 As a kid, I spent my summers fishing with my dad. No real friends yet and no where to go except outside. It was a great place to grow up for a kid like me. It was secluded, surrounded by nature, clusters of white stars at night and had endless space to explore and hide and pretend in. In northern Michigan in 1999, technology and entertainment were sparse at our house so fishing with my dad was everything to me. All we had to do was walk straight down our dirt road to a steep grassy hill at the end then set up at the old crooked dock at the foot. But my favorite way to fish with my dad, and what I begged for most, was cruising the open water in our little aluminum boat. It was a big lake, at least it felt that way when I was little. It even had a few small islands scattered around. One island had a little cabin in the center, which had an old sign jutting out from the shore that read Monkey Island. I unfortunately discovered that there were no monkeys on Monkey Island, but we did find an old log cabin hidden behind a patch of trees. I asked my dad about who lived there, but he said that the old owner, a monkey human hybrid, was taken away by the government a long time ago. My dad lied a lot to make me laugh, but I actually believed him about 90% of the time. My dad also liked to tell of the numerous lake monsters that could be found way at the bottom of our lake, which I inevitably became obsessed with. But I was terrified of deep water, completely. And in the middle of our lake, the deepest point was more than 120 feet down. At 7 years old, I couldn't really imagine how deep that was, but I knew it was at least as deep as the ocean. 120 feet, unreal. And by that logic, if there were sharks and whales and all other sorts of dark shadows lurking down in the real ocean, then who knows what could have been at the bottom of that dark, choppy lake. It gave me the chills. It gave me nightmares. I couldn't pass a body of water without my imagination running wild, fueled by my father's stories, which I soaked in open-eyed and open-mouthed. The thing is, I loved getting out there, even on the deepest part of the lake. When I was out there with my dad, I didn't need to worry about what was down there. It was like watching Jaws. Jaws scared the shit out of child me, but there was a barrier. The TV. I could watch, but nothing could get me. Similarly, I knew if any lake monsters wanted to head towards our little boat and reach their slimy limbs our way. My dad would easily catch them before they tried anything funny, as he so often told me. The confidence was due in part, because my dad was an excellent fisherman and adventurer, but largely, because when we ventured out into that dark green mystery, my dad always brought his magic fishing glasses. It was quite the show when he'd pull those out. On blinding days, when the sun scattered and reflected its light against the water, my dad would reach into his backpack for those glasses. He'd lift his shoulders up to his neck and slowly scan the waters. Just with his eyes, acting suspicious of any sort of sound or movement around him, he'd get me to keep an eye out as well, which I did dutifully. After confirming that no one was around to see, which was the case nearly all the time, he'd finally pull them out. Why all the precautions? Well, as my dad had told me time and time again, these were not regular sunglasses. These sunglasses were magic. You know the drill, right, son? My dad would say, as his eyes darted around the horizon, jerking his head all around and protecting his bag like a mother hen. Yep, I'd always reply. Then I'd stand and exclaim, hey, dad, would you please grab the bait? I winked and he winked. I love the ritual. Then he'd nod, lift the glasses from his backpack to his face, and press a pretend button on the side of the frames. Abracadabra. He'd whisper. I'd whisper it too. My dad made me believe that his magic glasses were highly coveted. Beyond that, really. Sawed after by all other fishermen, of course, but also the highest ranking scientists, investors, even the president. I remember the first time he started filling my head with this story. He told me his magic glasses were made by a magician. He told me the magician was fed up with the sun's glare on the water, hiding the fish from him and leaving his belly empty. So he cast a spell on a pair of ordinary sunglasses, granting the wearer the unique ability to see through the light, uncovering the fish. Why wouldn't the magic fisherman just magic the fish right into his boat? Well, when you're young enough and your dad tells you something amazing, you don't try to debunk it, even if it sounds ridiculous. Many of you likely know about these magic fishing glasses and might even have a pair yourself. They are, of course, not magic glasses. They just have polarized lenses which help cut through the light, letting you see below the water surface easier than you could without them. But as