To celebrate our anniversary, my wife and I booked an AirBnB for the weekend–a cabin on the lake. "Looks like it's about to rain," Amber said as she rolled her suitcase across the porch.

I looked up. To the west, the sky was deep gray, thick storm clouds heading towards us at a steady pace. "Just our luck," I grumbled, hauling my suitcase out of the trunk.

After we’d gotten everything inside, we poured wine and sat by the picture window overlooking the lake. The sky was darker, now, and the glassy stillness of the water reflected the deep gray of the sky. The pine trees surrounding the lake swayed in the wind.

“Wait–look,” Amber said. “There’s someone out there.”

At first I didn’t see what she was talking about. But then, as I squinted, I did: in the middle of the lake, there was a tiny, peach-colored blob bobbing up and down.

Someone was out there.

And they were waving their arms around–as if signaling for help.

“Oh, God, are they drowning?” Amber asked, rushing over to the window.

“Uh, you call the police,” I said, getting up and grabbing my jacket. “I’ll take the rowboat out and try to help.”

The AirBnB had advertised a small rowboat that we could use; I could be out in the middle of the lake in under five minutes. Given how far we were out from town, it would probably take the police twenty minutes to get here.

Amber looked at me, as if she were about to say something; but then she just nodded. I zipped up my coat and ran outside.

The rain had started. A light drizzle blurred the lake in front of me, wetting my face. I ran down to the docks and undid the knot, then stepped into the boat. It rocked violently underneath me as I sat down and pushed off with the oars.

I rowed furiously towards the center of the lake, keeping my eyes on the person. But they were a lot farther out than I had anticipated. Even after rowing five minutes, my arm muscles burning, I was only slightly closer.

I stopped for a second and cupped my hands around my mouth. “Hey! I’m coming to help! Hang in there!”

They didn’t respond. Just kept waving their arms over their head. Probably can’t hear me, I thought. Sucking in a deep breath, I began to row faster.

The rain was harder now. Thick raindrops hit the wood of my boat with a tap-tap-tap. Water dripped down from my hair and into my eyes. I shook my head to get it off, not breaking stroke, and continued rowing towards the center of the lake.

The person was finally a little closer now. I could see them bobbing up and down on the surface of the lake through the pelting rain, waving their arms furiously above their head. It looked like it was possibly a woman with dark hair, but I couldn’t be certain.

The oars sloshed through the lake. I was panting and my arms ached, but I forced myself to continue forward. They weren’t that far off now. In just a few minutes I’d probably be close enough to yell out to them, to see them clearly…

Flash.

The sky flashed white. Seconds later–the rumble of thunder, so loud I could feel it in my bones. I swallowed.

This isn’t safe.

I glanced back at the cabin. It was so far away, now. I could see the tiny brown blob that was Amber, standing on the docks, waiting for me to return. Maybe we should’ve just waited for the police. What if I get struck by lightning?

I swallowed and turned back to the woman. Paddled as fast as I could with all my might. The rain pelted down furiously, running down my face, pooling in the bottom of the boat. The peach colored blob grew closer and closer, and then–

I could see her clearly for the first time.

Every muscle in my body froze. Because as she bobbed on the water, waving her hands above her head–

She was smiling.

Not just smiling. Grinning from ear to ear as she stared at my boat approaching. Instinctively I grabbed the oars and backpedaled. The water resisted me, kicking up in loud splashes, and then the boat began to slide away from her–

Riiiiing.

I grabbed the cell phone out of my pocket. It was Amber.

“Drew,” she breathed, her voice wavering on the other end of the line. “The police… they said… whatever you do, don’t go out into the lake.”

“What?”

“Some psycho has been swimming out into the middle of the lake. Luring people out. Just leave her there! Come back–”

She continued talking, but I didn’t hear what she said.

Because the woman had disappeared.

The phone fell out of my hands. I grabbed the oars and pulled them towards me, rowing backwards towards the shore as fast as I possibly could. I stared into the water, looking for a ripple, a shadow, anything–but it was impossible. With the rain hitting the surface, the reflections of the storm clouds, there was no way I could tell where she was.

I rowed faster, my heart pounding in my chest. Glancing over my shoulder, I could see that the dock was still so far away. Amber began waving to me, frantically–

Flash.

The sky, the lake, the pine trees at the shore lit up. A peal of thunder rang in my ears. I rowed faster–

And then I heard it.

A tap-tap-tap.

From the bottom of my boat.

I didn’t have time to react, before the boat flipped over and I plunged into the ice cold water. I broke the surface and gasped in air, screaming, as I grabbed the side of the boat–

Something grabbed my ankle and tugged.

I plunged back into the water. I struggled to pull myself up, but the iron grip on my ankle wouldn’t loosen. I kicked and thrashed, trying to pull myself up towards the shadow of the boat above me–

And then the grip released.

I broke the surface, gasping. Then I clawed at the boat, desperately righting it. After a few attempts, I was finally able to get myself back inside. I turned it around and rowed as fast as I possibly could, never looking back.

Miraculously, the woman didn’t follow me.

I scrambled up on the dock and Amber hugged me, crying. The police arrived soon after and searched the lake for the woman. But they came up empty-handed. Needless to say, Amber and I cut our trip short. We packed our bags and started the drive home just after the sun had set.

But as we pulled out of the driveway, in the darkness…

I swear I saw a light winking at us, from the middle of the lake.

As if someone was trapped out there, signaling for help.