As he’d expected, Lori’s camping gear was set up by the lake, and it was clear that she’d been sleeping in her tent. But she was nowhere to be found. Mikael waited for her to come back for as long as he could before he had to go home for dinner, but she never came. With worry now heavy on his chest, he vowed that if he didn’t find her there in the morning, he’d tell her parents.
That next morning, Mikael ate an early breakfast, lied about having class early and snuck down to the lake. It was bellow five degrees outside, and he was layered in winter clothing. When he reached the lake, he found Lori’s tent empty. He scanned the area and shouted her name. However much he didn’t want to believe it, he concluded that the only explanation for her not being there was the lake. He felt like a lunatic, but a part of him thought that if he were right, maybe she could hear him if he called for her through the hole in the ice. When he was satisfied the ice was safe enough to step on, he walked carefully onto it. He ignored the heavy feeling it gave him, and awkwardly made his way over to the middle of the lake. The closer he got to it, the heavier it made him feel. He felt uncomfortable, but he kept going. The ice hadn’t yet claimed the entire lake, but there was now only a two metre wide gap in the centre of it. He crouched down next to his rucksack by the edge of it and called for Lori. His cheeks became hot with embarrassment, even though he knew nobody was around. He felt stupid and was quick to give up his silly behaviour. It was then that the water underneath the ice began to bubble.
The lake rumbled violently and a large stream of bubbles rushed up, dispersing itself beneath the surface of the ice. The entire lake vibrated beneath him. The ice on the other end of the lake cracked from the pressure, and water splashed out of the hole and pooled over and onto the snow. He managed to stand for a second before another aggressive rumble of bubbles erupted and the vibrations made him stagger sideways. He tripped over his rucksack and fell backwards onto the ice, hitting his head on the hard surface. Tiny splatters of blood dispersed over the lake and were absorbed by the thin layer of snow sheeting the ice. He couldn’t tell whether it was the ever-growing magnetism of the lake or because of his fall, but he couldn’t pull himself up. The ice underneath him began to weaken, and he knew that if he didn’t act quickly, he would soon be underwater. His head throbbed and he felt weak, but he managed to turn onto his front and put his body into a crouching position. He turned away from the hole and used all of his strength to move his heavy body towards the snowy bank of the lake. He didn’t make it far before the ice underneath him cracked.
Mikael clawed at the ice, but the force pulling him was too strong, and it dragged him deep into the lake, as if the water itself had hands. Mikael began to hyperventilate, and he knew it wouldn’t take long before his body would go into complete shock. He swam desperately against the current pulling him down, but it only tired him more. The force of water tightened around his throat. It squeezed his neck, and eventually Mikael was too tired to keep fighting, so he let go. He closed his eyes and let himself get taken deeper into darkness, no longer feeling the cold or the desire to breathe. He was too dazed and near dying to notice the force suddenly weaken. And by the time a soft, gentle presence carried him away from the darkness, he was already on the thread of death.