That Night On The Lake [SAFE]

Below him, deep in the dark water, a light was growing. It wasn't the blurry glow of a lantern or a fish; it was sharp, geometric, and impossibly bright. As it rose, the water began to hum. The ripples didn't move outward; they moved inward, toward the center of the lake, as if the water were being pulled down a drain that didn't exist.

The silence didn't stay quiet for long. A rhythmic thrum began to vibrate through the floorboards of the boat. It wasn't a sound, really窶芭ore like a heartbeat felt in the soles of his feet. Elias looked over the edge. That Night on the Lake

Elias reached out, his hand trembling. As his finger brushed the cold, vertical wall of water, the humming stopped. The pillar collapsed instantly, a heavy splash drenching him to the bone. Below him, deep in the dark water, a light was growing

The moonlight didn窶冲 just reflect off Blackwood Lake; it seemed to sink into it, turning the water into a sheet of cold, hammered silver. The ripples didn't move outward; they moved inward,