a kid, all I knew was that when my dad put him on, he would point to a spot in the lake where no fish could be seen with a naked eye. Then he'd cast his line in real one in within seconds. That's why I remember it. I was amazed. I wanted to wear those glasses more than anything, but at the time, he said it was forbidden. This magic is too powerful for kids, he explained. These would puff up your brain like a marshmallow in a microwave. I'd seen that many times being a destructive little boy, as my father well knew, so I didn't push it. I didn't totally understand the specifics on how the magic functioned, but I was a resourceful kid, not the smartest, but certainly resourceful. I knew my dad owned this magic piece of technology, which was especially useful for fishing. But what else could they be used for? I had some ideas, mostly ideas about what might go wrong should they fall into the wrong hands, since my dad really played up the hole nobody can know about these act. But suddenly, with the summer sun shining down on my head, I had an incredible idea. I knew that the magic stored in these glasses helped you see through the light. That's what my dad always told me. So, if I put them on at night, when there was hardly any light to begin with, I could probably see all the way down to the bottom of the lake. How had my dad never considered this? I knew this was worth investigating. I'd finally be able to see the terrible lake monsters from my dad's stories. Maybe I could even see some things dad didn't know about. The thought of disobeying him made my stomach hurt. He said I couldn't wear them. He said they were too powerful for me, on top of that. Someone might steal the glasses right off my face or out of my pockets. But I had to know what, if anything, was down at the bottom of that lake. It was a morbid curiosity to want to look into something that gave me so much fear. What would I see down there? Mile long eels, giant crabs with razor sharp pincers. Or maybe I'd see something cool like old rusted bikes from 100 years ago, treasure and long forgotten shipwrecks. Without a doubt, I thought, I could be the first person to explore the depths of that lake and all without ever getting wet. I remember laying in my bed a few nights later. I'd already snuck on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt after my dad tucked me away in my pajamas. That minor act of defiance had my stomach churning. My dad tucked me in bed with a good night kiss, a hug, and a bedtime story. And I was going to betray him, shameful. But I was dead set on being the first to see the bottom of that lake, to validate my father's stories. Afterwards, I reasoned, I would tell my dad all about it. I'd tell him about the serpent's tail I would see swimming away to the middle of the lake. The half buried treasure chest wrapped in rusted chains, the skeletons, and shipwrecks. I'd have my own stories to wow and amaze him, I knew he'd understand. I waited until midnight. I slipped to the edge of my bed, then tiptoed to our utility room where we kept our shoes, kitty corner from my bedroom. The utility room door was already open, so I slipped inside, then pulled it closed to muffle the sound of the outside door I would need to open next. That door was the loudest. It was too tight and always made a sound like a horn when it was opened or closed. After I was out, I ducked under all the outside windows as I made my way to our garage, which was just outside our living room. When I reached for the knob in front of me, I saw a light turn on inside the house to the left. My stomach flipped. Then I saw blue flickers and heard people talking. I froze. My first reaction was that the police had already arrived. Somehow they discovered my plan and were coming to steal the magic glasses. Coming to lock me up. But the curtain inside was open just a bit, so I peeked in. I saw my dad watching TV in the dark. It made me sad to see him alone in there. The blue light from the TV lighting up his face flickering off the walls. I really felt like I was leaving him forever. Like I should say goodbye. I don't know why I was so affected by that image, but it almost made me turn around and go back to bed. Still, I opened one more door to enter the garage. It surprised me when I saw he didn't keep his magic glasses locked away at night, given how rare and important they were. But I saw his backpack right there, sitting in our boat. For a second, I thought there might be booby traps, but somehow I managed to reason that it wasn't likely. So I grabbed him, left back through the door to my backyard, hopped my fence, and started walking. I just focused on the sound of dirt and rocks scraping under my shoes to drown out my worries. To create any kind of distraction. It was so dark that night. And quiet. I wasn't even close to seeing the hill yet. I tried going quicker to cut down the time, but it didn't matter. It felt like walking on a treadmill