Tiffany flicked her red hair over her shoulder, trying to shake off the tension from the earlier argument. The midnight air felt cool against her skin as she led Amber and Mia towards the lake.

"C'mon girls, last one in is a rotten egg!" she called, forcing cheer into her voice.

Amber giggled, her hazelnut hair bouncing as she jogged to catch up. "You're on!"

Mia rolled her eyes but quickened her pace. "You two are ridiculous."

They reached the shore, kicking off their flip-flops. Tiffany shimmied out of her shorts and tank top, revealing a sparkly red bikini. She struck a pose, hand on hip.

"How do I look?" she asked with an exaggerated wink.

"Like you're about to lose this race," Amber shot back, already sprinting towards the water in her yellow two-piece.

Tiffany yelped and chased after her. "No fair! Cheater!"

Mia and Camella stripped their clothes off next, wearing blue and purple bikinis like swimsuit models.

The cool water splashed around their legs as they waded in. Moonlight glimmered on the lake's surface, transforming the murky water into liquid silver. For a moment, Tiffany forgot about Salina's outburst and Jessica's weird behavior. Out here, with just her and her real friends, everything felt normal again.

She dove under, relishing the shock of cold against her skin. When she surfaced, she found Amber and Mia engaged in a splash war.

"Oh, it is so on!" Tiffany declared, joining the fray.

Their shrieks and laughter echoed across the lake. Tiffany ducked an incoming wave from Mia, retaliating with a massive splash of her own. Water dripped from Mia's long dark hair as she spluttered.

"You are going down, Roberto!"

Tiffany backpedaled, trying to put some distance between her and Mia's incoming revenge. Her foot slipped on a submerged rock and she tumbled backwards with a yelp. She came up sputtering and laughing.

"Okay, okay! I surrender!"

The girls' giggles subsided as they caught their breath. Tiffany floated on her back, gazing up at the star-studded sky. The lake lapped gently at her ears, muffling the world.

"This is nice," Amber sighed, floating beside her. "I'm glad we decided to stay an extra night."

"Mmm," Tiffany agreed. Part of her still felt guilty about how things had gone down with Salina, but she pushed the feeling aside. This was their last summer as high school students. Their last chance to just be carefree kids before college applications and adult responsibilities took over. She would not let one weird girl ruin it for them.

A splash from the shore broke through her thoughts. Tiffany lifted her head, treading water.

"Did you guys hear that?"

Mia frowned. "Hear what?"

Another splash, followed by the crunch of footsteps on gravel. Tiffany squinted towards the beach, but the moonlight created odd shadows among the trees.

"There's someone there," she whispered.

"It's probably just Jessica and Salina," Amber said, though she sounded uncertain.

Tiffany shook her head. "No way. Jessica looked ready to bolt earlier. I bet they're halfway home by now."

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

The footsteps grew louder. A figure emerged from the treeline - tall and broad-shouldered.

Mia relaxed. "Oh, it's just Cheryl. She must be doing her nightly patrol."

Tiffany watched the camp director make her way along the shoreline, flashlight bobbing. She was about to call out a greeting when movement in the water caught her eye. At first she thought it was just the moonlight playing tricks, but then she saw it again - a dark shape just under the surface, moving with terrifying speed towards the shore.

"Cheryl!" she screamed. "Look out!"

The warning came too late.

A massive form erupted from the lake in a spray of water. Tiffany glimpsed razor-sharp teeth and glowing yellow eyes before the thing slammed into Cheryl. Her scream cut off in a wet gurgle as jaws clamped around her torso.

Amber's shriek pierced the night. Tiffany felt like she was watching a horror movie in slow motion. The creature - some kind of nightmarish fish-thing - shook Cheryl like a rag doll. Her limbs flopped uselessly as blood sprayed across the beach.

Then the monster stilled. Its head swiveled towards the lake, those lanterns yellow eyes locking onto the four girls floating in stunned silence.

Mia was the first to snap out of it. "Swim!" she yelled. "Go, go, go!"

Tiffany's body finally responded to her brain's frantic commands. She spun and started swimming for the far shore, not daring to look back. She could hear splashing behind her as Amber and Mia followed.

A deafening roar shook the air. The water around Tiffany surged as something massive entered the lake.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god," Amber chanted between gasping breaths.

“Holy shit!” Camella cried. “We’re going to be fish food!”

Tiffany's arms and legs burned as she pushed herself harder than she ever had before. The shore seemed impossibly far away. She risked a glance over her shoulder and immediately wished she hadn't.

The creature was gaining on them with terrifying speed. In the moonlight, she could make out more details of its twisted form. It was easily twice the size of Cheryl, with a purple body that seemed to be a hodgepodge of flesh and metal. Scales glinted alongside chrome plating. One fin ended in wickedly sharp claws while the other ended in some kind of mechanical appendage.

