Mac smirked as he grabbed Jackson by the shoulders and leaned closer.
Mac: "Come on, big brother. You can't tell me you're not even a little curious."
Jackson stared at him.
Jackson: "First of all, get off me."
Mac: "No."
Jackson: "Mac."
Mac: "Jackson."
Jackson: "You're annoying."
Mac: "And you're boring."
Jackson shoved him away with a sigh.
Jackson: "We're not going."
Mac crossed his arms.
Mac: "Fine."
Jackson narrowed his eyes.
Jackson: "Why do I feel like that 'fine' means you're absolutely going?"
Mac smiled innocently.
Mac: "Because you know me so well."
Jackson groaned.
Jackson: "I'm going home."
Mac: "See you at the lake Saturday!"
Jackson stopped walking.
Jackson: "...What?"
Mac was already running down the road.
Jackson: "MAC!"
Mac: "LOVE YOU, BRO!"
Jackson covered his face with both hands.
Jackson: "I'm going to kill him."
---
Saturday came faster than Jackson wanted.
By sunset, the lake was almost completely hidden beneath a layer of mist.
Jackson stood at the edge of the forest with his backpack hanging from one shoulder.
Jackson: "I cannot believe you actually brought me here."
Mac grinned.
Mac: "You said you were watching me."
Jackson: "That was before I knew you were insane."
Mac pointed toward the lake.
Mac: "Look."
Jackson's joking expression disappeared.
The water was completely still.
Not calm.
Still.
There wasn't a single ripple across its surface.
No insects buzzed above it.
No birds flew over it.
Even the wind seemed to stop at the shoreline.
Jackson slowly lowered his backpack.
Jackson: "...That's weird."
Mac's smile faded.
Mac: "Yeah."
A wooden sign stood crookedly beside the trail.
ZION LAKE
Someone had carved three symbols underneath the name.
A claw.
A hand.
And an eye.
Jackson walked closer.
Jackson: "Those weren't in the story."
Mac: "Maybe the old lady left that part out."
Jackson looked toward the lake.
Jackson: "She left a lot out."
Then—
SPLASH.
Both boys froze.
Something had moved beneath the water.
Mac whispered.
Mac: "Did you see that?"
Jackson nodded.
Jackson: "Yeah."
Another splash came from farther away.
Then another.
Then another.
Three splashes.
One from each direction.
Mac slowly backed away.
Mac: "Jackson..."
Jackson: "I know."
The surface of the lake began to ripple.
Three circles appeared.
One near the northern shore.
One near the western shore.
And one directly in front of them.
Jackson grabbed Mac's arm.
Jackson: "We're leaving."
Mac didn't argue.
They turned toward the forest.
Then a voice came from behind them.
"Jackson..."
They stopped.
Mac slowly looked over his shoulder.
Mac: "Did... you hear that?"
Jackson's face went pale.
Jackson: "Yeah."
The voice came again.
"Jackson..."
This time, it sounded closer.
Mac whispered.
Mac: "How does it know your name?"
Jackson didn't answer.
Because something else had caught his attention.
On the opposite side of the lake stood a figure.
A man.
Tall.
Completely motionless.
His clothes were soaked.
His head hung forward so his face couldn't be seen.
Jackson stared at him.
Jackson: "Hey!"
Mac grabbed his sleeve.
Mac: "Don't."
Jackson: "Maybe he's hurt."
Mac: "Jackson, don't."
The figure slowly raised its head.
Its face was pale.
Its eyes were completely black.
And then it smiled.
Jackson stepped backward.
Jackson: "...Run."
They bolted into the forest.
Behind them, the lake erupted.
Something enormous slammed against the surface.
Water exploded into the air.
Mac screamed.
Mac: "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"
Jackson: "I DON'T KNOW!"
They ran harder.
But neither noticed the three streams branching away from the lake.
The first disappeared into the dark forest.
The second glowed faintly beneath the moonlight.
And the third glittered with something that looked like gold.
Three rivers.
Three prices.
And somewhere beneath the lake...
something had just awakened.