where you're not actually going forward. The panic started to set in. Anyone could have seen me. I cupped my hands around the glasses in my hoodie pocket to make sure they were still there to make sure nobody had pickpocketed me and ran off with my dad's magic glasses. I was already breaking his trust, and I shuddered at the thought of something happening to them. He'd never take me fishing again, I thought. But I kept walking down my dark road, lined with tall evergreens and wild grass, straight forward. Finally, I made it to the steep hill at the end. In the winter, it was an excellent sledding spot that shoots you right onto the ice. But now the hill seemed too steep and there was no ice to hold me up. Now it looked more like a cliff that dropped off into the churning black ocean. I remember getting down on my ass and scooting all the way down that hill. I knew the grass stains would get me in some trouble, but the thought of slipping, rolling, and falling in that lake at night and alone was certainly worse. Every bit of the way down, the visions of what might be down in that dark water got clearer. All of my dad's monster stories were drifting around in my head. I tried thinking of all the wonderful things the glasses might reveal instead, but the bad things kept making themselves bigger and louder. Giant gaping fish lips with razor sharp teeth, long, rotten fingers wrapped around my ankle. Suddenly, the dock was right in front of me. I could feel the cold night air and smell the thick black muck. I watched my feet as I carefully walked on, remembering where the missing boards were, where the planks dipped down a bit, where the wood swayed under your feet if you walked too far to the left. Not at all thinking about what might be in the water, not even scanning for onlookers or thieves. I could see the edge get closer and I got down on my hands and knees to crawl the rest of the way. I could barely see dim flickers of moonlight on the water, hardly any light at all. Perfect, I thought, just the right conditions. I unfolded the glasses and lifted them to my face. I did not magically see to the bottom of the lake. In fact, everything actually got darker. But then I remembered the button. After my dad put them on, he'd always press the invisible button and whisper abracadabra. I felt pretty foolish for forgetting that step. But I closed my eyes, took in a deep breath, pressed the button and whispered the magic word. I was afraid to open my eyes after. Anything could be down there, or I could see nothing at all. The walk home feeling disappointed and guilty. I waited there for a while, listening to the lake sounds with my eyes closed tight. The gentle breeze that swept across the dark water and rustled the trees along the shore, little ripples popping below the creaking of the dock. Then I opened my eyes. I noticed something out in the horizon. Just barely. A very faint blue light drifting towards me, floating just a few feet above the water. I was amazed at how well the glasses worked. I was right. But I was still confused about why they wouldn't let me see into the water. When I looked down, I saw nothing. But if I lifted my head, there it was. Way out there, the little blue light was above the water. I wondered if, at night, maybe the glasses had a different kind of magic. Maybe at night, instead of letting you see fish, the magic lets you see things like fairies, ghosts, and little blue lights. This made sense to me. So I kept them on my face as I continued staring out at that pale blue orb slowly getting closer. I was so excited at the chance to be the first kid, maybe even the first person, to see something like this. I started to hear a swishing, plopping sort of sound, like something dipping in and out of the water, sliding. The blue light was about five meters away, and it was the only thing I could see with the dark lenses over my eyes. When the dock under my nose was too dark to see with them on, all of my attention was on that light. Then the sounds stopped, and it spoke to me. Hello. I heard the orb say. It sounded a lot like a man. Hi. I squeaked out. I was quite nervous. I'd never spoken to anything supernatural before, and I wasn't sure what to say. That voice was throwing me off, too. What's your name? It asked, soft and mumbly. Alex, I replied. What a nice name. It says, but why are you wearing those things at night? Don't you know how dark it is? I started to hear breathing, then a little laugh. Well, they're magic, I answer. That's why I can see you, isn't it? I thought it was obvious. The light went quiet for a second, but it was still hovering in front of me. I wondered why this being didn't already understand the situation. Surely it doesn't talk to kids every night, unless someone else had glasses like these. That's right. I suppose I didn't notice. The voice changed. Now it was more drawn out. More mysterious and whimsical, like how a magic store owner might