation as best he could and told them he could not give them access. However, they were willing to pay a considerable amount to be able to take the photos and the sheriff knew this was going to be good for the town. The couple Meg and Bob Rand from the capital of the state Des Moines promised not to get out onto the lake. They were going to take photos around the lake and walk in the forest. The sheriff let them in through the fence and they chose a cabin and settled in. That was when the mind of Hank, who was unfortunate Jeb's son started working. The couple had money he could score some bucks all he had to do was convince them that some pictures would come out better while they were out on the lake. He had his dad's motorboat and he was ready to be of assistance.

When he told his wife Linda about his plans she was very sceptical not only that but she was also scared to think he was going to go out on Devil Lake. They had two small boys Mark four and Brian eight and she didn't want to lose her husband. Hank just laughed and told her how much easier it would be to have some extra money around. So early one morning he headed for the lake. It was such a nice sunny day and warm for the beginning of October. It would be a shame to miss taking a boat ride out onto the lake. He met Meg and Bob and they were not convinced that it was such a good idea if the sheriff said the lake was off-limits to everyone, However, Hank was good at talking and finally, he made a deal with the couple. He said they'd all go out on the lake for about an hour and they could get some really fantastic photos

Out On Devil Lake

Hank helped Meg into the boat and Bob stepped in and off they went. Hank took the boat out into the middle of the lake so they could take some great photos from all around. Everything was going just fine and Hank was smiling to himself when the sky got dark. The water turned gray and choppy and the wind started blowing, Meg clutched at Bob who told Hank to get them to shore quickly. But when Hank tried to turn the motor it would not work. He grabbed the oars he had under the seat and was about to start rowing when a whirlpool started churning. It spun the boat around so quickly that it turned over. Then there was silence and the sun came out shining upon the lake.

That afternoon Linda arrived at the sheriff's office having left her boys with her mother. Sheriff Owen let out a loud expletive, Hank had done just what he was told not to do and this time had involved two people who were not from the town. He gathered his men and the firefighters and rescue team and headed out to Devil Lake. Sure enough, there was Hank's pickup and the empty boat bobbing on the lake. This time it was difficult explaining about Meg and Bob Rand and their belongings had to be sent to their home. Luckily the couple had had no children.

Draining Devil Lake

So here was Sherrif Jeffrey Owen greeting all the workers who were finally going to drain Crystal or Devil Lake. The pumps were set up and even though the surrounding area was going to be flooded for a while it was away from the town and for once and for all there was going to be no more lake. Jeffrey watched with interest as the men set to work. Slowly the water level in the lake began to lower. When most of the water had been drained away the sky turned pitch black from a bright sunny day it was like midnight. The men shouted to the sheriff if they should stop their work. Jeffrey was about to respond when an explosion shot out a lot of water, rocks, and sand from the middle of the lake and a huge horned creature emerged. To this day no one knows what happened to Sheriff Owen and all the men working on draining the lake. Devil Lake earned its name and it stayed fenced off and once again filled with water.