0:02

Hey. Guys, Thanks for tuning in for

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this episode of thirteen. Before. We

0:07

get started. I want to shout out our

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new patrons. And you boroughs Kristin,

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you all so much for your

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the perks over on Patreon. These

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Patron exclusive live event. We're going to

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want to learn more before we get

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to the episode we want, tell you

1:00

about another show we think you'll love.

1:02

You. Can See Me in the Dark

1:05

is a true Ghost Story podcast

1:07

release twice a month. Know hosts

1:09

reading stories. no unnecessary banter filler.

1:11

These are story straight from the

1:13

source. From a Dutch Goth metal

1:15

singer battling a demon to an

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amateur anthropologists digging up a skull

1:19

from the basement of a Memphis

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bar. These are stories from real

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people who encountered real ghosts, demons,

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and the unexplained. Each episode is

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sound design to create an intimate

1:29

storytelling experience. Check. Out you can

1:31

see Me in the Dark wherever you listen to

1:33

podcasts. And. Now without further

1:36

ado, This. Month's episode

1:38

is beyond the lakeshore. Written.

1:41

By see Dane Brown. Are.

1:44

You ready? Sit. Back.

1:47

Turned. Down the lights, And.

1:49

Now. On. with

1:51

the show Shaela

2:17

was out of breath. She

2:19

had been running the train for the upcoming track

2:21

season. The brisk

2:23

air stabbed at her ragged throat. The

2:27

light of dawn had only just crested

2:29

over the eastern mountain ridges. A

2:32

gentle breeze fluttered through the trees off

2:34

the shoreline. It

2:36

was unseasonably warm this morning, so

2:39

even the usual cold air wasn't

2:41

there to cool her down. It

2:44

was her favorite spot along the

2:46

north shore of Flathead Lake. The

2:49

spring runoff had yet to happen, leaving

2:51

the shore open and smooth. A

2:54

near perfect area to train for

2:56

sprinting. She

2:58

was hunched over, resting from

3:00

her set while the

3:02

lapping of waves calmed her racing heart.

3:06

The road nearby was empty and quiet, waiting

3:09

for its daily travelers to overpower the gentle

3:11

sound of the waves on the shore. The

3:14

birds still nested, waiting for daylight.

3:18

It was the perfect morning. It

3:21

would be the last morning Shaela was

3:23

seen alive. Jeff

3:29

was a fisherman. He had

3:31

retired from his corporate job in search of peace,

3:34

and he found it in a fly fishing

3:36

rod. He talked to

3:38

his brother on the holidays, had nieces

3:40

and nephews he doted on when they were young.

3:43

But he'd been too busy climbing the ladder to

3:45

set down routes. Too busy

3:48

signing contracts to smell the roses. He

3:51

had no family of his own. So

3:54

he dedicated himself to one purpose

3:56

in life, fishing. fishing

4:00

was fun, and bass fishing

4:02

was rewarding and fast-paced, but

4:04

trout fishing was his life. He

4:08

had fished most of the US by this point,

4:11

but the emerald green of the South

4:13

Fork had captivated him the most. It

4:16

was there that he snagged a bull

4:18

trout the size of his leg, his

4:20

most prized catch. The

4:23

day was shaping up to be a nice one. The

4:26

spring sun kept him warm as the

4:28

glacial river cooled him down. He

4:31

had caught several fish with few casts,

4:34

and even fewer could be caught before his

4:36

limit was met. It

4:39

had been the perfect day, and

4:42

it was to be his last. The

4:50

rain pitter-patters against the window pane

4:52

as I sit here writing. My

4:55

fingers drum against the table top as I pause

4:57

to write each sentence. Listening

5:00

between the far-off clashes of thunder

5:02

for the tail-tail footsteps I

5:05

expect any day now. I

5:07

see the bushes by the fence whip against the

5:10

wind, and I startle, dreading

5:12

to see something that isn't there. I

5:15

rub my temples to steady my nerves. I

5:19

can't live like this. Not

5:21

anymore. My

5:24

therapist recommended writing out my thoughts, saying

5:27

it'll help me get back to reality to face

5:30

what happened, to

5:33

learn to cope and move beyond as

5:35

if that's something that anyone could do. I

5:39

know that he means well, my therapist,

5:42

or at least he wants to be paid well, but

5:44

still, I know that most

5:47

would say that this is fake or

5:49

even delusional. But

5:51

if it saves one person from

5:53

heading out on that lake, then

5:55

maybe my writing this

5:57

down won't be in vain. Gene

6:08

Kent floated through high school. He

6:11

had friends but no friend group. He

6:14

knew kids from each of the cliques but didn't

6:16

belong to one of his own. He

6:19

knew that the school had a principal and

6:21

vice principal but he'd never met them and

6:23

didn't know their names. He

6:26

knew his teachers well enough and they knew

6:28

him. He always turned

6:30

in his assignments, never needed help

6:33

and would always answer questions when called on.

6:36

But he never proffered any answers on his own.

6:39

He was the kind of kid who was told to

6:41

go to college because people thought that he

6:43

would do well there. Though

6:46

he had a 3.9 GPA, his

6:48

lack of extracurriculars or activities prevented

6:50

him from standing out among his

6:52

peers. His mom

6:54

thought that he would do well at an Ivy League school if

6:56

he could get in but people from

6:58

Montana just aren't cut out for it.

7:02

At least that's what our guidance counselor Mr. Grant

7:04

would say. Most

7:06

people from our class chose two

7:08

options, college or

7:10

the military. Gene

7:13

and I, we chose

7:15

neither. I

7:20

went to work for my family's business. Gene,

7:24

well, he just seemed to idle.

7:27

He jumped from job to job and

7:29

it's when he came to be a cook

7:31

at my family's place that we first truly

7:34

met each other. And

7:37

that's when I found out what

7:39

he had been researching, what

7:41

he was hunting down and

7:45

what ended up hunting

7:47

him. It

7:56

was April of 2020 during

7:58

the first wave of the pandemic. We

8:01

were still in lockdown as much as

8:03

we ever were. Most businesses were shut

8:05

down and plenty of people believe that

8:07

was all a hoax. Fight.

8:11

For the first month. You. Could

8:13

drive down the main strip. And see

8:15

only a few cars parked on the road. The

8:19

spring hayes was gone, having not been kicked

8:21

up in the first place by the daily

8:23

drivers heading to and from work. My

8:26

footsteps echoed across the glass windows

8:28

and wouldn't facades of Main Street

8:30

as I walked home. It.

8:33

Was during this month that are

8:35

restaurants shut down temporarily. It

8:38

was the first time I've had off since high

8:40

school and I wanted to make the most of

8:42

it. Most of my

8:44

social circle have left Montana. But

8:47

even the ones that state and stay

8:49

had gone to Missoula or Bozeman. They

8:52

had moved on with their

8:54

lives and here I was

8:56

twenty five washing dishes in

8:58

my parents restaurant with no

9:00

accomplishments and even fewer goals.

