Black Lake was named aptly because the water was acrid, pungent, and murky black. Villagers and townsfolk said that the color came from Morag's scales. The monster shed its scales every full moon. The blackness of the water was ideal for some; there were aquatic monsters that preferred to stay out of the sunlight. The inky black water helped them stay hidden during the day, and they emerged at night to prey on their food. Therefore, it was never wise to peer into the water. You never knew what would pop out and eat your face.
Black Lake was no picnic spot. It was a place of no return, even for adventurers.
Pete walked under the moonlight by the lake's shore. Reeds grew out from the water, flanking the embankment like barbed wire. Larks screamed and the toxic water bubbled sinisterly. Strange animal voices echoed from the forests beyond. Occasionally, he heard voices whispering to him. He dismissed them as the breeze's murmur.
