Something Across the Water - Horror Short Story

 Two-Sentence Horror Story: Returning from my vacation I heard a “How was it?” from the corner of my apartment. I live alone.

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Warning: THE FOLLOWING STORY CONTAINS ONE MINOR GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF VIOLENCE, AS WELL AS SOME (Censored on School Version) PROFANITY AT THE END.  MINOR DRUG + ALCOHOL REFERENCES AT THE BEGINNING.

Funny Bit: I started this story with the name Nathan already chosen. Parents are going to see Nathan Bargatze perform standup in a couple weeks, and I subconsciously added his last name (misspelt) as Bargetzi, as I felt the “main” character needed a last name for the interrogation scene and the ending. 

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*CLICK*

Wed. Nov 1 (10:34 p.m.):

SUBJECT 18: Nathan Bargetzi. For your information, this session IS being recorded. Can you tell us what happened?

I-I don’t really know. Me, Toby, and Josh were just out on the lake, listening to music, and having a few drinks. I’m not g-gonna lie, Toby might’ve had a few too many to drink. He, well, he wasn’t acting quite right. But not drunk, really, m-more so, I don’t know, floaty? He wasn’t really with us, and, well, we hadn’t smoked anything that night. I mean, it was there, but we hadn’t lit any of it up.

Okay, continue. Did Toby have anything earlier in the day?

No, no, Toby, I mean, he wasn’t ever really into, well, smoking. Like, he would have it when he was with us, but he…he never had any when he was by himself, just as a, uh, a social thing. And either way, he was talking to us just fine, laughing and such, then, all of a sudden, he just stood up and looked across the lake.

Tues. Oct 31 (11:36 p.m)

Toby: “He-ey, do you, *cough*, do you guys see that over there?”

Nathan: “No Tobes, what’re you seeing?”

Toby: “Oh, just that girl over there. She’s, uhm, she’s pretty.”

Josh: “What girl, Toby? Is your imaginary girlfriend back again?” *chuckles*

Toby: “No, uh, no Josh, she’s not, and anyway, that was back in the …the 4th-grade man, *cough*, we’re 17 now, I-I ain’t pretended that for years now. Nate, you see her? Across the lake?”

Nathan: “Naw, I don’t, uh, really see anyone. H-ll, I can hardly see across the lake, what’re you seeing?”

Toby: “I already, I already told you both what I’m seeing. You, you should get your d-mn hearing checked Nate. Just, look at her. She’s, so, so pretty.” *steps towards lake*

Nathan: “Tobes, where are you going there bud? We’ve all *hic*, had a bit much to drink, you, you should back away from that pier.”

Josh: “Yeah, it, it ain’t funny no more. And ‘sides that, you, you can’t swim Toby. ‘Member that time I pushed ya in the pool this summer?” *nervous laugh*

Toby: “NO! That’s not, *cough*, that’s not what she’s telling me. She’s telling me to come to ’er *slurring*. And, her, her voice, it’s so beautiful. But her singing, it, it won’t get out of my head. I gotta… I gotta meet her Nate. Why can’t you see her Nate? SHE’S RIGHT THERE D-MN IT!”

Nathan: “TOBY! Get off the f----ing pier! It, it ain’t funny anymore!”

Josh: “Toby, don’t–” *chuckle* “Don’t make me get my g-n out the truuu…ck.” *slumps off*

Nathan: “Josh! Wake up! This ain’t the time to fall asleep!”

Toby: “Josh’ll be fine, Nate, she’s already come to talk, *cough*, talk with him. But, I, I gotta swim to her. She says she’ll guide me. She’ll keep me safe. My god, her voice, it’s, it’s so pretty. Everything about her is so d-mn pretty…”

Wed. Nov 1 (10:42 p.m.)

Nathan! Come back to us, please.

I’m sorry, I-I was just thinking back a bit more. Sorry. I’m here now.

Can you tell us anything about the person you say Toby saw? What did they look like?

I-I’ll try. I don’t remember much, other t-than she, I mean, it. It wasn’t human. There’s no d-mn way that thing was human. I-I remember Toby said she was…

Tues Oct 31 (11:44 p.m.)

Toby: “… she’s got light blonde hair, and those blue, *cough*, blue eyes. They’re, they’re shining, Nate. I g-gotta meet her, I just gotta.”

Nathan: *glances toward the water* “Toby! What the f--k is that? Get the h-ll away from the water. That’s not a p-person, I don’t know what it is, but you gotta get away from it. I-I’m gonna get Josh’s g-n!”

Josh: “Mmm? Don’t, no, Nate. It’sss MY g-n.” *slumps, hard*

Nathan: “Josh! Wake up! T-this ain’t the time to play games. WAKE UP! I’m getting the g-g-n. TOBY, GET BACK FROM THE WATER! It’s gonna grab you!”

Toby: “Nate? What, uh, what am I doing here? *hand grabs his ankle* Sh-t! Help me, Nate! HELP!

Wed. Nov 1 (10:47 p.m.)

What happened then, Nathan?

I dunno really. I ran to grab the g-n from Josh’s truck, and the door wouldn’t open. It never does on that d-mn truck. When I finally jammed it open and turned around Josh, he was, he was dead… throat s-slashed right the f--k open. And then I saw it again. Receding into the water like a f----ing coward. A COWARD, I TELL YOU! It k-lled Josh and Toby, and it just slithered away.

Nathan! We’re going to have to ask you to calm down. We know it’s hard, but just try, please.

Okay. o-okay. I-I’ll try. I grabbed the g-n, and I started shooting at the thing. It didn’t even flinch. It just looked at me, and I saw it. Its reptilian face started to meld into this beautiful girl. Amber eyes, brown hair. I, I looked away, and just got in the truck and drove off. I didn’t know what to do, I mean… Josh was dead, and Toby was dead or dying. I couldn’t do anything about it.

Okay, Nathan. I think you’ve given us all we need. Officer Di’marco will escort you out. We’ll be in touch.

O-okay. Thanks? I guess?

*BANG!*

SUBJECT 18: Nathan Bargetzi. Witness terminated, please retain feedback. 10-4?

10-4. Nathan Bargetzi is terminated. Please correspond.

Okay. Di’marco. Get Units 17-21 out to the lake. Dispose of SUBJECT 18 at the following location…

*CLICK*

Something Across the Water - a short story composed in around an hour. If you don’t know what the profanity is, well, too bad. Thanks for reading.

Work of Schrodinger's Katze

Made On: Monday, Oct 30 - Tuesday, Oct 31 

Final Version + Censored: Nov 1

2023