9:03

I didn't even live on my own yet. Still,

9:06

Rinsing the basement apartment for my folks until

9:08

I had a chance to figure out what

9:11

I wanted to do. After

9:14

what happened, I can't really recall the

9:16

events that led to Jean and I'm

9:18

meeting up their first day. I

9:21

remember getting a text and then ending up

9:23

in one of the local parks. After

9:26

that, we cruised around for a little

9:28

while until we got bored. Finally,

9:32

I. Remember pulling up to his garage door

9:34

to dropped him off. I remember that

9:36

he invited me to hang out for

9:38

a bed and what he calls his

9:40

man cave. The

9:43

building before us was a

9:45

standalone garage. The

9:47

white paint have faded long ago. And

9:50

in most places the paint shipped off

9:52

enough to see the bleached word been

9:54

he said. Seen in

9:56

I walked around the side towards the back

9:58

door. much like Just the rest of

10:00

the structure, the door hung loosely in

10:02

its frame, held shut

10:05

mostly by gravity rather than

10:07

the half across its face. A

10:10

single blacked-out pane of glass in the door

10:12

was the only window into the building. When

10:15

Gene opened the dilapidated door, I

10:18

first tasted the damp, moldy air. A

10:21

slight sheen of dust hung in the air for

10:23

just a second, highlighted by the

10:25

light coming from behind our backs. Gene

10:29

walked through, causing a swirling

10:31

eddy that raced behind him. He

10:34

flicked a switch, and a low,

10:36

dull hum came from above. A

10:39

second later, the light followed

10:41

the sound. The

10:44

concrete floor was covered with a faded,

10:47

rat-bitten rug. Beside

10:49

the rug, an equally worn

10:51

couch stood slumping into itself.

10:54

A small TV stood on a short

10:56

wooden stand and viewing distance from the

10:58

couch. My attention was

11:00

soon fixed upon the right-hand wall. A

11:03

thin computer monitor sat on a

11:05

long table, buried up to its

11:08

screen in loose paper. Behind

11:10

the monitor, dozens of papers

11:12

were taped, stapled, or nailed onto

11:14

the wall. A

11:17

few pictures were interspersed among the various

11:19

scribbled notes, a web

11:21

of thread connecting them all together.

11:25

It was like something out of a bad movie. A

11:28

picture of the lake taken from the North Shore.

11:32

A brunette teenager, linked to

11:34

a missing person's notice. A

11:37

picture of a middle-aged man, salt

11:39

and pepper hair, contrasting his

11:41

pale skin. I

11:43

turned to Gene. I

11:46

think you've been watching too many movies, man. What

11:48

is all this? He

11:50

glanced over to what had drawn my attention.

11:54

He gave me a look. There

11:56

was an excitement in his eyes. Don't

12:01

know what. Gene

12:04

started pacing in front of the rainbow web. You're

12:07

telling me that you haven't heard? He

12:09

about faced abruptly, leaning in

12:11

close to me. It's

12:13

Flesse. My

12:16

jaw dropped. Come

12:19

on man, Flesse? Flesse's

12:22

just a bad joke. It's

12:24

a cartoon lake monster dreamed up by people

12:26

like my parents so that tourists will spend

12:28

money on those awful little knickknacks. It's

12:31

even named after another hoax for God's sake.

12:35

Gene rolled his eyes. Nah man,

12:37

you just don't get it. Flesse

12:39

is real. Just look at this.

12:42

He gestured to the wall of pictures, starting

12:45

from the center and slowly working out.

12:49

So it all started last fall. A

12:51

runner disappeared on the north shore. He

12:55

gave a little pull to the string that was

12:57

wrapped around the tack holding the picture of the

12:59

brunette teenager. This

13:01

is Shayla Stone, all state champion

13:03

at the 200 meter dash. She

13:06

was just running along the shore one morning,

13:09

training like she always did, and then bam!

13:12

Gone without a trace. Her tracks even

13:14

washed away in the surf. I

13:17

was incredulous. And

13:19

so what? You think it's

13:21

Flesse? The tourist trap? Not,

13:24

I don't know, a girl that drowned

13:26

or got kidnapped or ran away? Gene

13:30

ignored me and kept going. Okay,

13:33

then just a few weeks ago another

13:35

one went missing. He

13:37

tapped a picture of a middle aged man. He'd

13:41

gone up to the south fork to fish. After

13:44

a few days, sheriffs are called and only

13:46

his truck is found, just stranded out there

13:48

in the middle of nowhere. His

13:50

brother called the sheriff back after he didn't hear

13:52

from the guy, even said to check for his

13:54

tracker, gave them the info and everything. His

13:58

face grew grim and serious. The

14:00

tracker? It was down too. Something

14:05

in his voice pulled my attention away. I

14:09

looked back at him and I noticed something

14:11

different in his eyes, a

14:13

gleam that I hadn't seen beforehand. We

14:16

were friends like most coworkers can be.

14:20

We'd done our share of complaining together, complaining

14:23

about servers not clearing their plates or

14:25

maybe about how busy it was that

14:27

night. There was never

14:29

a lot of life in Gene's eyes, but

14:32

now there was a fire

14:34

behind his blue pupils that surprised

14:37

and, looking back on it, even

14:40

frightened me. I'd

14:42

seen that gleam before in other people's eyes.

14:46

I'd always chalked Gene up as a person

14:48

that didn't have many friends, who

14:50

didn't have anyone to talk to about his hobbies. Now

14:54

he finally had somebody to show his creation

14:56

to. And that gleam

14:58

in his eyes? It pulled

15:00

me in. It sparked

15:03

my own curiosity. Having

15:10

lived in the Flathead Valley my entire life,

15:13

it wasn't unusual to hear about tourists going

15:15

missing, especially during the summer

15:17

months. While it

15:19

was unfortunate, a lot of people that

15:21

come visit have never set foot in the woods and

15:25

they don't have even the most basic knowledge

15:27

of the wild. It

15:29

goes like this. They arrive

15:31

to start their trip, unload and

15:33

set off. Then something

15:35

goes wrong along the way. An

15:38

accident leaves them in a precarious place.

15:41

And what do they do? They

15:44

try to rescue themselves. And

15:46

a lot of times, they end up further

15:48

in the woods and worse off. Sometimes

15:53

they haven't even let anyone know where they're

15:55

going. So when it

15:57

comes to looking for them, nobody

15:59

even knows where to start.

16:04

But that wasn't what happened with these cases.

16:08

Shayla was a local. She had a routine.

