 The last time we'd been there was for a father-son fishing trip. At the time, I had no desire in this bonding experience. I'd grown up resenting him as prior to that day he had shown little to no interest in me or trying to bond with me. It was, however, one of the few pleasant experiences I had with him before his tragic death at this very location. I'd heard the news that very day he'd gone on a fishing trip with some friends of his and their bodies had been discovered on the lake shore by another family. It appeared that they died from drowning, but that never sat right with me as he'd always been an exceptional swimmer. Unfortunately, there was no evidence to support foul play, but I didn't accept that. I demanded answers. The day I arrived at the cabin, it hit me hard how much I actually missed the man that I had resented for so many years. Through that one shared experience, I'd gotten to know him so much more and it never felt closer to him. I'd looked forward to doing it again, but unfortunately, that opportunity was taken from me. As I unlocked the door and walked inside, memories of that day hit me like a train. By the time I'd finished unpacking, my face was soaked in tears. There were stone remnants of our previous visit, such as the plates we'd eaten, our catches neatly stacked on the kitchen counter, and an old singing animatronic fish mounted on the wall. Later that day, I went out by the lake. I stood at the exact spot where his body had been discovered and gazed out at the large open body of water. Something out there killed him. I just knew it. It wasn't some unfounded theory that I had out of nowhere either. I had heard the stories. There was an old urban legend about some giant fish that live near the center of the lake. There had never been any concrete evidence other than some supposed sightings by less than credible individuals, and my dad was one of the biggest skeptics. I, on the other hand, was terrified to go out to that part of the lake so he made sure we didn't venture out that far during our trip. As an adult, I decided to put my fears aside. I knew that if this monster did exist and it was responsible for the deaths of my father and his friends, I wanted its carcass on my wall. After setting up my boat and packing supplies and a variety of weapons such as a speargun, a machete, and even a 12-gauge shotgun, I ventured out. After reaching the center of the lake, I turned off the engine and waited, speargun in hand. I figured I might as well make the most of my time and pulled out some fishing gear and cast a line. With any luck, the beast itself might take the bait. As terrified as I was at the prospect of the lake monster being real, I was ready for a fight and eager to take it down. Time passed with no luck other than a few small catches. I was about to give up and head back for the night when there was one final strong tug on the line. I tried my best to reel it, but it wouldn't budge. I initially thought that maybe it got snagged on something down there, but the line shot away from the boat at an unexpected speed. The force of the pole snatched the fishing rod right out of my hands. I quickly reached for my speargun, ready for a fight. Everything was still and quiet, not a single sound other than my breathing and the atmospheric sounds of the lake itself. Suddenly, the boat shook from an impact just below it, as if something swam at a high speed and rammed right into the bottom. I held on, making sure I didn't fall in, knowing if I did, I'd be at the mercy of whatever this thing was. I peered over the side of it and saw a large shadow was circling me. Soon, it approached me, and a slimy scaly hand reached out and grabbed the side of my boat. Panicked, I attempted to start the engine, but it kept sputtering. Another hand popped out and the creature pulled itself up, revealing the monstrosity that undoubtedly had killed my father. It looked somewhat like a man, but its skin was green and scaly. Its mouth consisted of four small tentacles that opened to reveal tiny suction cups and a sharp-looking beak in the center. Its eyes were glossy and blinked horizontally with slimy eyelids. I screamed in terror at this sight and aimed my speargun directly at it. I fired, piercing the creature directly in its core. It let out a gargled cry as it fell back into the water, black-colored blood pouring out of its dying body. I tried the engine again, and finally it started running. Before I could take off, however, more pails of scaly arms reached out and grabbed one side of the boat. They were trying to tip it over, but before they could, I reached for my machete and started hacking at the arms. A couple of them managed to pull their upper bodies out of the water, but I swung at them too, decapitating each of them. One managed to catch my arm with its tentacles, and I could feel the sharp pain of the beak tearing into my arm. I reached over and grabbed one of the spears and jammed it directly into the creature's eye. It finally released me, and it squealed in pain. I got the boat going, leaving the monsters behind. I looked at my arm, and I could tell that it took a good chunk out of it. I got to shore, grabbed my first aid supplies, and ran into the cabin, locking the door. After disinfecting and wrapping up my arm, I called the local authorities. I tried explaining what I'd experienced, but they didn't take me seriously until I unwrapped my arm and showed them the huge chunk that was taken out of it. I left that day, and I've never went back. Last I heard, there was a search team that went out to investigate, but just like my father and my friends, and almost myself, they never came back. I ended up going to the hospital for my injuries and was given some antibiotics to prevent any infections. I don't think they work though, because there's something wrong that seems to be resulting from getting bit. Last time I checked on my arm, I noticed the surrounding tissue was starting to change color and texture. I can't seem to stay hydrated, and last night I went to splash my face with some water in my bathroom and noticed something odd about my face. The color of my irises are getting pale, my skin is changing, and I've noticed tiny holes forming on the inside of my lips. I don't know what those things were or how they got that way. I don't know if there's some type of cryptid, the results of chemical mutation, or the host of some kind of aquatic virus. But I think I'm turning into one of them.