The swamp down by Kelly McGregor’s farm was slick with algae and teeming with gators. Kelly had lost at least five dogs to the critters, and he knew exactly how much to fuck with them and how much ground to give: zero. Still, it was a thrill fishing for mugwumps in the dank, marshy wetlands and he liked seeing all the other creatures of the swamp. He was out with his buddy Bobby when they encountered the thing. It was about seven feet tall and humanoid but covered in moss and grime, its skin looked like it had thickened to accommodate being in water all the time. It clearly did not like intruders, and Kelly and Bobby had gone way way off course deeper into the swamp looking for new fertile patches to fish. The thing turned the boat over and then smashed it to bits, which meant even if they did survive they would be wading and walking through snake and gator-infested waters and marsh grass. It wasn’t likely they’d make it out with all limbs intact as it was. But they didn’t have to worry about that, because the swamp thing drowned Bobby right quick, just grabbed the back of his neck with a hand that went all the way around to his windpipe. He just dunked the dude and held him down until he stopped moving. Kelly had already shit his pants and his body was screaming to flee, but he didn’t know how to move fast enough, he turned and waded as fast as he could dodging trees to get some distance, but a plank from the boat knocked the wind out of him and then he, too, was pushed under the water to drown. In his last moments he tried to keep his eyes open and see under the dark swamp water, but it was dark and murky and it just faded to black.
October 25, 2022