WARNING: This story contains an event that might trigger those who have been diagnosed with PTSD or other similar mental disorders, and might even cause distress in others. Reader discretion is advised.

~~~~~~~~~---------~~~~~~~~~---------~~~~~~~~~---------~~~~~~~~~---------~~~~~~~~~---------

Pages (according to Google Docs): 13

Words: 4957

Characters: 26066

Characters (excluding spaces): 21270

Published On: May 15th, 2020

~~~~~~~~~---------~~~~~~~~~---------~~~~~~~~~---------~~~~~~~~~---------~~~~~~~~~---------

About half a year ago I met this one guy. We decided to become friends about a few days later. His name was Carl, he was six foot two and a bit muscular. He had short, blonde hair, he had emerald green eyes, and he was somewhere in his late twenties.

Recently, about a month ago, we have been thinking about hanging out together and staying at his house for a few days. He lives in a house right by a lake that is about a quarter of a square mile in size. He told me about a day ago what this lake was called. The lake he lives right by is called "Drowner Lake." Such a strange name for a lake don't you think?

Today is the day we go to his house. I was packing up my stuff and preparing. It was 6:30 PM.

"So Carl, why is the lake you live by named 'Drowner Lake'?" I asked Carl.

"Let me tell you something about the lake you might not believe," Carl replied.

"No no, I'll believe it," I said.

"There is an urban legend about this lake. It is said that about 50 years ago, three men went boating out on the lake in the middle of the night, but they then went missing a few hours later, and the three men and their boat were never seen ever again since that night. Ever since then, the lake has these water-zombies that aren't very active during the day, but they are more active at night and they do come out at night and terrorize the lake's neighboring streets and neighborhoods, but like normal zombies, they walk very slowly. These water-zombies are called drowners, named after how they drown their unsuspecting victims. How they drown their unsuspecting victims is that they grasp one of their unsuspecting victim's limbs, and then they pull them all the way down towards the bottom of the lake, drowning them. About 10 people go missing at Drowner Lake roughly every five years. But the lake is pretty safe, since being drowned by these water-zombies is the same likelihood as being struck by lightning. Plus I forgot to mention these water zombies have long and sharp claws." Carl told the story.

"So they are like those water-zombies from Minecraft?" I asked him.

"Pretty much, except they don't wield tridents." He responded.

"Fair enough," I replied.

I then thought to myself, should I be going to this lake if people go missing due to quote "water zombies?" Is it SAFE enough to take let's say a boat out on the water-zombie infested lake? My instincts then told me "No, you shouldn't. Even if the chances of being drowned by these water-zombies is the same chance as being hit by a satellite that fell from a low-Earth orbit, don't take the risk." I figured that I would have to be an EXTREMELY and INCREDIBLY and OVERLY unlucky person in order to fall victim / prey to these water-zombies. Just when a pandora's box of questions was about to hit me, I already finished packing.

"I finished packing. Let's get going." I said.

"Ok, good. Let's get outta here. I can't wait to go jet-skiing on the lake with you tomorrow." Carl replied.

We then headed out and loaded our luggage and stuff in Carl's Silverado. After that, we buckled up and went off to Carl's house.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. My house is about 3 hours away, soooo... find something to keep yourself entertained." Carl said hesitantly.

I then decided to listen to some music while I waited out the long haul. While I was listening to my music, I then thought to myself, should I really be doing this? A sense of paranoia suddenly filled my body, as I feared that I would be drowned by those drowners.

"Carl? Are you really sure that the lake is safe? I've got a bad feeling about going onto the lake." I hesitantly asked carl.

"Yes, it is safe, trust me. I've been living by Drowner Lake for nearly a decade now and I'm a pretty experienced man when it comes to the dangers of this lake and how to handle them if I'm ever involved in them. Besides, if you ever get pulled under by those drowners, I'll be there to save you. I've saved many people from those water-zombies before. I can assure you that there is nothing to worry about." Carl replied.

I then thought to myself, yeah, I guess he's right. I'm overreacting.

"Also, one small thing, once we arrive, we have to go quick because of the water-zombies. It's dangerous outside at night due to the drowners' activity increasing at night." Carl said.

"Noted," I replied.

A few hours later...

After about three hours of inevitable boredom taking me over, we finally arrived at Carl's house. Carl and I made a plan of how we should quickly get inside the house without getting caught by any water-zombies.

Carl > "You ready?"

Jimmy > "Yes I am."

Carl > "Three, two, one, GO!"

We then rushed to get our stuff inside Carl's house, and it only took slightly over a minute to get everything from Carl's Silverado into Carl's house successfully. After that, we then got everything settled. Carl introduced me to the guest's room where I will be sleeping for the next few nights. I unpacked my stuff, put on my nighttime clothes, brushed my teeth, wished Carl a good night, tucked myself in, turned off the light, and went to sleep.

But no matter how much I closed my eyes and attempted to fall asleep, I couldn't.

Why can't you fall asleep, you ask?

Is your bed uncomfortable?

Are you not warm enough?

Do you feel too hot?

No, it's nothing like that.

I kept on worrying about being drowned by those damn drowners. But I then realized that if I kept on worrying about being drowned, I'm putting bad karma out there in the universe.

After a little while, I stopped worrying about what might happen tomorrow or even the day after tomorrow.

Everything's going to be fine. I'm simply overreacting. I'm starting to become a dumb idiot for overreacting at this point, I then thought to myself.

I then began to slowly fall asleep.

My muscles began to relax, my thoughts started to become fuzzy and then started to slowly fade away, my eyes started to slowly close, and then just like that...

I'm asleep.

