" Alright Gregory, I'm going to need you to fess up now. So far, all you've done is waste both of our time, "
" I already told you officer, I didn't do it! "
"Oh, really? Witnesses say you and your friends were seen trespassing onto the nature reserve. Twenty minutes later you leave the reserve alone. Then the next day, your friends are discovered dead, and you won't even tell us what happened. If it wasn't you, how is it that you managed to be the only one to escape unscathed? Not to mention that you didn't report anything, "
" you wouldn't believe me, "
" I've been a police officer for twenty years, kid. Try me, "
" ...ok,...I'll start from the beginning, "
It was around 7:30, I think, and my parents weren't home so I called over my friends, Amilia and Devon. We were chilling in the living room, scrolling through our phones, when Devon came across a news article.
" Hey guys, check this out. Some lady was found dead in the lake at the nature reserve, "
" No way. The one that's supposed to be like, super haunted? " Amilia exclaimed.
" Yup, " Devon replied dismissively. There were rumors circulating around the nature reserve about it being haunted. None of which were ever confirmed, but the death of this woman made it all sound real. Of course, Amilia, the ever supernatural enthusiast, immediately came up with a brilliant idea.
" We should totally go there right now! Maybe we'll find something spooky~ " Amilia said.
" Sure, I'm down, " Devon said, not looking away from his phone. I'm not sure if he actually wanted to go, or if he was just bored. I sighed.
" Amilia, I think you've been watching too many horror movies. She probably just drowned or something, and isn't the reserve closed off anyway? " I said, not wanting to go out on a night time adventure. But apparently my opinion didn't matter because all Amilia said was,
" Come on Gregory, don't be such a kill-joy, " and then we took my car and were on our way to the nature reserve.
When we got there, it had gotten darker outside and my car was the only one there in the parking lot. And as expected, police tape blocked the entrance to the hiking trail. But Amilia and Devon just ignored it and stepped right over it. I stood there for a moment, the cold late october breeze brushing my face. But then Amilia called me over and we turned on our phone flashlights and started walking towards the lake. I put my hand on my neck.
An eerie silence filled our surroundings.
As we neared the shore of the lake, a weird feeling of dread started to swirl in my body,and invisible chains began to slow my movement. But Amilia and Devon seemed fine, so I just brushed it off.
I wish I had listened to my gut feeling, I wish I had dragged my friends out of the nature reserve and back to my car. I wish I could have done more to save them.
Finally, we reached the lake, and began looking around. Suddenly, Devon looked down and stopped in his tracks.
" Devon, what are you- " I started, then saw what he was looking at, a bloody ax laying just beside marks leading into the water, like something was dragged into the dark lake. I felt the color leaving my face. I could tell Devon was just as freaked out as I was.
" W-we should leave, t-this was a bad idea, " Devon said, his voice shaking a little bit. Amilia, on the other hand, didn't seem scared at all.
" Ugh, Devon, not you too! We're so close, I can feel it! " Amilia said, frustrated.
" Close to what? Getting killed by some axe murderer?! " I yelled.
Looking back at it now, it's kind of weird how persistent Amilia was being. Normally she would've backed off if both Devon and I argued against her, but not this time.
" Fine, if you guys want to go then leave, but I'm gonna keep going, " Amilia said, and kept walking. Devon and I looked at each other and I could tell we were both thinking the same thing; no matter how much of a bad idea this was, Amilia was still our friend and we couldn't leave her here alone.
" Amilia, wait, we'll go with you. It's not safe to be by yourself, " I said, trying to sound more caring than defeated. She smiled and kept walking.
" There's a small boat up there, we can use it to explore the lake, " she said. Me and Devon followed, and pushed the boat into the lake and all three of us got on. We rowed our boat to the middle of the lake while shining our flashlights into the water. The dark night sky made the lake look like an empty void. Eventually Amilia put up her hand, signaling for us to stop, so we put the ores back into place and silently examined the water. It felt like we were sitting there forever, until a putrid smell filled the air.
" It smells like rotten fish and death, " Devon said, holding his nose. " Wait...I think I see something. Shine the light over there, " Amilia shone her flashlight in the direction Devon had instructed and revealed something I'll remember for the rest of my life.
It was a person treading in the water, but their head was split open. Blood oozed out of the gaping chasm in their skull, showing their brains. Their skin was pale and decaying. And their eyes...their eyes were empty, soulless, like a doll's.
" What the hell is that…" Amilia gasped. We were all too scared to move. Then it slipped back under the water, silently.
Before we could get ourselves together, BAM, BAM, BAM. It started hitting the bottom of the boat. The boat shook and rocked more violently with every hit. And Amilia, who happened to be at the edge of the boat, tumbled over the side and landed with a splash into the water.
We waited
And waited
And waited,until,
" *gasp* Guys, get me out of here, I don't want to be in the water with that thing, " Amilia pleated. Devon and I started to lift Amilia back onto the boat, when the creature came back out of the water and began pulling her under.
" Gregory! Help me! " Amilia shouted. I tried my best to hold my grip, but every second she was getting pulled closer and closer into the water, until the only thing we could see was the dim light of her phone, sinking deeper and deeper. Then there was nothing. Devon and I were silent. We couldn't even look each other in the eyes.
" Do you think it's go- " the creature leapt onto the side of the boat and tore out Devans neck. The last thing I saw of him was blood dripping onto his shirt and life slowly leaving his eyes before being dragged into the murky depths of the lake.
Once it was under the water again, I grabbed the oars and rowed away as fast as I could and drove home. ….and then the next day the police are at my door and bring me here.
The police officer sighed and uncuffed Gregory.
" You're free to leave, " he said, rubbing his forehead.
" Wait, really? "
" Yes, and for the record I'm not doing this for your sake. Just...don't tell anybody about what you saw, "
Gregory was quiet for a minute.
"...yes sir,"