What I Saw At The Lake

A/N: This will start off as maybe a chapter or two, depending on how it goes. And indeed if any fool decides to read it.

Chapter 1- All Is Not Still

The moon reflected a silvery glow onto the surface of the water that was rippled by the cold and gentle breeze of the wind. Ace Merril snickered as he flicked his cigarette butt into the fouled face of the lake, as the cigarette butt sank beneath the cold skin and joined its peers as it dropped softly onto decades of filth that lined the bed of the lake.

A low rumbling in the background echoed onto Aces ears, "Guys, shut up." He said, as he shot a look at his pals, they fell silent at once. At once suspecting the park ranger of snoopery, he searched the opposite side of the lake, where he saw headlights shattering the darkness just 35 metres away.

He moved further toward the edge of the lake, as the truck came into sight. He backed behind the willow tree as the others watched on in curiosity, moving a little closer to the scene, leaving their cars in the safety of the shadows.

The truck reversed back towards the lake as the water licked the wheels, he could see the truck more clearly, it was a blue toyota. It didn't belong to the park ranger, and yet he couldn't break the tense silence with his own relief.

The drivers seat door squeaked open and a silhouette stepped lightly onto the dusty path. He saw the figure look around, but the cover of the willows protected the group from sight. The person leant back inside the truck and took something off the passenger seat.

The door slammed shut a little louder than intended as the walking shadow looked sharply around to see if anyone heard. The object from the front seat lit up, the silouette was carrying a torch.

The onlookers were silent as the grave, and they could hear the footfalls of the mysterious figure as they walked to the back of the truck that was perched over the edge of the lake, shining the torch to guide their way, it illuminated the back right wheel, where there was an obvious dent.

The figure jumped into the back of the truck, creating a metallic clang as their feet hit the floor. The figure turned the torch off and put it on the floor behind them and was lost in darkness, the only running narrative being the scraping noises and shuffling of feet that happened for what seemed like an eternity. Ace silenced his ragged breaths and turned to face Billy whose face was illuminated in the moonlight.

Ace gestured for him to move back into the shadows, as Billy moved a twig snapped loudly beneath his foot, he heard the figure stop moving and felt their eyes looking exactly at the illuminated spot where they could have easily spotted Billy's face just seconds ago.

All was completely silent for what seemed like hours. Then, the shuffling resumed and there was a loud thud and a splash as something very heavy splashed into the water, there was a gentle splash next to it, as it was pushed out, further into the lake, sinking as it went until the silhouette strode softly out of the water.

Standing next to the truck for a moment, where the moon illuminated the shadow watching a bulky piece of cargo sink asit drifted out towards the boys who rustled further back into their respected hiding places behind trees and bushes. They then heard the footsteps resume as the figure walked out of the light and back towards the drivers seat.

He heard the door squeak open again, and carefully closed behind the mysterious stranger, the indentity of whom was a question mark. He heard the engine rumble back to life as the truck stuttered out of the woods.

All was silent for a few seconds whilst Ace checked that the coast was clear, he moved quickly out from behind the tree and ripped through the woods, running through rustling leaves and jumping over logs. Until he reached the side of the lake where he could see a dark shadow lit up by the moon, "Ace! What're you doin'" Eyeball called as the others cautiously followed.

"Could be something valuable in there, whatever it is, its too important to go in the trash."

"But someone's throwing it out and not selling it, so it can't be valuable." Eyeball said, Ace snapped his neck round to glare at Eyeball to question his decision.

"Did I ask for the idiot's guide to what not to dig out of a lake?" Ace snapped loudly.

"Sorry, Ace." Eyeball murmured.

The water shadow was too far away to pull in, so Ace jumped in recklessly, swimming out to find it, then he swam down, where he managed catch hold of a handle. The heavy load began to weigh him down but he swam upwards with all his force until he dredged it up onto the surface where it floated long enough for him to guide it in, where the others grabbed it and pulled it on to the bank.

Ace pulled himself up onto the bank, the freezing water stinging his body, where the moonlight presented the load to be a trunk, leatherbound, and hefty with a metal padlock on the side. But none of that mattered, all that mattered was what was in the trunk. But he had a feeling he already knew.

"Shit, it's padlocked." Billy observed. Ace shot him a look that told him how stupid this observation was.

"Charlie, light." He commanded, Charlie retrieved his lighter from inside his denim jacket, and threw it to Ace, who bent down next to the trunk and lit the lighter next the padlock, where it started to glow red hot, he was careful not to hold the lighter underneath so that no melted metal would drip on him, slowly but surely it started to melt. The tense silence was not relieved as the boys thought of what riches could lie beneath the leather cover.

Finally the lock was melted completey, and Ace kicked the case open.

A blue hand anaemic with death flopped out of the case and the boys all recoiled back, all except Ace, who let the smell of death and festered flesh was over him like the warm waves of a calm ocean.

A/N: There may be a next chapter if any interest is expressed in me continuing it, please review with any thoughts, opinions, or dare I say it criticism that you my wish to express.