The next morning...

It was 8:30 AM and it was the perfect day to get out on the lake and have some fun in the sun. Carl was awake, but I was still deeply asleep. Carl then went into the room where I was sleeping to check if I was awake or not.

"Wakey wakey Jimmy!!! Are you awake?" Carl announced.

"Yes, I'm awake now, I exist." I said in a groggy and tired voice, as I woke up from my deep and comfy slumber.

"You always exist," Carl said in a joking manner, with a smile on his face.

"Breakfast is ready when you are," Carl finished as he left the room.

I slowly yet surely became more and more awake. After a little while, I stretched in the comfy bed in order to become more awake. Once I felt as if I stretched enough, I then slowly got out of bed, took off my nightclothes, took out my swim clothes from my luggage, put on my swim clothes, and exited the guest's room.

"You look nice in that swimsuit!" Carl said.

"Why thank you." I smiled.

I then sat down with Carl and had breakfast.

What did you have for breakfast, you ask?

Pancakes, of course.

Who doesn't love pancakes?!

Once I was finished with my breakfast, I put the dirty dishes in the sink and then brushed my teeth.

"You're a bit ahead of me, meet me at my car and we'll sort things out," Carl told me as he put on his swimsuit.

I got some sunscreen on (don't wanna get sunburnt), put on my flip flops, went outside, and waited for Carl to finish getting ready.

After a little while of waiting, Carl came outside, and he had some sick shades on and an awesome-looking swimsuit.

"You look so good in that swimsuit I think I might become jealous if I keep looking at your swimsuit." I giggled.

"Thanks," Carl said, struggling to keep back a growing grin.

"Alrighty, let's get started!" I said, excited about going out on the lake.

Carl started up his Silverado, I helped take the plastic protective cover off the jetski that was on the trailer, Carl then attached the trailer to the truck, I got inside his truck, and we went off for a very tiny trip to the lake to unload the jetski.

A few moments later...

After a moment or two, we started unloading the jetski onto the water. After a little while, the jetski was now on the water. Carl then parked his truck into one of the nearby parking spots and turned off his truck. Carl and I then started getting on the jetski.

"Carl? I don't wanna sound like a nervous and worrying wreck, but, what would you do if I ever get pulled under by those drowners?" I asked Carl.

"Not to worry, as I have a combat knife with me, and I'll dive down to come save you if you ever get pulled under," Carl answered.

"Right, right..." I said.

Carl then started up the jetski, the jetski roaring to life a few seconds later.

"You ready?" Carl said.

"Hell yeah I am!" I exclaimed.

"Let's go!" Carl said.

Carl then applied the throttle, and the jetski started to move forward, the jetski letting out a powerful roar. Then the jetski started getting up to speed. The jetski was really and I mean really fast. We roared across the lake, having the time of our lives.

"You having fun?" Carl yelled over the loud roar of the jetski.

"Yup!" I exclaimed.

"I'm glad to hear!" Carl replied.

We continued to speed across the lake, going pretty fast.

To be honest, I never had this much fun in quite some time. It's always a good thing to go hang out with your friends and have some fun. I sorta relate to hanging out with friends as the gift that keeps on giving, but a few times I have taken having the ability to go out with friends for granted for some reason. You know the quote "Spend every day like it's you're last?" I do. That same quote applies to hanging out with friends. You never know when you're going to say the last goodbye or when you'll see your friend or your friends for the very last time. It's kinda scary if you take the time to think about it.

Suddenly, Carl turned the jetski a little too sharply, causing the jetski to tip over and kick me and Carl off into the slightly murky lake water. Carl and I quickly resurfaced, and swam back to the jetski as quickly as we could.

"Hurry up! I don't want you getting pulled under!" Carl said in a slightly worried voice.

"I'm trying!" I quickly replied as I swam back to the jetski as quickly as I could, which obviously wasn't an easy task.

Suddenly, I felt something cold and slimy grasp my left ankle. I froze as my eyes widened in sheer and unprecedented fear and as my heart stopped. Carl noticed me being frozen in place.

"Is there something wrong?" Carl asked me.

"What the fu-" I quickly said before I was then swiftly pulled under the water.

A few seconds later when my mind fully processed what on planet freaking Earth was happening, I was already deep underwater. Another few seconds have passed and I heard the faint sound of Carl diving into the murky lake water to save me, but I already knew it didn't matter and that it was too late; I was sinking fast, and I mean FAST.

I then realized, that I, WAS BEING DROWNED BY A DROWNER!!!

My fight or flight reflexes then kicked in like they have never been kicked in before in my entire life. I did EVERYTHING I could do in my power to get the water-zombie to stop pulling me deeper and deeper. I tried wiggling my foot, I tried swimming, and I even tried kicking the drowner in the back of its head as hard as I could, but nothing worked. I'm fighting a losing battle, I soon realized.

I couldn't see anything, my ears were starting to hurt from the pressure of the water, the water around me started to become colder and colder the deeper I sank, and I started to frantically panic as my oxygen level began running dangerously low.

Suddenly, while I was trying my damn hardest to hold my breath, my breathing reflexes got to me, and I, unfortunately, accidentally took a breath in, getting a lung-full of nasty lake water, which hurt like the depths of hell. I continued to sink deeper and deeper with no signs of stopping.

My lungs were filling up with water, I was unable to stop sinking, and now I was starting to drown.

I then started to slowly lose consciousness, and I was literally centimeters away from death.

I thought right there I was going to die and become one with the army of drowners at the dark depths of Drowner Lake.

But then, something happened to me that I never thought would happen.

I started to...

Breath normally?

I'm breathing water!?