16:11

She ran every morning and lived less than

16:13

a mile from where she disappeared. When

16:16

she didn't show up, her mother called the

16:18

sheriff's office right away. There

16:21

were no other tracks found at the crime

16:23

scene. It was

16:25

like Shayla had simply vanished into

16:27

the air. Jeffrey

16:31

Corner wasn't a local. He

16:33

was camping out of his car near the

16:35

river deep in the woods. But

16:38

he took all of the precautions and

16:40

he had a tracking device that would ping his

16:42

location throughout the day. By

16:45

the third day, his brother had called

16:47

the sheriff's and the search began. All

16:51

they ever found was his car

16:54

still locked. Gene

16:58

laid all this out for me. As

17:01

he did so, a thought began to

17:03

coalesce in my mind. Why

17:06

are you so interested in all this? A

17:09

wide smile split his face in two. So

17:13

I know a guy who knows a guy. We

17:15

got to talking about this a week ago. And

17:18

before you know it, I was

17:20

standing in the impound lot looking at

17:22

Jeffrey's truck. I

17:24

took a look inside and I found the tracking info

17:26

in his center console. You'd think

17:28

the sheriff would have been able to use their eyes, right? He

17:32

shook the mouse on the table and woke

17:34

up the computer monitor. Let

17:36

me ask you something. What is

17:39

a satellite tracker attached to a guy

17:41

that disappeared up the Flathead River doing

17:43

on an island over a hundred miles

17:45

away? On

17:47

Gene's computer screen, in the

17:50

middle of the Flathead Lake, sat

17:52

a bright red flashing

17:54

dot. I

18:03

wanted to call the authorities, but

18:05

instead, when I left Gene's

18:07

place that night, we decided

18:09

to look into the flashing dot the next day.

18:13

Under the cover of early morning twilight,

18:16

I left my apartment to meet him at

18:18

the local boat launch. I

18:20

arrived at the north shore before he did. During

18:24

the summer, this loading zone is

18:26

so full of cars you have to park

18:28

on the grass median that separates it from

18:30

the highway, but

18:32

on this dark spring morning, it

18:35

was empty. I

18:38

got out of my car and lit a cigarette. The

18:41

lake sent gentle waves up to the shore.

18:44

On any other day, the

18:46

black sky and the cool air would

18:48

have been calming, but

18:51

instead, my mind

18:53

raced and I felt shivers

18:55

trickle down my spine. I

18:58

leaned against my car and glanced south.

19:02

People said the lake looked like an ocean, and

19:06

that morning, I couldn't have agreed

19:08

more. The

19:10

fog bank, highlighted in the early

19:12

dawn's light, poured down

19:14

the mountains. It

19:17

obscured the water both east and west of

19:19

here, and it spread

19:21

far across the lake, blocking

19:23

out the southern half of the expanse, including

19:26

the island that Gene and I were

19:28

going to sail to. The

19:32

lake was a silent sea, gray

19:35

and black. The

19:37

waves rolled quietly against the shore, wishing

19:41

to pull me in as

19:43

I stood on the banks. I

19:51

spent several minutes in that quiet before

19:53

Gene arrived. His truck

19:55

whipped into the parking lot. The

19:57

small aluminum boat was loaded haphazardly.

20:00

over the tailgate. It screeched

20:02

as the ratchet strap that kept it from

20:04

tumbling into the highway was strained. He

20:07

killed the engine and it was quiet

20:09

once again. The creak

20:11

of his rusty door greeted me

20:14

as I joined him toward the bed of the truck. Gene

20:17

took a deep inhale before cracking a

20:20

smile. Ah, now

20:22

that's the smell of adventure. I

20:25

took a deep drag from my cigarette. Whatever

20:28

you say, man, did you bring

20:30

everything? Hell yeah, I

20:32

brought everything. Everything and then some.

20:35

You won't believe what I found when I raided

20:37

my dad's stash. Here, grab

20:39

the other side. We

20:42

unloaded the boat by hand and set it

20:44

on a grassy knoll that separated the parking

20:46

lot from the lakeshore. Bags

20:48

were shuffled from the truck to the boat and

20:51

soon we found ourselves skimming along

20:53

the surface of the still lake. Gene

20:57

held onto the motor handle, guiding

20:59

it but using it mostly to lean against.

21:02

As we traveled, Don crested

21:05

over the eastern mountain ridges. It

21:08

started as light blue rays casting away the

21:10

dark of night. Then

21:12

it slowly transitioned into the

21:14

deep red and orange of

21:16

early sunlight. The

21:19

cold humid air began to warm up, but

21:22

not enough to take away the chill from our bones

21:25

as we continued across the water. The

21:28

warmth and the new light invigorated

21:30

my soul. The

21:33

sun had nearly risen when

21:35

we rounded a bend and

21:37

saw the end of our journey. I

21:45

turned to look at the island. It

21:47

was as beautiful as the Suncast Lake. Much

21:50

of the old growth had been removed, but

21:53

plenty of trees still remained. The

21:56

bulk of the island was overgrown with

21:58

grassland across the rolling hills. I

22:01

could almost hear the horses neighing over the

22:03

motor, but as Gene killed

22:05

the engine, the only sound was

22:07

the lapping of waves against the sight of our

22:09

boat. I turned

22:11

back to Gene and saw him pulling out his

22:14

phone and bringing up the tracking sight. He

22:17

spoke in a quiet, measured tone. According

22:21

to the sight, the track should be on

22:23

the island itself. How

22:25

could it be on the island? I whispered,

22:28

more to myself than to ask the question out

22:30

loud. Gene answered

22:32

anyway. That's the point of

22:35

adventure, isn't it? He

22:37

smiled and kicked on the motor again, bringing

22:40

the boat toward the public beach. All

22:43

right, we can land there and head inland. He

22:46

gestured toward a point on the island. It

22:49

gave way on both the left and the right

22:51

to form a small bay. What

22:54

do you mean we're going inland? Isn't the

22:56

island private land? Gene

22:59

raised his eyebrows. Most

23:01

of it's still public land. We're just going

23:03

to take a look and see what we can find. We

23:06

won't even go on or near any private land. Why

23:09

did you come out here if you didn't want to do this in the first

23:11

place? In my mind,

23:13

I began to ask myself the same question.

23:21

We pulled ashore without any issues, and

23:23

soon we had our packs on, ready

23:26

to cross the island. The

23:28

state had built several hiking trails, and we

23:30

followed one of them inland. The

23:33

beach that had been our landing spot quickly

23:36

changed into a woodland forest. Evergreen

23:39

trees pushed in on each side of

23:41

the trail as we walked, gaining elevation.

23:44

The early morning sun gave us plenty of light

23:46

to travel by, but the

23:48

hills on the island had blocked out the sun

23:50

and put us back into the cold. On

23:54

any other day, this would have been a

23:56

pleasant walk, but the mood

23:58

had soured. Well, perhaps

24:00

it hadn't soured, but

24:02

it had become disquieted.

24:05

We walked in silence along the trail, and

24:08

it wasn't until we reached the flat plain at the

24:10

top that the true width

24:12

and breadth of the island was

24:15

realized. To

24:18

our left, looking east, trees

24:20

crowded the hilltops. A

24:22

lush green contrasted with the orange and red

24:24

of the morning light. And

24:27

to our right, a large

24:29

hilltop loomed above, blocking

24:31

out our view beyond. This

24:33

side of the island was covered

24:35

only in grassy plains. Gene

24:38

stopped in place, nearly causing

24:40

me to stumble into him and fall down. He

24:44

spoke up. It says

24:46

the tracker's right here. The

24:48

two of us looked at each other, then

24:50

turned to the grassy plain for an

24:53

answer. It

24:55

didn't make sense. Wait

24:57

a minute. Oh, wait just a minute.

