Must Be Something In The Water

It was about seven forty-five. Keith wanted me to meet him at eight o' clock. Keith was a very punctual and particular kid who liked everything to go in order, and on time. I think he also has OCD, I'd have to ask him alter.

Right now I was peeking out of my bedroom door and staring at my sister's door. There was light coming from under her door so she was still up. Hopefully she'll go to bed now so that I can meet him on time. Right now I just heard a lot of creaking which meant she was walking around her room. I sighed wondering how long it would take her to go to bed.

I checked my watch it was now seven forty-six. If I could leave now she probably wouldn't notice. I pulled my door open and then I saw her door fly open. I hid back behind my door and watched her as she waddled to the bathroom. I looked back at my watch and waited. By the time she was finished and back in bed it was seven fifty. I would have only ten minutes.

I saw the lights go off in her room finally and a creek. On a normal night my sister would probably be up all night but because those parasites keep her drowsy she goes to bed early and wakes up late in the afternoon. I was now free to leave.

I closed my bedroom door behind me and I heard creaking coming from her room. She was shifting in her bed. I made my way to the stair case and ran down them. I looked back to make sure no light came on then I sped to the door pulled it open and closed it behind me re-locking it with my key.

I turned around and saw my bike lying next to the stairs on it's lock. I unlocked it and then stopped. I was forgetting something. I unlocked the door to the house quietly and ran to the kitchen and pulled out my old night vision, and water proof camera from the drawer. It had about an hours worth of battery life. So I would use that for data collecting with Keith.

I went back out the house even more quieter the second time and then grabbed my bike and pedaled down the street towards the lake. I got to the lake around eight o' one.

"You're late." Keith said to me.

"Give me a break one minute." I said to him.

He sighed and handed me a flash light.

"What's this for?" I asked him.

"To see in the dark." he said.

"I know but the sun's not down all the way and you said you were going to be fifteen minutes." I said.

"I wanted to come earlier so that we could see if there was anyone around who knew what was going on before I get samples." he said.

"You mean spying?" I asked.

He nodded and smiled.

"Keith, you sure you're not trying to get in trouble?" I asked him.

"That's the last thing I want to do but the more info we can get the better." he said to me.

"Well, I have my video camera just for that moment." I said to him.

"Great and..." There was the roar of a motor that came behind us.

"Hide!" I said to him.

We grabbed our bikes and his behind a couple of trees ducking. A black unmarked van drove by us. The windows were so tinted I couldn't even see a figure in the driver's seat.

"Who are they?" Keith asked me.

"I don't know but I don't like that it's here. Maybe we should leave." I said.

"Nonsense, I want to do this." he said walking away from me lying low.

I sighed and followed him. A few minutes later the sun was completely down. I held up the flash light and pointed it at Keith and then the trail we was following. I was getting bored so I took out my camera and I began messing with the settings. I found the ones we needed for tonight. I looked at myself in the video tape and saw my glowing green face.

"We're here Alexis." Keith said to me.

I looked up and looked back at the lake. I pointed my camera towards him and pressed the record button.

"Anything you want to say before you get caught?" I asked him.

He just glared at the camera.

"Yeah, just to look out for me." he said.

"I will." I said waving the flash light in front of him.

"Point it at the water." he said taking off his backpack and then pulling out a jar, rubber boots and gloves.

"Want a pair?" he asked me.

"No not my style." I said looking at the boots.

"Gloves." he said.

"I'm staying on shore." I said.

He just shrugged and slid on the boots and tucked his jeans in and then he pulled on a pair of gloves and placed a jar under his arm.

"I'm just going to be in the shallow part of the water, so it should take no time." he said to me.

"Okay and I'll video tape you right here." I said.

"Okay." he said.

I followed him to the very edge of the water and pointed the camera at him. He turned back to the camera.

"Should I say something?" he asked me.

"Might as well." I said.

"I'm Keith Stevens and that's lake Alki." he said pointing to the water.

"What grade are you in?" I asked him.

"Tenth, and I'm in the chess team, math club, and..."

"Thank you Keith, no go do your science thing." I said to him.

"Oh yeah right. I'm going to take samples of water from lake Alki and we'll go from there." he said.

He walked over to the lake I watched him. He turned back around.

"Watch out for me." he said.

"I know." I said.

Keith walked into the water and wadded until his boots were nearly submerged. I pointed my flash light in to the trees and towards the rocks and the coves. The flashlight reflected off the rocks above me. Just then I heard a cry and a loud splash. I turned around to the sound and saw that Keith was gone.

"Keith!" I cried dropping my camera and running into the lake.

My pants, and shoes got wet as I splashed in. I saw Keith come up for air gasping and coughing. He was a few feet away from where he was standing.

"Keith are you okay?" I asked helping him up.

He coughed and wiped his eyes.

"Yeah, something knocked me down." he said.

"It was probably a fish. Or maybe drift wood." I said looking around.

"I guess maybe, hey where's my jar?" he asked looking in the water.

"There it is." I said as I saw the jar floating away I swam after it.

"Alexis, what are you doing you're in the water!" Keith said frantically.

I grabbed his jar and stopped and looked at him.

"Nothing happened." I said to him wadding back to him my shirt and jeans were soaking wet by now.

"It doesn't matter, if it's a parasite it could already be in you." he said splashing towards me.

"Oh... crap." I said.

He took the jar and pulled my arm.

"Let's get out now. If your mom..." he started.

Just then I stopped and heard a splash behind me. I turned around Keith pulling my arm and who was pulling me lost traction and fell into the water. He coughed and sat back up and turned back at me.

"Alexis... what are you doing?" he asked me.

I was wadding back into the water something was glowing in the water and was coming towards me.

"Keith do you see what I see?" I asked.

"What do you see? I think we should get out now." he said to me.

I ignored him the glowing object in the water was pulling me in. Pulling me closer to it. I saw the very top of the creature translucent but it glowed golden orange.

"Alexis get away from that thing." Keith said to me.

"Why?" I asked looking back at him and then back at the golden fish like creature.

I bent over slightly and stuck my fingers into the water to touch it. Before I could even pull my fingers out. Something wrapped itself around my arms and legs and dragged me to the bottom of the lake.

Keith's eyes gouged out and he cried out in terror.

"Alexis!" he yelled running to where I was just standing.

He dived into the water kicking around on the surface and searching for me. He came back up for air and looked around gasping.

"Alexis, Alexis!" he yelled through cupped hands.

He dived under and kicked and came back up.

"Alexis!" Keith cried and he began to panic.

Keith kicked his legs back and forth and checked under one last time. He looked around the whole surface of the lake. This was a job too big for him he would have to call for help. While Keith was swimming back to the lake.

I was being dragged to the bottom of the lake by this strange glowing fish. I was holding my breath and as much as I wanted to breath I just couldn't. My lungs tightened, my chest burned, and I was feeling light headed because of the lack of oxygen.

The glowing fish stopped abruptly and my eyesight was blurred and blurring. I saw six tentacles coming from the back of the fish and I grasped my throat I couldn't hold my breath anymore. I opened my mouth and inhaled a mouth full of water. Right before I passed out. A tentacle floated in front of my face and then it swiftly moved behind my neck and I felt a sharp stinging pain coming from my neck and then relief.