sound. Somebody with tricks and secrets. Magic sunglasses, that's right. Only you can see me. Isn't that magical, Alex? The smell of the muck along the shore got really strong. It was putrid. I could also smell something like rotten fish carcasses. It was so disorienting that I reached for my glasses to take them off. Wait, said the light. I paused. The voice sounded closer, but the light was in the same spot. If you take them off now, you won't be able to see me anymore. And I have tons of things to show you. What are you? I wondered aloud. My head felt fuzzy and I couldn't think straight. Am I dreaming? Is this really happening? Did I ever really leave my bed? Well, I'm the spirit of this here lake. I watch over it and protect it from evil. Evil, I asked. Oh, of course, the light explained. There's all sorts of evil things in the water, especially at night, even right now. In fact, I need to come out here every night just to make sure nothing is out here. Gotta keep you kids safe. Whoa, where are your parents? It asked. The voice started to sound a little different again, but I hardly noticed. This was incredible. The light almost looked shy, bobbing up and down, back and forth. I couldn't see a mouth on it. No limbs either. Just a talking blue orb. Something bumped the dock and I jumped. I went to take off my glasses again, but the light spoke in an urgent, almost angry tone that time. Don't take those off. It demanded. You won't be able to see me anymore, remember? What was that? I asked as I moved my hands away from my face. What bumped the dock? I put my hands in my pockets to prove to the spirit that I wasn't going to take my glasses off. There was no way I wanted to ditch yet. This was better than I could have ever hoped for. Just a wave. It said. Where are your parents? The blue light was beginning to sound less magical the longer we talked, but I was hypnotized. They're sleeping. Me and my dad live down the road. You probably know him. We both like to fish on your lake. Little waves lapped against aluminum. Yes, of course. You and your daddy. I know you too. See you out here all the time. The dark water bounced every little sound right into my ears. Like the lake was up to my neck. You know, maybe you could help me protect this lake. Help me guard it. I bet with those magic glasses you could see the evil spirits that float around here. What do you say? I didn't say anything at first. I was staring at that blue light, still amazed I could see it. I could speak with it. I couldn't wait to tell my dad about what these glasses really could do. But I started to hear my dad's voice on my head. Go home, go home, get in bed. I shook my head. You'd like that, wouldn't you? Me and you on an adventure. I felt the dock bump again. Night sounds faded in and out. My heart was pounding in my ears, an adventure without my dad, with a stranger, and I didn't even have the boat. How would I go on the water? I asked, looking for an excuse. I remembered how deep the lake was then, remembered what might be down there. My dad was so far away. I don't know, I can't get my dad's boat anyways, and I can't float like you. Sure you can. I'll show you how. It's really easy. Really? How? The light thought for a minute. Well, you have your magic glasses, don't you? Yeah, but just keep them on, and I'll pick you up. I'll carry you around the lake and you'll help me find those evil spirits. What do you say, Alex? I heard lips and teeth click into a smile, and I smelled fish carcasses again. I heard something shift. Something bumped the dock again. That time felt harder than I felt the dock dip down as it let out a muffled creak. The blue light was bobbing. Just keep looking at me. It said. Suddenly, I saw another light behind me, a much brighter light. It was so bright, I could see the entire hill now, even with the glasses still on. It was waving all around. It was yelling. I felt the dock give again, and I could hear something thud loudly where the blue light was. I heard it yell my name as the brighter light got closer, coming down the hill towards me. Is that an evil spirit? I asked, panicking. Is someone going to steal my glasses? My name got louder as the world around me got brighter. I had to take the glasses off. It was too much. I didn't want to see either of these lights anymore. I just wanted to go home. Wanted to tell my dad how sorry I was. When I took the glasses off, I saw my dad running towards me, sprinting. I'd never seen him run like that. He screamed at me to get away, to run towards him. He was crying and yelling as loud as he could. Everything was in slow motion. I heard a motor start, and I turned back to the water. I saw a small boat with a blue light at the front, and a tall, skinny man speeding away in it. He had a yellow stained shirt. I heard loud sirens flashing red and blue. The man in the boat never looked back at us, so I never did see his face. But I still think about it to this day.