25:02

Gene perked up and smacked my arm,

25:04

sour disposition replaced with a smile. Hang

25:07

on, it's not right here. I

25:09

mean, like it is, but not right here. You get it?

25:12

I didn't. He

25:15

knelt down and began looking through his bag, his

25:18

frantic motion spilling the contents onto the

25:20

ground until he pulled out a piece

25:22

of folded paper. Okay,

25:24

I printed off a map of the island just in

25:26

case. I'm glad I did. Look at this spot

25:28

right here. This is where we're standing. Do

25:31

you see the elevation? I came

25:33

up and knelt beside him, looking at

25:35

his finger on the map as I did so. The

25:38

spot he pointed to showed 2,900 feet elevation. Then,

25:44

Gene shoved his phone into my face. But

25:47

look at this. The elevation of the tracker is 2,500

25:49

feet. So

25:51

it is right here, just 400 feet below us.

25:55

His smile was infectious, and

25:58

I found myself grinning at the news too. Okay,

26:02

so how do we get to it? He

26:05

looked at me, his smile only

26:08

growing. He won't

26:10

believe what I found in my dad's stash. We

26:23

walked back toward the beach and loaded up our

26:25

bags, casting off back into

26:27

the lake. Gene

26:29

gave me the motor while he sat in the front

26:32

and dug through his rucksack. He

26:34

pulled out a small black box with a cord from

26:36

his pack. So, I

26:39

grabbed this from his equipment stash. I don't

26:41

think he'll mind if I take it, it's

26:43

for ice fishing. He

26:45

finished unraveling the cord and pushed a button on

26:47

the side. A disorienting

26:50

vision crossed the screen until

26:52

Gene grabbed a small square shaped tip at

26:54

the end of the cord. He

26:57

pointed it out toward the water and

26:59

I saw the lake reflected in the small

27:02

square screen. Okay,

27:04

so what? We're just going to

27:06

put it under water until we see a dead body or

27:08

something? Gene ignored me

27:10

and went on. I did some

27:13

thinking last night. Either you

27:15

were right and the tracker had somehow

27:17

floated downstream all this way only

27:20

to come to rest in the middle of an island. Or

27:24

I was right and the tracker was taken

27:26

here. Now we looked on

27:28

the island, didn't we? I

27:30

nodded again. And we

27:32

stood on that exact spot listed for the tracker

27:35

and it said we were 400 feet higher than

27:38

the tracker. I

27:40

agreed. So there has

27:42

to be some sort of cavern or opening

27:44

or something beneath the surface that the tracker

27:47

went through. It would

27:49

explain why Flessie hasn't been found. She's

27:52

got a secret hideout. He

27:54

finished giddy with excitement,

27:57

having proven himself right, at

27:59

least in his eyes. own mind. It

28:02

did make sense in around about one in a

28:04

million kind of way, but

28:06

I didn't believe in Plessy. But

28:09

if the tracker had found a current, and

28:11

then another current, and another one, why

28:14

couldn't it have ended up here? So,

28:18

we set to work. It

28:20

was a long day after that point. I

28:23

kept the motor idling, trying my best to

28:25

keep us in one spot, while

28:27

Jean continually dropped the camera down,

28:30

trying to get some sort of look at the side of

28:32

the island. By the end of

28:34

the day, we hadn't found anything.

28:43

I was ready to call it quits after

28:45

the first day, but not Jean. We

28:47

went our separate ways with plans to meet up the

28:49

next morning. As I

28:52

returned home, my parents waved me

28:54

onto the porch before I could make my way

28:56

to my apartment. They

28:58

said that they had great news. The

29:01

lockdown was being lifted, and we

29:04

would be reopening the restaurant

29:06

next week. Though they didn't say

29:08

it, I'd worked with them long enough to

29:10

know that that meant my summer

29:12

would be booked solid. If

29:15

Jean and I didn't find what we were

29:17

looking for before we reopened, then

29:19

we never would. When

29:22

I called and told Jean, he

29:24

just laughed. Well, I

29:27

guess that means we have six days to find it. We

29:31

found it on the sixth day. On

29:42

that final day, that most

29:45

unfortunate of days, the

29:47

weather took a turn for the worse. Just

29:50

as it is now, with the rain

29:52

pitter-pattering against my window as I write

29:54

this all down, the

29:57

gray clouds that had marked our arrival to

29:59

the lakeshore. had turned

30:01

black. There were

30:03

streaks of decay highlighted by

30:05

far off flashes of lightning from the

30:07

south. We didn't

30:09

have much time. By

30:13

this point, we had stopped putting

30:15

in the boat before sunrise, choosing

30:18

instead to wait until it was light so we

30:20

could see better. In

30:22

our rush to find the tracker on that last

30:24

day, we skipped all but

30:26

the most necessary of items. We

30:29

brought the boat, gas, water,

30:32

goggles, waterproof headlamps,

30:35

a little bit of rope, and our camera.

30:39

We'd cast off from the ground only an hour

30:41

ago, and in mere moments

30:43

we could no longer see the shore behind

30:45

us. My hand

30:47

slipped from the propeller's rudder, and

30:49

for a moment, I thought that our

30:51

momentum would carry us over the crest of a

30:53

wave, send us broadside and

30:56

into the cold water. With

30:59

a quickness of surprise even myself, I

31:01

grabbed the rudder before we toppled and righted

31:04

the boat, pointing it back toward

31:06

the island. I

31:08

asked Gene if he was sure that this was a good

31:10

idea. Should we really be out here

31:12

today? Gene's hair

31:14

caught in his face as he tried

31:16

to answer, Come on

31:19

man, you know it's our last chance.

31:21

We have to work tomorrow and no offense,

31:23

your parents are kind of hard asses. He

31:27

said that we'd be lucky to have another day off

31:29

this summer, much less both of us

31:31

having the same day off together. If

31:34

we're going to do this, we need to

31:36

do it now. I

31:38

told him that that was exactly my point. It

31:41

was the last day of summer. I

31:43

didn't want to spend it on this damn

31:45

boat looking for his make believe fish monster.

31:49

Gene's smile disappeared. He

31:52

told me again that Flesse was

31:54

real, and he tried to stand up, but

31:56

just as he did, the boat crashed down

31:59

into the trough. of a wave, his

32:01

legs buckling beneath him. He

32:03

glanced up at me as he held himself against one

32:05

of the wooden benches. I

32:08

killed the engine and let the

32:10

waves take the boat in their grasp. Come

32:13

on dude, wake up! Blessy

32:16

is a make believe story. It's

32:18

made up. There's no sea monster in

32:20

the lake and there never will be.

