Hydropholynemia

I stared out the window. We were going to a cabin site in Canada. I didn't know how long it was going to be, just that it would be extremely boring. The books that I had brought only made me carsick, yet I managed to read them anyway because it was an excuse to stop at a gas station and walk around. It was also so that I could go in there and get a snack or two. For the next half hour, I was munching on Sour Skittles and Tic Tacs. They weren't the best, but a lot better than not doing anything. Eventually even that got boring, and I put them away for later.

"Well, here we are!" my dad said as we drove up to the campsite. "Our little home up north for some Christmas cheer!"

"It doesn't look like anything," I noted.

"That's because we haven't given it a personality yet! Trust me, by the time we leave, you're going to miss this place!"

"We're staying here for a whole week?" I asked.

"Yep!" remarked my dad. "Isn't it lovely?"

I looked at my phone for the hundredth time the trip. Impressive that we'd only been in the car for ten hours. It would likely be a total of a few thousand by the time we came home. Thank god there's WiFi here, I thought. At least I won't die of boredom as quickly.

As we unpacked, I noticed that there were a few other people here as well. In the middle of the campground was a giant river. It seemed to be at least 90 feet long. Multiple bridges connected the land on the two sides together, but they were old, and it looked like no one had been on them for a while. On each side of the river there was a gazebo. A group of kids about my age were sitting around the gazebo on the side I was on.

"Why don't you go talk to them?" my dad asked. "It would be a great way to make new friends!"

"Yeah," I murmured. "And then leave them a week later never to see them again,"

"Hey," my dad said. "One more nasty remark and I'm taking away your phone for the rest of the trip!"

That definitely shut me up. I trudged over to the kids.

"Hey! It's a new kid!" said one of them. He was the biggest one there, and it looked like he was the leader of them. Another kid piped up. "Nice to meet you! I'm Rose!" she said.

"I'm Harrison," I replied.

"Cool!" said Rose. "This here is Brandon," she affirmed, pointing to the big kid. "And over there is Kennith and Mack."

"Hey, I thought we said I was the one giving the introductions," Brandon grumbled.

"You guys know each other?" I asked.

"I've been going here for eight years every Christmas so far, Brandon, and Mack have been coming here for four years , and Kennith came here last year." Rose answered.

I tried to start a conversation with them. "Does anyone want to go swimming in the river?" I voiced. As the words left my mouth, I knew it was a stupid question. It had to be about 30 degrees here. The water would be freezing. But what they said surprised me.

"It isn't safe," said Mack. "That's where the Hydropholynemia is."

"The hydro-what?" I asked.

"The Hydropholynemia is a giant sea monster that lives in the river. If you go into it, you'll be eaten," lectured Brandon.

"What about the bridges?" I asked.

"No one's gone on them for about twenty years now."

"This is crazy," I said. "There's no such thing as Hydropholynemia. I'll go in the water to prove it."

"That's a suicide mission," said Kennith.

"I'll get some more facts on my phone," I replied.

I searched up 'Hydropholynemia' on the web browser. My phone said, "The Hydropholynemia is a sea monster believed to live in the north. Its first appearance was in England in the 13th century. The appearances moved in a westward pattern until the 19th century, where its whereabouts were unknown to this day."

"Well, that's a reassuring thought," I said, "But it hasn't been seen since the 1800's, so I think we're okay."

"Please don't do it," begged Rose. She seemed very impatient.

"Relax, I'll be fine," I reassured her. Then, I stepped into the river.

It was cold as ice. As soon as I put my foot in, I took it out immediately. I knew it would take a long time to get in if I did it this way. I walked to the bridge and jumped into the shallow part of the river. It was cold, but tolerable. I glanced at them and gave them a thumbs up. I waded in deeper into the river. The water was up to my shoulders. I decided to stop before I put my head under. I wasn't even wearing a swimsuit, so I decided it wasn't worth the risk.

I was just about to turn back, when something caught my leg and dragged me away from the shore. I looked back, but all I could see was a big shape in the water. No way that it could be the Hydropholynemia. The water rippled, and a monster emerged. It was scarier than I thought it was. Terrifyingly scary. I was so startled that I didn't know what to do. It was like a scary movie, only real.

Then I felt something bite down on my leg. Blood seeped into the river at an alarming rate. I tried to break free but it was no use. I struggled for air. Then, after two minutes, I was dragged underwater.

I knew that I was basically dead. The Hydropholynemia would do what it wanted to do to me. I suddenly felt very tired. I didn't care about anything anymore. I couldn't move, I couldn't hear, I couldn't see. But I could feel myself going down, down to the lair of the Hydropholynemia.