Its maw gaped open, revealing rows of serrated teeth. A forked tongue lashed the air, tasting their fear.

Tiffany's foot brushed against the lake bottom. They were almost to the shore. If they could just make it to land, maybe they'd have a chance.

"We're almost there!" she shouted. "Don't stop!"

A scream from behind made her falter. She turned to see Mia thrashing in the water; her face a mask of terror.

"It's got me!" Mia shrieked. "Oh god, help! It's got my leg!"

Tiffany froze, torn between self-preservation and the urge to help her friend. Before she could decide, Amber darted past her, swimming back towards Mia.

"Hold on!" Amber yelled. "I'm coming!"

The monster's massive head broke the surface, jaws clamping around Mia's calf. Blood bloomed in the water as Mia's screams reached a fever pitch. Amber reached her friend and started pummeling the creature's snout with her fists.

"Let her go, you ugly bastard!"

For a moment, Tiffany thought it might work. The monster's grip seemed to loosen. Then its mechanical eye swiveled to focus on Amber. A metal-plated arm shot out of the water, slamming into Amber's chest. The blow sent her flying backwards with a pained "oof!"

Tiffany snapped out of her daze. She couldn't leave her friends. Squaring her shoulders, she started swimming back towards the others.

"Hey, fish face!" she yelled. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

The creature's head whipped towards her. Its jaws opened wider, Mia's leg slipping free. Before Tiffany could feel relief, the monster lunged.

She barely had time to take a breath before the creature dragged her under. Claws raked across her side, leaving trails of fire. She kicked out blindly, her foot connecting with something solid. The pressure on her leg vanished.

Tiffany broke the surface with a gasp. She could see Amber helping a sobbing Mia towards the shore. The surrounding water tinged pink with blood.

A menacing growl rumbled behind her. Tiffany's blood ran cold. She started swimming as hard as she could, knowing it was futile. The monster was too fast, too strong.

Suddenly, hands grabbed her arms, hauling her the last few feet to shore. She collapsed onto the pebbly beach, chest heaving.

"Are you okay?" Amber asked, her voice shaking.

Tiffany managed a nod, wincing at the pain in her side. She pushed herself to her feet, stumbling slightly.

"We need to get out of here," she panted. "Where's Mia?"

Amber pointed further down the beach. Mia was limping towards the trees, leaving a trail of bloody footprints behind her.

A splash from the lake made them both jump. The creature was circling just offshore, its dorsal fin slicing through the water like a shark's. As they watched, it began to move closer to land.

"Run!" Tiffany screamed.

They sprinted after Mia, the sound of crunching gravel spurring them on. Tiffany's lungs burned as she pushed herself to go faster. She could hear the monster behind them, its mechanical parts whirring and clanking as it pursued its prey.

They burst out of the treeline onto the main path leading back to camp. Mia was just ahead, clutching her bleeding leg as she hobbled along.

"The administration building," Tiffany gasped out. "It's the sturdiest structure in camp. We can barricade ourselves inside."

Amber nodded, already moving to support Mia. Tiffany took Mia's other arm and together they half-carried, half-dragged their injured friend down the path.

The sound of splintering wood echoed through the night as the creature smashed through the trees behind them. Tiffany's heart pounded in her ears. She didn't dare look back, focusing all her energy on putting one foot in front of the other.

The administration building loomed ahead, a beacon of hope in the darkness. They staggered up the front steps, Mia crying out in pain with each movement.

Tiffany grabbed the door handle and yanked. It didn't budge.

"No, no, no," she muttered, rattling the knob desperately. "It's locked!"

"Move!" Amber shouldered past her, still supporting Mia. She raised her foot and kicked at the door with all her might. The wood groaned but held firm.

A roar split the air. Tiffany spun to see the monster emerge from the trees, its red eyes fixed on them with predatory focus.

"Again!" she yelled, adding her own kicks to Amber's assault on the door.

The creature charged across the open field separating them, covering the distance with terrifying speed. Tiffany could see the moonlight glinting off its metal parts, the flexing of powerful muscles beneath scales and skin.

With a final desperate kick, the door burst open. They tumbled inside, Tiffany scrambling to her feet to slam it shut behind them. She threw the deadbolt just as something massive slammed into the other side.

The entire building shook with the impact. Dust rained down from the ceiling as the monster attacked the door again and again.

"Help me barricade it!" Tiffany yelled.

Amber propped Mia against the wall and hurried over. Camilla joined them as they dragged a heavy desk in front of the door. Tiffany added a chair for good measure, wedging it under the doorknob.

The pounding continued, each blow threatening to cave in the sturdy wood. Tiffany backed away, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

"What do we do now?" Camilla whispered.

Tiffany shook her head, unable to reply to a simple answer.

Whatever that thing in the lake was, it was still out there. And Tiffany had a sinking feeling it would be back.