32:26

We sat staring at each other for

32:28

what felt like minutes but was

32:30

probably only a few seconds. Gene

32:33

turned away from me and looked toward the

32:35

island as he wiped off the lake spray

32:37

that had splashed onto his cheeks. It

32:40

was only another 10 minutes further. I

32:43

almost didn't hear him beneath the rocking of the waves.

32:47

Just give me another hour. If we don't

32:49

find anything after another hour I'll come back

32:51

later and do it myself. I

32:54

guess it was the least that I could do. Besides,

32:58

we were already out there. I

33:00

was even nice enough not to count the 10 minutes that

33:02

it took to get to the island. The

33:08

choppy cold water slowed down our

33:10

search and the constant

33:12

seesawing made an already tense mood worse.

33:15

We searched in silence. Gene

33:18

kept his face glued to the monitor and

33:21

left it to me to navigate the crests and troughs

33:23

of the waves. Gene's

33:25

only interaction with me was when he demanded that I

33:28

place the boat in a certain part of the lake.

33:31

Even then, it was more grunts

33:33

than words. Besides

33:36

the constant thud of metal on the

33:38

waves and the far off thunder, the

33:41

wind fell still and left

33:43

me alone with a tinny whir of the

33:45

small gas engine. The

33:48

minutes began to tick by. Each

33:50

time I looked at my watch, I

33:52

could see Gene out of the corner of my eye. Soon,

33:56

his leg began to drum against

33:58

the boat in anticipation from when I

34:00

called out that the time was done. Then

34:04

he said something in a dull

34:06

tone. There

34:09

it is. We

34:11

sat bobbing in the waves for a few seconds,

34:14

registering that we had found the tunnel that

34:16

we were looking for. He

34:19

looked over at me. The blue was

34:21

returning to his dull gray eyes as he

34:23

came to realize what he had just said.

34:27

The sky darkened further. The

34:29

clouds behind his head were more purple

34:31

than gray. Look

34:34

man, we found it. He

34:36

turned the camera toward me. The

34:38

underwater picture showed a little color, but

34:41

it was there. About 20

34:43

feet below the surface, there were

34:45

cracked rocks forming the mouth of a

34:48

jagged hole, nearly circular in

34:50

shape. The picture, now

34:53

combined with the pitter-patter of rain, sent

34:55

a shiver down my spine. I

34:58

looked back at him and saw the smile

35:00

that had spread across his face. I

35:03

fucking told you man. He

35:06

jumped up, threatening the balance of the small

35:08

boat. Come on,

35:10

Gene. Look at the sky. We can't do

35:13

this today. No, no, no. The deal was

35:15

that if I didn't find anything in an

35:17

hour, we'd go home. We found something. We

35:19

need to check it out. I

35:22

wanted to disagree. After all,

35:24

I'd given him more than an hour, but

35:27

I knew that that wouldn't matter. He

35:30

kept going. Come on, man.

35:32

Are you serious right now? We

35:34

can manage a quick swim down there. We'll just

35:36

poke our heads in and see what it looks

35:38

like. You just can't handle it if I'm

35:41

right, can you? He

35:43

smirked again, and I

35:45

knew that my argument was lost.

35:48

Fine, we'll do it. But it

35:51

has to be quick. I

35:53

looked around at the sky above us. We

35:56

Don't know what it's gonna look like out here when we come back

35:58

up. If

36:00

only I had known. The

36:08

rain was pouring soaking are

36:10

close. We shifted around the

36:13

increasingly unstable boat. Team

36:15

looked at me to as garbles,

36:17

raindrops are falling down and rivets

36:20

across our faces and we were

36:22

smiling about our discovery. The

36:25

rumble of thunder began over us.

36:27

The wind picked up and flung

36:29

raindrops sideways across the air. The

36:33

waves where violence rocking us over

36:35

the crest and slamming us back

36:37

down into the troughs. Standing water

36:40

had completely soaked our shoes and

36:42

I felt my quickly pruning toes

36:44

legal against. My damp sex. Scene

36:47

gave me a work okay, remembered to

36:49

two axe and start pulling me back.

36:51

I shouldn't be gone for more than

36:53

a minute. Team gave

36:56

me one curt nod and I

36:58

returned them. I finished tying up

37:00

the road to the add to

37:02

the boat and then he jumped

37:04

dead. I

37:07

said swearing on that rocking

37:09

boat for over a minutes

37:11

and then another minutes and

37:13

then a third. I felt

37:15

no tugging on the room.

37:18

I'd been able to see teens waterproof, have

37:21

lived for only the briefest of moments as

37:23

he slipped beneath the black ways. A

37:26

cold panic began to sedan and

37:28

my hands began to say. I

37:31

was white knuckling the little row. I

37:34

clamped a between my hands, ready to

37:36

pull the moment I felt one tag,

37:39

much less to. The

37:41

nature of our predicament rang

37:44

out in my head. He

37:46

or I stood in the

37:48

middle of a massive spring

37:50

storm, holding onto the only

37:52

lifeline for my friend, searching

37:54

for a tunnel nobody knows

37:56

about. And here's the kicker:

37:58

We broke the for roll.

38:02

Neither of us told

38:04

anybody where we were.

38:11

The possibilities began to run through my

38:14

mind. Maybe he was pulled far into

38:16

the lake and had let go of

38:18

the road. I looked across the crashing

38:21

waves for a head bobbing in the

38:23

water. by heartfelt as my seat slipped

38:25

out from under me casting me to

38:28

the side of above where I smack

38:30

my head. In a single moment I

38:32

laid staring at the black clouds above

38:34

me. I felt the lightness of my

38:37

body resting in the cool water the

38:39

gentle rocking seem to send be. Far

38:41

up into the sky. What

38:44

if he was tangled in the weeds at

38:46

the bottom screaming for help without air? I

38:49

twisted against the bottom of the both, splintering

38:52

my arm against the wouldn't seat as I

38:54

pulled my so far. I

38:56

grabbed the pack beside me, shoving my

38:58

hand and side and so I felt

39:01

the second pair of goggles and with

39:03

them over my head, I leaned over

39:05

the edge, impressed by faith, into the

39:07

water, punching my head below the surface

39:10

and looking for a light. Any light

39:12

to see if he was there. I

39:16

pulled my head up out of the water and through

39:18

my god or down by my son. I

39:21

move back to the rope, gripping

39:23

it with my hands once more

39:25

and I slumped to the bottom

39:28

of the boat, orienting myself. It

39:30

took a few moments for me

39:32

to open my eyes and see

39:34

it. The waterproof Rome was pulling

39:37

against my hands into sharp sucks.

39:48

Seen climbed into the boat and he saw

39:51

the blood streaming from my forehead. he

39:53

asked me what happened and i didn't wanna

39:55

tell him the truth i didn't want to

39:58

tell him that i panicked and slipped Instead,

40:01

I told him that I was looking over the edge

40:03

of the boat, when a wave caught

40:05

me and caused me to smack my head into

40:07

the side. I shouldn't have

40:09

bothered. Gene didn't seem to care. He

40:12

was too eager to tell me what he'd found. He

40:15

asked me if I could manage diving with the camera, and

40:18

then he changed his mind and asked me to throw it

40:20

into a pack and strap it against him. That

40:23

way we would have everything that we needed while we were down there.

