Beneath the lake, the shadows dance,

In depths where hunters find no chance,

The beast unseen, with eyes that gleam,

Eludes the net of every scheme.

They cast their lines, they trace their tracks,

But darkness twists and doubles back.

The currents turn, the ripples play,

And lead the lost ones far away.

Oh hunter keen with eyes so bright,

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Your steps are true, your heart is light,

But tread you there where light grows thin,

And feel the claws that wait within.

For in the depths, the waters lie,

Reflecting truths in twisted guise.

The boughs may bend, the reeds may sway,

But none who dive can find the way.

A creature laughs beneath the tide,

It knows your secrets, sees your stride,

And as you stalk, it stalks you back—

And slips the snare without a track.

So watch the ripples, heed the call,

For hunters rise and hunters fall.

And in the depths, where stillness sleeps,

The beast awaits… and never weeps.