The NightTime Show

5. In The Depths

TW: gore, death of a pre-teen
(A/N: this is some of my older writing so some of the pacing may feel off)

It was a cool Sunday in the summer of 2008, Sam, Jack, and Monika were lounging around in Jack's family's garage and talking about random things.

"Like, a long while ago, like back in the 1950's, my grandpa went out to the geode pool at night and he said that he saw something in the pool and that it stole his backpack." Sam said, grabbing another popsicle from the freezer.

"Wow really? What did it look like?" Monika asked, interest piqued as she ate her own popsicle.

"I dunno, he never said." Sam responded, while eating their popsicle and standing on their scooter.

"Oh c'mon, that's so made-up. That's just the legend of the geode monster." Jack said, sitting on a cooler.

"Shut up man! There are like thousands of unexplored caves in there!" They snapped.

Jack simply scoffed in reply.

"Y'know what? If you don't believe me, then why don't you go to the geode pool at night?" Sam challenged.

"Maybe I will, if it'll shut you up." Jack retorted.

"Guys, why don't we just calm down?" Monika reasoned.

They ignored Monika.

"Okay then, but don't blame me when your arm gets bitten off!" Sam yelled, throwing down their empty plastic popsicle tube and riding their black scooter out of the garage and onto driveway, towards their family's tan house.

"It won't because the monster isn't real!" Jack Yelled back, throwing down his own popsicle.

They both went quiet.
A breeze made its way through the garage and ruffled Monika's short brown hair.

A pang of fear spiked its way in her heart.

"You're really going aren't you?" Monika asked, her voice quiet as she turned her head to face him.

"I am" Jack stated proudly, his constant need to prove the supernatural was just made up stories and feelings was getting in the way of his common sense.

"I want to go with you." Monika said in response.

"I mean, if you want to stay all night in a cave next to a pool with me that's your choice." Jack sassed back.

"Okay, meet up by the dented street light tomorrow night?" Monika asked, ignoring his sarcastic remark.

Jack nodded.

The next afternoon they all packed their backpacks.

Sam filled their backpack with weapons, camping gear, flashlights, and batteries.

Jack filled his with snacks, blankets, matches, and extra clothes, not worried about any animals or people wondering into the cave at night.

And Monika filled her pink backpack with first-aid kits and medicine, trying to remember the CPR lessons that her mom gave her when she was six.

They each snuck out of their rooms and met up under the streetlight.

The sun was slowly being devoured by the horizon once the three arrived at their meeting point.
The pale moon was easily visible.

"You guys ready?" Sam held their flashlight in one hand and their backpack in the other.

"Yup, let's go." Monika responded.

And they were off.

They got to the geode cave just after sunset.
Jack unpacked his backpack in a drier part of the cave while Monika and Sam checked the pool.

The Geode pool itself was beautiful, a crystal-clear pool with sparkling geodes and crystals embedded in the bottom of the pool.

Sam shone their flashlight into the water, making the geodes shine and reflect the light.
Monika sat down next to the pool, dangling her feet in the water.

The pool itself was deceptive, as even though it looked shallow it was really thousands of feet deep.

"Hey guys, why don't we swim for a bit?" Jack proposed, already taking off his shirt.

"Wait Jack-!" Sam was cut off as Jack cannon-balled in the water, the shock clouding up the water.

The water splashed up on Monika's jeans, soaking them.

"Hey!" Monika shouted as Jack resurfaced.
Jack and Monika bickered as the moon came up into its zenith, clouding the water more.

Suddenly Jack stopped.

"Something just brushed against my foot." Jack said, lowering his voice.

"Maybe it's just a rock or a leaf or something-"

Jack cried out in pain, his arms shooting up.
He flailed about, helpless as he was dragged under.

Monika and Sam stood there, speechless as their best friend was dragged under the water, and disappeared.

Slowly, as if drawing back a curtain, the water cleared, revealing a bloody pulp impaled at the bottom of the pool that must've been Jack.

Organs and bones floated around at the bottom of the water.

An eyeball floated to the surface of the water, bobbing with the steady waves.

Giant Jaws caked in blood and tissue closed around it.

Originally written by AngelicJack in 2020 on Skinseed.
Posted on Wattpad 6/13/2022
Do not repost without explicit permission.