40:26

He looked back over at me. I

40:28

was looking at him confused. He

40:30

looked up at me when I didn't answer, and

40:33

then he told me what he found. He

40:35

said that the tunnel leads to

40:38

a cave. A

40:40

smile came over his face. Gene

40:43

shook the camera in his hands. I

40:45

was right, man. Vlessi's down there. We're going

40:47

to be the first ones to prove it. The

40:50

boat rocked one more time, threatening

40:52

to toss Gene and I overboard. After

40:56

setting ourselves, I stood there, gesturing

40:59

between the black water and the blackening

41:01

sky. Shaking

41:03

my head, a sentence just tried and failed to

41:06

come out of my mouth. All

41:08

I could manage was a dejected sigh.

41:12

Gene spoke up again. Don't

41:14

worry. I have an idea.

41:16

He grabbed the edge of the rope that he'd originally

41:18

taken with him. He put

41:20

the bag around his back and wrapped the rope

41:22

a few times around his arm. Give

41:25

me a few minutes and wait until I tug on

41:27

this again, and then just follow behind. It'll

41:30

keep the boat in place and align for you to follow.

41:32

Easy, right? Again,

41:35

before I had a chance to respond, Gene

41:38

disappeared beneath the black surface. A

41:41

few minutes later, I felt the

41:43

sharp tug signaling the all clear. I

41:46

stood on top of the prow, ready to

41:48

dive below. I felt

41:51

my feet leave the safety of our dinghy. A

41:54

crack of lightning peeled across the sky behind

41:56

me, casting my

41:58

shadow against the the surface of

42:00

the lake. Underwater

42:07

my headlamp beam cut through the darkness, highlighting

42:10

the tunnel opening as I swam toward it.

42:13

The cracked rocks grabbed at my arm and

42:15

the current brushed me against it, threatening

42:18

to pull me back into the lake as I tried

42:20

to move through. My

42:23

hands struggled to hold onto the rope. I

42:26

tugged myself through the mouth of the cave. The

42:29

deep waters weren't like the choppy, twisting

42:31

waters on the surface. The

42:34

sounds from above, the thunder

42:36

blasting against the mountains. It

42:39

hadn't followed us down here. While

42:41

the occasional streak of lightning flashed behind

42:43

me, only the light cast

42:46

from my headlamp could be seen inside the

42:48

tunnel. Warm salty

42:50

water played at my lips as I struggled

42:52

through. It was the taste of

42:54

the blood from my head, mixing with

42:56

the lake. I

42:58

reached out to touch the walls and

43:01

found them surprisingly smooth. There

43:04

was an oil-like film coating everything,

43:06

leaving my hand feeling slick in spite of

43:08

the water surrounding me. At

43:11

last, I found myself rounding a

43:13

corner, quickly heading upwards.

43:16

When I surfaced, I was in

43:18

some sort of natural grotto. I

43:21

gulped down the air and immediately began

43:23

to retch. It was

43:25

humid and dank with the smell of

43:27

fungus. The smell

43:30

laid across the cave like a still

43:32

blanket, each breath leaving

43:34

a stale sour taste in my mouth. Between

43:38

these deep acrid breaths, I

43:40

looked around the room. The

43:43

ceiling of the cave was far above the

43:45

surface. The light from

43:47

my headlamp disappeared in the shadows at the

43:49

top. The lag tights

43:51

dripped from the inky blackness. The

43:54

wet sour taste in my mouth spread

43:56

to my nose. Each

43:59

breath burned down. My nostrils and

44:01

made my know the T. It

44:03

was only exacerbated as I searched

44:06

the underwater sky. I

44:08

look back down, seeing Jean and

44:10

swimming toward him. He

44:13

stood on a short ledge at the edge of the

44:15

water. I pulled myself

44:17

up despite that oily sensation

44:19

covering this purchase well. I

44:22

looked around and my had been cast

44:25

a thin ray across the room. There

44:27

was some kind of seen that reflected

44:29

the light across the surface of the

44:31

cave was. It was on the

44:33

water to. As I

44:35

move my lamp away, a fungus

44:38

on the walls cast a pale

44:40

green glow around the whole cavern.

44:43

I pulled genes attention away from his

44:45

past and after a brief moment scene

44:48

and I looked at each other with

44:50

the same thought. We.

44:52

Turned our lights out and

44:55

the entire castle burst with

44:57

the green flair. Beneath

45:02

his green glow seen continued to

45:05

unpack is clear. And rolling

45:07

a waterproof back and pulling his phone out

45:09

of it. I saw the

45:11

new fleshy sticker that scene and put on

45:13

his case earlier in the week. And

45:16

it was my turn to smile. Though

45:18

I may have been wrong about this

45:21

cave, I was still certain that fleshy

45:23

wasn't real. I

45:25

moved away from him and went over

45:27

to examine the walls and deaths. My

45:30

shoes made a squishy sound and

45:32

a barely echoed out the fungus

45:34

lines, cave walls, I

45:37

turned my headlamp balco despite the

45:39

fact that the fungus continued it's

45:41

green glow. As

45:43

I did, a slight hissing

45:45

noise echoed all around. The

45:48

light passed over the fungus

45:51

and the green glow start

45:53

disappearing beneath the harsher ladies.

45:56

i reached out to touch it and

45:58

found it delicately sauce My

46:01

hand crushing the little fibers between

46:03

my fingers. They

46:05

wicked away the oil that I had picked up from

46:07

the tunnel wall, and for a

46:09

moment, I felt as

46:11

though it wiggled with excitement. Or

46:15

with hunger. I turned

46:17

back to Gene. He was holding

46:20

his phone up high, taking a video

46:22

of himself with the green glow behind him. He

46:25

introduced himself like he was making a

46:27

YouTube video. My

46:30

jaw dropped. From

46:32

across the cavern, I raised my

46:34

hands up and shook my head in

46:36

confusion. Gene was

46:38

still talking to his phone, saying

46:40

that he had evidence that Plessy was real.

46:44

I began to walk back across the cavern

46:46

toward Gene to ask him what he was

46:48

doing when my attention was drawn toward a

46:51

cut in the cavern wall. I

46:54

turned to look inside, and I

46:56

found the crack in the wall continued further than

46:59

just a few feet. In

47:01

fact, it looked to be another

47:03

tunnel. Hey, Gene,

47:06

look at this. I

47:09

turned back around and found Gene staring

47:11

at me. Dude, what

47:13

the hell? You just ruined my shot. He

47:16

shook his head and frowned, starting to

47:18

mess with his phone again. I

47:21

gestured at the cut in the wall behind me. Dude,

47:24

I think it's another tunnel. Instead

47:27

of keeping on with his phone, Gene

47:30

put it back in his pocket and started to

47:32

squish his way over to me. By

47:35

the time he was by my side, I'd

47:37

cast enough light into the tunnel that

47:39

the fungus inside of it was glowing.

