The Monster at the Shallow End

Three tired travelers, hit an unexpected snag in their travel plans. They seem to be lost on a river in the jungles far away from any known civilization. As they decide to try and get to shore they absentmindedly let themselves drift toward the shallow end. Which is the first of many mistakes they are about to make. As they get closer something is lurking in the depths so quietly and unobtrusively that no one seems to notice until BAM!!! a hand-like appendage reaches out for each of them. A roar, and a grab, a shake, and then very low, a chuckle. The monster has gotten his slimy hands on each of them, they are all shaken and wondering, but there is no time to wonder, he is reaching for them again. One of the travelers, the male of the group, is so frightened that he races for the shore, not knowing that this has led him to certain doom. He runs for the shore and amazingly enough, the monster doesn't even give him a second glance, his appetite is on the two juicy women travelers. The monster, however glances at the man and makes a sound like a deep belly laugh, and he lunges for the women again. They quickly move out of his reach and realize that he will not venture far from the shore. As they try to stay out of the monsters grasp, they are also frantically trying to talk some sense into their friend who has left them. He is looking odd and they are worried about him. He suddenly takes off for the farthest point, crouches and dives into the deepest, blackest part of the river. The two women are immensely relieved and travel down to him. They approach him cautiously as he is looking unwell. As quick as an instant their friend is reaching and grabbing for them, looking mighty hungry indeed.

All the while the monster at the shallow end is laughing hysterically, "How do you think I came about?" he muses. "I too, once ventured upon that cursed shore, but there is no coming back from it. Now my friend we will rule these waters together, you in the deep, me in the shallow, and we shall never be hungry."

The two women look at each other, frightened and scared, whatever shall they do? As they are pondering their fate, the monster from the deep jumps onto the shore once more. The women are unsure of what is happening. They watch in awe as their former friend strolls down to the monster. He says in a gravelly, subdued voice, "These two morsels of flesh will not be your dinner, monster. You shall let them pass and drift to their safety, or you will answer to me. And I will drag you to your death in the deep waters of this river."

The monster looks at him baffled. He is confused, he remembers the gnawing hunger that consumed him when he first turned. He also remembers, barely, the love he could feel as a human, and assumes this is what drives the newly turned monster. He allows the women to pass, not for the love, but for the fear of the deep end.

The two women, still weary and now afraid, look at their former friend with gratitude as they slowly creep toward the deep end and safety. They can see just beyond the pass that there is a different kind of light down there, one that looks optimistically normal. As they go to wish their friend farewell and love, he looks at them with a glint in his eye. "You did not think I was going to let that monster eat you, did you? I am far too hungry to share, this day." He leaps on them and all you can hear above the strange twitterings of the insects that live in this place, are the crunching of the women travelers bones.