Sweat dripped from Jason’s forehead as he struggled to paddle the boat toward the lake’s shore, but the effort was in vain. It felt as though whenever he was about to reach the edge, someone or something pulled the boat back to where he started rowing. Whenever he looked back, he saw the shadow getting ever so near him.

It started out as a lazy afternoon when he and Molly—his girlfriend—were out on the deck having a picnic with cheese and wine. A perfect evening. Molly joked about how fun it would be if Jason caught a fish to cook for dinner like in the old days, and the weather was perfect for fishing. He did have his dad’s boat from when they went fishing together. The smell of pine trees and summer air was too tempting to resist the lonely hours reminiscing about his childhood. He missed his father and still grieved his loss. He agreed and set out with some bait and a fishing rod.

He reached the middle of the lake and prepared the hook. His dad always told him, “Jason, this lake has its secrets, but the biggest one of all is that you’ll always find good fish in the middle.” He always winked as he said this. Jason smiled as he settled in, and as soon as he did, he saw them—an abundance of fish, enough for a feast.

The sun began to set, giving him an hour or more. He thought just two fish would be enough, but despite the abundance, none seemed interested in taking the bait. Yet something else bothered him. He thought he saw a face or a mask in the lake, and just when he tried to get a better look, the entire sky darkened. He looked up, baffled—it was just 5 o’clock. He still had a solid hour before it got dark. He looked for his phone, but something else caught his eye.

He thought he saw a figure moving—speeding toward him from the far end of the lake where the forest began. He stared at it for a minute, and suddenly he was filled with terror. He couldn’t tell if the terror was because of the unknown figure or because he somehow knew that this figure was out for his life. He started paddling as fast as he could, his heart pounding with adrenaline and the terror the shadow evoked.

Jason cried out in frustration. It felt as though the force wanted to drag him to the bottom of the lake, and no matter how hard he tried to paddle, he couldn’t get out. Amidst the chase, a thought struck him—“Why? How did someone manage to swim to the middle of the lake without him noticing? And even if they did, how were they able to pull the boat? How did he always end up back in the middle of the lake? And did he see his dad’s face in the water?”

Just as he had given up hope, he saw a light shimmering on the water and, eventually, inside him. He felt a sense of relief and suddenly found himself by the deck. He climbed out, never in his life more terrified or more sorrowful.