47:42

It stretched beyond the cavern's wall before twisting

47:45

out of sight. I

47:47

looked over at Gene. Should

47:49

we check it out? He

47:51

looked back to his pack. I don't

47:53

know, man. Plessy couldn't fit in this.

47:56

And If she isn't in the main cavern, then that must mean

47:58

she's out in the lake right now? I

48:00

wouldn't be perfect if we got like a shot of her

48:02

coming up our the water. By.

48:05

This point I was excited to keep

48:07

going, so I decided to humor Gene.

48:10

Okay, well what if you set up your phone

48:12

so there was recording just in case you missed

48:14

about how we get back. I

48:17

still have the hard to tell him that I

48:19

didn't believe the fleshy was real or that we

48:21

weren't going to find anything down here. But

48:25

after a moment he nodded, mentioning

48:27

that maybe if we were still

48:29

here when Fleshy came back, our

48:31

smell would keep her away. I.

48:33

Know it along. The. Mm.

48:35

maybe you're right, After

48:38

all, He was the expert.

48:46

Less than a minute later, we were squeezing

48:48

through the crack in the wall. That

48:51

same oil like substance who's out

48:53

of the crack and well it's

48:55

smell bad and tasted worse. It

48:57

did help us manage our way

48:59

to the small gap. The

49:02

walls of this tunnel were covered with

49:04

the same fungus as before. They were

49:06

pockmarked. That line did at random intervals,

49:09

none of which for larger than a

49:11

foot across. The

49:13

fungus didn't grow in these offshoots,

49:15

instead a steady deposit of oil

49:18

drips out of each one. The

49:21

further that we went into the

49:23

tunnel the more holes appeared. Also,

49:26

the air was steadily growing warmer

49:28

and that so that had settled

49:30

over us was dissipating. Our pace

49:32

quickens with the wars and we

49:34

followed the green trail in front

49:37

of us, content to walk without

49:39

our lights on the need to

49:41

soft glow. It's

49:43

only now writing it all down

49:45

and looking back on it then

49:47

I realized that we had missed

49:49

or most important warning. It

49:53

wasn't a strange surroundings to we found

49:55

ourselves and. It wasn't the

49:57

growing warms. It was so we

49:59

had forgotten. The reason that we had come

50:01

to this place to begin with. Are

50:05

working theory was that the

50:07

tracker we were looking for

50:09

had floated underneath the island

50:11

through the tunnel and ended

50:13

up getting stuck. But how

50:15

could it have floated down

50:17

here if the tunnel that

50:19

we were walking through had

50:22

no running water? Far

50:30

inland, we rounded a corner and

50:32

found the end of the second

50:35

and final tunnel. It

50:38

spilled out into a much larger cavern

50:41

than the first one. A

50:43

dripping sound echoed off the walls.

50:47

So lag mites weeps themselves

50:49

up from the floor all

50:51

around the room, obscuring the

50:53

edges in darkness. We sat

50:55

beside around and over the

50:57

amounts of rock as we

51:00

made our way through the

51:02

cavern there with no fungus

51:04

clinging to these walls and

51:06

the pale green light. Died

51:09

as we walked deeper. We

51:12

clicked our lights on, but unlike the

51:14

other cavern, this one was too large

51:17

for our beams to see the end.

51:20

As we stepped in, our

51:22

lights barbed with us. Shadows

51:24

moved and danced. The

51:27

walls and this cavern more

51:29

so than the tunnel, held

51:31

scores of pockmarks. The

51:34

squish beneath our shoes was replaced

51:36

with a slick sound. The floor

51:38

was covered with excel. At

51:41

the end of the cavern,

51:44

nested in a shallow pool

51:46

of oil slick fluid where

51:48

the remains of a middle

51:50

aged man. Dark

51:53

tattered rags hung off of is bloated

51:55

body. Quip down to

51:58

the pants was a small place. Device

52:00

the track of the we have

52:02

been looking for. The

52:04

pale white flash held only a single

52:07

block of dark skin on one of

52:09

his arms. There was no

52:11

decay. The

52:13

face with turned upward toward the ceiling.

52:16

Eyes wide and glazed over and

52:18

his mouth i'm a wide open.

52:20

There was a stick a web

52:22

of mucus play between his lips.

52:25

We. Knelt down to look closer, And.

52:27

There was a foul, noxious stench to

52:30

it. As.

52:32

Gene reached out to grab the

52:34

tracker, the blot on the dead

52:37

man's arm, move down toward his

52:39

have. Seen

52:41

with his head back to his size. Gene

52:44

reached out again, his hand hovering

52:47

over the on. the

52:49

block dark mirroring his

52:52

movements. Seen

52:54

grabbed at the finance risk,

52:57

I reached. When

53:03

I was to miss. The

53:07

dark spot on the dead man's

53:10

arm shot down from his elbow

53:12

and tore through his wrist right

53:14

into teams had flesh rifts and

53:16

there was a wriggling mass shooting

53:18

and seen some. I grabbed at

53:21

the swollen shape and it's slip

53:23

through my fingers. Team

53:25

screened as he ripped it away from

53:27

a small needles tearing to the wedding

53:29

of is all. He

53:31

hurled the thing to the ground as he flew

53:33

back. He slipped in

53:35

the film that surround. I

53:38

stepped forward, smashing my shoe to

53:40

the ground feeling a popping crunched

53:42

under the soul of my first.

53:45

Scene landed with a heavy stuff and

53:47

his head slaps against the wall behind

53:49

them. I

53:52

knelt beside as the sound of his

53:54

impact echoed all around. It

53:57

echoes the cavern dozens of times. The

54:00

and times and all at

54:02

once. We

54:08

learned to our she's falling away

54:10

from the body. I

54:12

turned around. Our

54:14

headlamps cast shadows dancing and

54:16

moving around. the refund. My

54:20

eyes were drawn to one of the pockmarks in

54:22

the wall. I

54:24

was frozen as I saw

54:26

two aspects of here from

54:29

with this. Between

54:34

each finger with a massive

54:37

thick. A

54:39

wiggled and rise with each movement of

54:41

the digits. The hands

54:43

grab at the wet edges of the

54:45

opening and they put. The

54:49

figure plopped out of a small hole and

54:51

onto the floor. A

54:54

rose to with see unfolding from

54:56

the waist down. As

54:59

a reached it's full height, I

55:01

could tell that at one time

55:03

it had been a human. Vein

55:06

sick legs held up a

55:08

bloated torso and from there

55:10

there was a head and

55:12

to artist but they were

55:14

bulbous. lips opened into a

55:16

wide mouth and needle white

55:18

teeth pulled down from the

55:20

gums within. The

55:23

things eyes were glazed over with

55:25

that same show like fluid that

55:27

was all over the floor and

55:30

the nose looks like it a

55:32

collapse in on itself leaving only

55:34

two nostril holes. Set between

55:36

the eyes in the mouth. there

55:39

with brown hair caped and frozen

55:41

to one side of it's face

55:43

covering one year are leaving the

55:45

other. Seen uttered

55:48

something in a low whisper. It

55:50

was a name. Same.

