 I was never the type to go on road trips, but when my friend invited me to go on a fishing trip to Arkansas, I told him I was down to go. I've been fishing since I was a little boy, when my dad first taught me how to cast my bait, and I've always dreamed of catching big trout in Arkansas. The camp we'll be staying in is called Newlands. We're aiming to leave late Saturday. The time we leave all depends on my dad, Jude told me. I found it strange that we were leaving late, because the drive there would be eight hours. I guess in my mind it made sense, because the later you stay out, the less traffic there would be. So, on Friday night I packed my things and slept in late in the afternoon. When Jude and his father came to pick me up, I kissed my parents goodbye and told him I loved him. I woke up about halfway through the car ride. Through my tired and blurry vision, I was able to make out the words on a road sign because of our headlights reflecting off it. It read, Urgent Message, for Traveler Info, Tune into 1680 AM. That's an interesting sign, I said tiredly to Jude. Yeah, it's weird. That wasn't there last time when we came. Jude replied. His father tuned in to the AM channel without saying a word. At first, there was silence. That silence was somehow loud and eerie. And then, the staticky voice began playing. Warning, do not fall asleep, they're here. Reports of river crawlers seen in northern Arkansas. From the hours of 10 PM to 12 AM, do not fall asleep. Do not look outside. If you hear scratching in the ceiling, don't look up. Lock your doors. If someone is knocking on your door from the hours previously mentioned, do not open it. If you hear screaming from outside your cabin, do not go outside. If someone leaves your cabin at the hours mentioned previously, do not let them in until lockdown has been lifted. In the case where something from outside breaches your cabin, lock yourselves inside a room and turn off the lights. Stay tuned for more updates. The message ended. The car was left in silence. Was that real? Jude said, but was cut off abruptly. Boys, as long as you listen to me, we're gonna be okay. Jude's dad said calmly. We both nodded. When we got there, it was early Sunday morning. We fished the whole day and ate what we caught. I caught my first rainbow trout. I spent a few hours catching plenty of fish. I caught everything I ever dreamed of, rainbows, browns, brooks, and even a tiger trout. The river was plentiful and I was proud of myself. But soon it was dark and with the dark I remembered that radio message. Before I could remember everything that was said, Jude's dad called us into the cabin. When we went inside, the lights were off and the blinds shut. Jude's dad locked all three of us in one bedroom and turned on his lantern. We're gonna be in here for two hours and 30 minutes. I'm not chancing it, he said sternly. Dad, you're scaring me. Jude said, teary-eyed. We're gonna be okay, son. Just be silent. Keep your heads down at the floor. Just trust me, he said with a soft smile. Thank God we listened to him. Seeing Jude emotional wasn't something I saw often, so I knew he was genuinely afraid. And that's when the sounds started. First it was the footsteps from outside. At first they were soft and you could barely hear them. The footsteps were getting louder. I could feel Jude shaking next to me. And then there was silence. It's silence was broken by screams. Please help me, a woman called. They're here, please let me in. The voice cried. The voice had a dark undertone, making it sound like something was mimicking this voice. Then the banging on our front door started, let me in, please. The woman sobbed. The banging continued for another minute. It felt like my head was being shaken around by the loud noises from the front door. This thing wanted us to believe it was an agony. And then suddenly it stopped. The silence returned and then footsteps followed by scratching. It was coming from the roof. Don't look up. Look up was all I could think. It stopped, then continued, then stopped. It was like it was toying with us, begging us to look up at the source of the sound, begging us to check if it truly stopped. And then the radio in our room turned on. Urgent message, lockdown has been lifted. You are free to roam again. Stay tuned in for updates. I looked at the clock, 11.50pm. Jude began to stand up when his father grabbed him. He motioned him to sit still. So he did. That's when the front door burst open with a loud slam. It sounded as if the door came off the hinges. And then something began slamming all its weight on the door we were hiding behind. We all scooted back to the corner of the room. Then the creature screeched and the door gave in. A tall black creature on all fours bent down to come in the room. Jude's dad put his hands over our mouths. I was shaking uncontrollably. The creature had strange appendages coming out of its back. It had lanky body parts, skinny arms, skinny legs, and a slim oval shaped head. Its jaw unhinged. It had no eyes and it was roaming strictly off of hearing. When it couldn't find us, I watched it contort itself. The crunch of bones echoed in my ears. Right before my eyes, I watched the grotesque being turn into a beautiful woman. It had dark brown hair with a slim body. The most noticeable feature was its deep blue eyes. They were bluer than any ocean on earth. And then it left. Midnight came. True silence returned. In that small corner, we fell asleep. When morning came, we checked out the damage. The cabin was trashed. Blood from the creature's contortion act was left in a small pool in my room. The front door was unhinged as I suspected. The cabin next to us was less fortunate. Yellow tape was outlining the entire building, which was in worse shape than ours. When I took a glimpse inside from a distance, blood was everywhere. It covered every wall. Small bits of entrails littered the floor. Bits of flesh and brains were all over the front porch. There was no signs of life in the cabin. We packed our bags that same day and we left. That was the last day we stayed and I told myself I would never come back. I used my phone to do research on the creature that invaded our cabin during the drive back home when I searched River Crawler, a Wikipedia page came up. The River Crawlers of Northern Arkansas is an urban legend from hundreds of years ago. They are said to have lived in the deepest part of the Bull Shoals Lake. When the dam was opened to let water out due to flooding, the River Crawlers made their way into the White River. To this day, that's where they reside. Over time, they have adapted to technology. They can manipulate time, manipulate technology, and take the form of any humans they kill. The easiest way to spot them is their abnormally blue eyes. They mostly lurk during the night and they cannot survive in sunlight for long. It burns their thin skin and causes them to melt. I finished reading this in awe. Take form of any humans they kill. I went to the Newlands obituary. I looked at the most recent deaths in the town. And there, I saw her. A beautiful woman, dark brown hair, slim body, and honey brown eyes.