Stay Out of the Lake

Steer clear of the Round Valley Reservoir. Its calm waters and picturesque shores are nothing but lies, meant to draw in unsuspecting prey. Kind of like those flowers that give off the smell of rotting corpses to attract insects. Whatever is in that lake, it is hungry, and it lies in wait, ready to strike.

I genuinely thought that I wanted to end my life the day I went out to the lake. I'd woken up that morning to a Dear John letter from my now ex-wife. After thirteen years of marriage, she'd decided that she'd had enough of my childish antics. It's funny, though, because my sense of humor was one of the things she supposedly loved about me. Oh, how hearts can change.

After reading her letter, I called my boss and told him I wouldn't be coming to work that day. He asked me if everything was okay, and I lied and said that everything was fine. Told him that I just needed a day to enjoy the sunshine in the great outdoors. I don't think he actually believed me, but at the time, it didn't matter.

With that call out of the way, I threw on my favorite pair of shorts and an old Nirvana t-shirt. I figured I should be comfortable in my final moments. Before I left the house, I grabbed my car keys, my wallet, and a box cutter. A nice, bright orange one they'd given me to open boxes at work.

The drive out to the lake was peaceful. The sky was blue, the sun shone brightly overhead, it was the perfect summer day package. I couldn't remember the last time I'd allowed myself to stop and enjoy the little things in life. Even the smell of freshly cut grass drifting in through the windows was a pleasant accompaniment to the rest of the mood.

My train of thought derailed and caught fire when my thoughts turned back to her. That damn letter.

That's not fair. You're at fault, too.

I sighed and looked at my reflection in the rearview mirror. "I know that already. Thanks."

I pushed the pedal down harder and drove faster toward my destination. My mind was made up. I was going to do it.

At the lake, I stopped at the nearby Ranger Station and rented a small fishing boat. The motor was tiny, but it would get the job done. I figured it wouldn't matter much if I left a paper trail, so I paid with my debit card. It is what it is, I thought. Let my final bank statement stand as the only note I leave.

The mid-day sun rode high in the sky, it's warmth washing over everything it touched, but inside, I was frozen. Adrift on a stormy arctic sea, inside of my own mind. The boat was sailing, but no one was at the helm.

I slid the boat into the water and got on board. Then, I used one of the oars to push myself away from the shore. Once I made a little distance, I put an oar in the water and started rowing towards the center of the lake.

Man, you've really mapped this out, haven't you? Are you sure you really want to do this?

I paused just then and took a moment to reflect. The hard truth I came to was simple. She was gone, never to return. Without her, there was nothing else.

At the center of the lake, I used my oar to stop the boat. I sat there, staring out past the water's edge, to the mountains beyond. For a moment, some of that old spark bubbled up and tried to talk me down, but I wasn't having it. My decision was final.

I pulled the box cutter from my pocket. I slid the blade up and looked at it, again considering my options. There were still some good things in my life. I had my job. My apartment. My car. I could still do this without her. I turned then to look back at my car, feeling a sense of dread at the distance between us.

The boat rocked to the right side, as though it had been pulled down by invisible hands. I froze for a second and then stood and started looking around the boat. There was nothing. Not a damn thing.

The boat rocked again, more violently this time. I lunged to the left, grabbing the side of the boat and pushing down as hard as I could. I heard something slide, tumble out of the boat, and splash into the water. When I looked in the direction of the noise, I saw the bright orange box cutter disappearing into the murky depths of the lake, alongside both of my damn oars.

I slowly stood up straight, allowing the boat to balance out and took another look around the boat. There was nothing to see. I sighed and slammed a fist into my leg. "Damn it! What the hell, man?" I spat through gritted teeth.

Eternal seconds ticked by and I realized that I was contemplating ways of getting out and away from the lake. I realized, I didn't actually want to die. I just didn't want to deal with the sadness and pain of losing the only woman I've ever loved.

As that thought ran through my mind, the boat flipped over, sending me into the drink. The water was ice cold, despite the warm weather. When I came back up for air, I was under the capsized boat.

Okay. I still have air to breathe. I'll be fine. Now, how do I flip this damn boat back over?

Something lightly grazed the back of my ankle. I shuddered and looked down, trying to see through the murky water, but it was impossible.

Just a fish! It was just a fish, man!

The presumed fish touched me again, but then, there were more. They were brushing up against my entire body.in seconds. Then, I realized, these weren't fish at all. They were hands.

Hundreds of hands, gripping every part of my body they could touch. Their bony fingers dug into my flesh, some of them must have drawn blood. I screamed for a second and then, I was pulled under.

I wrestled and fought those hands with every ounce of strength I could muster. After several tense moments, I finally managed to get my right arm free. I kicked and pushed against those damn hands, reaching for the edge of the boat. The stupid thing slipped away from my fingers, and I could see the sun again. Somehow, I managed to breach the surface of the water. When I did, I was greeted by the sight of a Park Ranger on a much faster boat than mine, making his way towards me.

I waved my free hand over my head and he returned the gesture, but I barely saw it because I was once again pulled down into the water. I kept my right hand as high as I could. I could feel the warm summer air on little more than my fingertips.

I thrashed and kicked, but I could not gain enough freedom to get closer to the surface. I was going to get my wish, after all, and I didn't even want it anymore. I wanted to live. I was a damn fool for even coming out onto the lake in the first place. Now, I was going to die beca-

A hand, strong and sturdy, gripped my hand and pulled, hauling me up a few inches, but the hands resisted. They pulled me down another half inch before my would-be rescuer strained against them, stopping me from descending further.

I felt his other hand wrap around my wrist. He pulled so hard something in my wrist popped, but he managed to get me up high enough that I could get a breath of fresh air!

The Ranger looked at me with a modicum of relief for a split second, before his face twisted in horror. The hands were still clinging to my body, and he could see them now, in all their rotten glory.

"What the-"

Was all I heard before I was pulled back down into the water. The hands yanked so hard, they nearly pulled the Ranger out of his boat. He scrambled back to his feet and grabbed my hand once more. I kicked and tried to push off to help him, but I was entombed in those awful, rotting hands.

With one great pull. The Ranger hauled me back up out of the water. He held me there and slashed at the hands still clinging to me. A few of them fell away, and more followed suit with successive slashes of his blade. In moments, I was free, and tumbling into the boat next to the Ranger.

The hands shrank away and we both stuck our heads over the edge of the boat to watch them go. There were hundreds of hands down there, all clamoring to grab onto something. But, even more disturbing was the giant ring of teeth we saw surrounding the mass of disembodied limbs.

We both screamed and the Ranger fired up the engine and opened the throttle as far as it would go. We sped away from the center of the lake as if it were on fire.

The creature never resurfaced. We made it back to the shore unscathed. I thanked the Ranger for saving my hide. He laughed and said it was his pleasure.

"But, how did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That I needed help."

The Ranger chuckled and gave me his most sincere smile. "You came out here, alone, rented a boat, and paddled to the center of the lake. With no fishing gear? Seems mighty suspicious to me."

"Wow," I said. "Figured me out, huh?"

"Yep," the Ranger said. "You ain't the first, and I'm sure you won't be the last."

"Thank you," I said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "For everything."

He waved his hand at me in a shooing gesture. "You wanna go get a beer? I could really use a beer?"

"Aren't you on duty?"

"Not anymore."