It had meant to just be some fun, we were on a camping trip with our families in a national park in Canada, me and my friend Francis thought it would be good to sneak off into the night and drift in the lake be it inspiration for a drawing or story the air was cool yet not quite cold we had climbed into the old row boat its outside covered in algae from constant submersion in the cold lake. We had rowed for roughly 20 minutes when we decided we were far enough out roughly a half mile in any direction my watch told us it was half 11 when we got there.

Francis had brought some things for us to pass the time including a few cigarettes she had hidden from her parents, it was just after she had finished one and tossed the end into the inky surface peppered with the reflection of the stars, as it dipped into the void holding us we heard 2 soft knocks thinking we had drifted closer to shore though when we sat up to look out we were still half a mile in all directions and not even 15 minutes had passed from when we first stopped rowing just as we thought it might have been each other trying to scare one another we heard it again 3 crisp knocks as if the mailman delivering a package *knock knock knock* when we felt our blood run cold as it turned to ice in our veins silently pleading to see a large fish or turtle on the surface of the water.

But there was nothing there, that was when we silently pleaded for it to be each other simply taking mick out of the other and just as we thought it was over, there it was again 3 loud knocks in rapid succession *KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK* when we madly reached for the oars. It was pointless. For a half hour we feverishly rowed at least I think as when I looked at my watch it was going mad the hands all going in different directions the hours clockwise the minute anti as the second was stopped all together as was our boat not moving; no matter how much we tried, be it rocking or rowing we were stationary. We were scared our skin boiling in the frigid night air now so cold you could see your breath a white mist in the darkness covered surroundings. Before 3 loud bangs *bang bang bang* knocking us both over and jostling the few items we brought when we decided to do something foolish we dipped the oar into the water, unknowing whether we wanted to feel something or otherwise when we felt something tug on the other end before being yanked out of our arms as if pulled with the strength of a hundred men as it sunk below the void now not even reflecting the starts very evidently still in the sky.

It was now that we knew this was not each other for sure, as 3 more resounding booms shook the boat knocking us off the floor momentarily sounding like thunder as the boat shook. We sat there for an hour the moon in the sky not moving the stars no longer shining as the boat shook once more now angry and violent. As I fall overboard dropping Francis’ journal to the floor of the boat as I can hear her scream before I feel something grabbing the back of my shirt as I’m yanked below my skin tingles the heat emanating from it battling with the cold surrounding me as I try and spin around looking at what has been tormenting us for the past god knows how long, its skin was a pale grey and its eyes hollow and cold as I saw its face I try and scream only letting more ice enter my lungs as its body swam around me swimming as if its body lacked joints broken and mangled, its arms were long and thin a singular one beings nearly as tall as me its legs even longer. Was it drawn by us? I don’t know but the image of it burned into my ever fading mind is horrifying