When I noticed one of the streaks ended in a broken fingernail, I knew I wouldn’t find the couple I was looking for alive. I shuddered as I recalled the eerie feeling that had crept over me moments ago, when I first plunged into the underwater cave. It had been like entering another world altogether. The darkness was so absolute that for a few seconds, I had felt like I was going to drown in ink. But then my light had flicked on, and I had been dazzled by the beauty of it all.
The water had been so clear that I felt like I could see all the way to the bottom. The red streaks on the walls had seemed to glow with a strange, otherworldly light. And then, of course, there were the fish – hundreds of them, darting back and forth between the rocks and coral. It was like a scene from a dream – and yet, I couldn’t shake off the cold feeling in my gut. Something wasn’t right here.
It was only when I saw the broken fingernail, jutting out of one of the red streaks, that everything clicked into place. This wasn’t just some beautiful underwater cave, teeming with life – this was a deathtrap. I swam closer to the wall, feeling my heart pounding in my chest. That was when I saw the hair – tangled and matted, caught on a jagged rock. And then… the bones.
I’m not ashamed to say that I screamed – loud and long, until my lungs were aching. I knew, then, that the couple I had been looking for… they were never going to come back. Something had taken them – something with teeth and claws and a hunger that knew no bounds. I tore my eyes away from the grisly scene, shaking with a mixture of fear and anger. It was over. There was nothing more I could do.
But as I turned to swim back towards the surface, I noticed something else – a ripple in the water, some distance away. And then, the ghostly outline of a figure – a woman, with long hair floating around her like seaweed. She was looking right at me, her eyes wide and pleading. And then… she was gone. I swam faster, kicking my fins hard, but it was like she had vanished into thin air.
Now, as I sit in my boat, staring out at the shoreline, I can’t shake off the feeling that I’m not alone. Something out there knows that I know what happened – and it’s not happy about it. I can hear the water lapping against the side of the boat, a soft and sinister sound. And then… a splash.