55:57

The scene twisted. it's head around

55:59

with. Between Jean and I before

56:01

a loud screech came from it's

56:03

austerlitz. That was enough

56:06

for me. I smack teams arm and

56:08

told him it was time to get.

56:11

The footsteps of the creature mirrored our

56:13

own as we raced back toward the

56:15

grotto. By the time we reach the

56:18

pale green tunnel, dozens of other creatures

56:20

had dropped off the walls. And

56:22

they were all gaining on. Our

56:25

headlamp beams com more and more figures in

56:27

the pockmarks of the one. I

56:29

rounded a corner and a hand shot

56:31

out from the wall, grabbing at my

56:33

head and ripping my head. I

56:37

let out a scream as the themes vendors

56:39

tried to find purchase and my hair. Around

56:42

in the final corner and I

56:44

could see the grotto, the echoes

56:46

of the creatures crashed around us

56:48

drowning out the hardly the my

56:51

years. I turn to

56:53

with behind me and Gene was coming

56:55

up toward me but behind him there

56:57

was a horde of rising torso. They

57:00

were coming to the tunnel toward. I

57:03

crashed. The gets a crack in the

57:05

wall and began pulling myself through Keene.

57:08

meaning behind me, crashing into my back

57:10

is slamming me into the ground on

57:12

the opposite. Without

57:15

stopping the think, I dove

57:17

in and I swear fastest.

57:20

I'll grab at the road and began

57:22

pulling and kicking Despot trying to free

57:25

myself and. trying

57:27

to get to are waiting by. Thirty.

57:32

I broke the surface of ice. Storm

57:36

have continued raging while we were. Waves

57:39

crash down over my head, forcing

57:41

me back into the deaths. The

57:44

inky blackness of the water to sourced.

57:47

I popped up a few seconds later

57:49

and grab wildly for the first. I

57:52

missed and I was in below again

57:54

and ceiling A mouthful of. I

58:00

barbed one last time and he's myself

58:03

out of the water. I

58:10

looked around. I didn't see

58:12

James. I

58:14

plunged my head below the surface and

58:16

I still can see em. Waves

58:19

crash against the boat, threatening to put

58:22

me back into the water, Thunder

58:25

and lightning roared overhead, but I screamed

58:27

out to him. But

58:30

there was no response. Or

58:32

look back toward the island and I

58:34

saw figure pop up above the water.

58:38

Lightning Chris and I could

58:40

see brown jail cake air.

58:44

I had to leave. I

58:47

untied the row and I felt the

58:49

boat taken into the ways instantly. I

58:53

sit up one more time to

58:55

shout seems name and the wave

58:58

set me reeling toward the stern,

59:00

slamming me down onto the wind

59:02

seat, almost knocking the unconscious. I

59:06

grasped at the motor and turned it on.

59:08

I pulled the record so hard to I

59:10

thought I may have ripped out the entire

59:13

engine. But the

59:15

engine kicked on and

59:17

I pulled away. After

59:28

that, the rest was just a

59:30

blur of thunder and lightning and

59:32

rain. Eventually I made it to

59:34

the shore, leaping from the boat

59:37

and on to the rocks below.

59:40

I left the boat addressed

59:42

and a few moments later

59:44

the waves pulled it back

59:46

into the late, taking the

59:48

remains of our voyage with.

59:53

I look behind to see if I was

59:55

followed, scrambling up the rocks and of a

59:57

small grassy knoll. The Police.

1:00:00

We first launched our boat a week ago.

1:00:03

Tears and the driving rain stream down

1:00:05

my face. I

1:00:08

called out to seen one last

1:00:10

time and then. I

1:00:12

went home. I

1:00:18

threw away the closed and I've been wearing

1:00:20

and I sat in my dark room. At

1:00:24

some point I must have

1:00:26

fallen asleep because when I

1:00:28

came to the storm was

1:00:30

gone and some led to

1:00:32

my curtains. When

1:00:36

the cops came a few days later,

1:00:38

I told them the truth that I

1:00:40

hadn't seen Gene for a few days

1:00:42

and that I hoped he was okay.

1:00:45

I told him that we shouldn't

1:00:48

have gone out that day. I

1:00:50

said that we should go home.

1:00:52

I pleaded with him but he

1:00:54

just had to take us out

1:00:56

there. He had to look into

1:00:58

that tunnel. She had to take

1:01:00

us beneath them as rocks. Two

1:01:11

years later and I thought that I

1:01:13

can leave behind. At

1:01:16

first I thought that what I

1:01:18

was seeing but maybe just my

1:01:21

imagination. That I was

1:01:23

seeing things they reminded me of have. An

1:01:26

oil slick and a puddle, a flash

1:01:28

of his face and a crowd. But

1:01:32

I know that it's more than that now. I

1:01:35

know that he's watching me, waiting

1:01:37

for me to come to that.

1:01:39

Sure, After

1:01:42

last week's storm, I found

1:01:44

a bit of glowing green

1:01:46

fungus inside my mailbox. Today

1:01:49

as I write these words, I

1:01:52

can see the hedges outside my

1:01:54

window thrash. But

1:01:56

it's a black rectangle staring up at

1:01:59

me for my. Just

1:02:01

another corner of my vision that

1:02:03

proves. It's

1:02:06

that damn sticker, fleshy,

1:02:09

Taunting me. From the

1:02:11

back of an old battered

1:02:13

self. Thank

1:02:28

you for joining us for this episode

1:02:30

of Thirteen. If he likely you heard

1:02:32

sap what you're doing and leave a

1:02:34

five star rating in with you wherever

1:02:36

you listen to podcasts. This.

1:02:39

Was beyond the lakeshore. Written

1:02:42

by see Dane Brown. Narrated

1:02:45

by ear napper Sen. Jeanne

1:02:48

was mason on a das

1:02:50

music composed by Caleb. Richie.

1:02:53

Editing and sound design by

1:02:55

Brockton an additional assistance from

1:02:58

Bridget Freemen. Our producer level

1:03:00

patrons are Rec Lenval Tattooed

1:03:03

Fox Riyadh and son Gary.

1:03:05

Anthony D. S. Michael Vasquez

1:03:08

Amy Harper Katty Kay Dell

1:03:10

to Tango Sand Health and

1:03:13

Neck Emily Douglas, Stephanie Klinger

1:03:15

Jake are and Abigail for

1:03:17

as thank you so much

1:03:20

for your support! Sack out

1:03:22

the. Shown as to learn more about

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You can. Find that in the shown. Us

1:03:58

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just beneath the way. Thanks

1:04:05

for listening and I'll see you next man!