The lake is cold, slimy, and filthy.

You stand at the edge of the dock on a bleak cloudy day, looking out over the thick murky water.

Something isn’t right with this lake. It almost looks like it’s _breathing. _

The fog swirling over the surface. The forest on the other side beckoning you to run across the water to join the shadows.

You catch yourself from falling forward over the edge. You only came out here to check for your dog, but you can’t see or hear her anywhere. You turn in a circle on the dock and call for her.

You hear a faint bark echoing across the lake. You look across the lake and see your dog, standing at the edge of the dark forest on the other side. Her silhouette is wagging her tail. She wants you to follow her.

You don’t intend to jump in the lake of course, but you don’t know how you will get your dog to come back. You call her to come, but she just barks in reply and wags her tail.

You notice a little canoe on the shore close to you, and you decide to have a little adventure. You’ve never used a canoe before, but how hard could it be?

You pull the canoe over to the dock, and get in. There’s a paddle inside. When the paddle is thrust through the water, it feels like pushing through slightly congealed jello. You keep paddling, but the conoe isn’t moving very fast.

Your dog is looking a bit bigger now. She isn’t wagging her tail. Her shadows seem longer.

A splash of dark sludge in your canoe. The canoe is sinking, being pulled bellow. You try to use the paddle to come back to shore.

Your dog is coming to save you… running across the water? No, _slithering _across the water. The fog around you thickens. You can’t really see anything anymore. Something cold and wet touches your feet. There’s nowhere you can go… suffocating… petrifying… calm.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A couple hours pass and a hiker walks onto the dock. He looks out over the cold lake and marvels at how beautifully the sun reflects off of the water. The forest on the other side is perfectly green and frames the lake in a pretty way.

He notices a little canoe floating around in the middle of it. There’s no one in it, and the paddle is bobbing a few feet away. He walks off the dock and sees a pair of shoes placed on the shore. He wonders who’s canoe and who’s shoes these are, but he doesn’t have time to wonder. He appreciates the mistical wonder of this sunny lake. He takes one more look at the beautiful picture nature has painted, and walks off on the trail.

     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As he walks off, you watch him go with a little longing. You wish he would stay longer. The hiker brought a sense a familiarity to you.

You wonder why he didn’t notice you looking at him from everywhere… watching… waiting… craving…

You wish he had noticed you, for you feel so lonely…