The Horrors of Our Mind [COMPLETED]

What Lurks at the Bottom of Bear Lake

I grew up with my grandfather always telling me his fishing stories, as I would drink every word he said, believing every tall tale. As I grew older though, each memory he would go over seemed to be less and less realistic, the magic faded over time. The last story he told me was about a 40 foot monster, rather than a four foot long fish he caught.

When he told me what it looked like, I could see the fear in his eyes, which had me wondering if it was another one of his tall tales or not. He said it was the same color of the beach, which helped it blend in with the sandy lake bottom, as the water is so clear you could distinctively see it if it were any other color. He said it had short stumpy legs on a snake-like body, but it had a head similar to that of an alligator. Even though it had short legs, it could crawl on land quickly, snatching up any oblivious animal, child, or man. Grandpa told me that was how he lost his youngest son, my father's brother. My father said his little brother drowned, and that his father was delusional. He also told me that his body was never recovered.

It wasn't too long after that story when my grandfather passed away. He had a Hemorrhagic stroke while driving his mustard yellow pick-up truck, which I own now. During the crash, the little truck got beat up, but I spent every penny I had to get it fixed up.

Now, I was currently driving myself to Bear Lake, to go fishing, trying to relive one of many memories I shared with the old man, as today was the year anniversary of his passing. I sighed and ran my fingers through my short golden hair, and zoomed pass each exit sign until I saw the one I needed, Exit 362. Soon, I could see the crystal clear blue water that made up the lake, there was no sight of a monster.

I quickly parked on the sandy beach and grabbed my fishing gear from the bed of the truck. As I turned around with my arms full with the tackle box, fishing rod, my chair and lunch box, I saw something large swimming off in the distance, it immerged from the water, but quickly sunk back into the icy blue water. I rubbed my eyes, not believing what I saw, it appeared as if no one around saw what I presumed to be the infamous Bear Lake Monster. I must have been seeing things, as my imagination was littered with the idea of the mythical creature.

I set up my chair and loaded my hook with some of the best bait around, then casted the line out into the cool water, watching the bobber move with the gentle waves. This sight brought a small smile to grow upon my face. There was a small warm breeze, and the air was filled with children's happy laughter as they splashed one another with the cool lake water.

This all came to a halt as I saw a head rise out of the water, darkened eyes staring back at me, staring directly into my soul, causing goosebumps to break out on my skin. Bile started rising up into my mouth, I quickly swallowed it in fear. This stare down felt like it lasted hours, but were mere minutes. After the moment, the head of the beast slowly and menacingly submerged back under the water. I was paralyzed with fear, not knowing what to do. No one seems like they even noticed the beast that has been slowly revealing itself to me.

The day quickly passed by, the sun soon started setting. As the sun disappeared by the horizon, everyone packed up and left, leaving me alone with my thoughts as well as the beast that lurked in the water. All of a sudden, my feet started to tingle, and they started moving closer to the water, bringing me ankle deep in the now cold water, out of my control.

In the distance, I could see the beast my grandfather told me about rise out of the water. It was absolutely huge. Just like he said, it was 40 feet long, and had short, stubby legs. The moon light lit up its light brown scales which glistened with water droplets. By this time, I was getting deeper into the water, about waist deep, and the creature swam closer.

I tried screaming, but all that came out was silence, I had become mute. I tried swimming back from shore, yet my legs walked me closer and closer towards the monster, who I was twenty feet away from. It swam closer and closer, soon unhinging its large jaws.

Thinking it was going to swallow me whole, I struggled even more to be able to swim back to shore, this wasn't the way I wanted to die. I always imagined my death to happen when I was gray and old. As soon as I was directly in front of the Bear Lake Monster, I closed my eyes and prepared myself for death, whispering my goodbyes and forgiving those who've I held grudges against. The monster screeched, and I opened my eyes to see it dive back down into the water. Maybe this wasn't how I was supposed to die.

As soon as the monster was all the way submerged under the water, I was able to move once again. I quickly started to swim back to shore, but all of a sudden something grabbed my foot, and I was dragged under water. I held my breath as I sunk deeper and deeper into the water, the moon light no longer shining at the depth I was in. As my lungs burned and the air I had left started passing my lips in bubbles, I recalled that my father's younger brother "drowned". This is how it must have happened, the Bear Lake monster drowned him and then ate him, which was why his body was never found.

Giving up, I let the rest of the air I had left release, and I inhaled the water, not wanting to the beast to kill me but have it end on my own terms. My vision started getting hazy, I'm not sure if it was because we were close to the bottom of the lake, or because my brain was lacking oxygen.

This is how I die I thought to myself. I then closed my eyes and let death take over.