My eyes shoot open and only blackness registers.

I drag in a deep breath and my mouth is immediately blocked by the fabric of my sleeping bag. My head is now down in my sleeping bag where my feet were about three hours ago when I had fallen asleep. I can feel myself moving forward as I’m dragged across the ground. The realization of my predicament makes me kick my legs hard. The dragging stops and I feel a large hand tighten around my right leg. I hear a loud groan come from high above me and then the dragging starts again.

The tightness of the fabric against my face makes me feel claustrophobic. My heart quickens even more as panic really starts to set in. My mind rushes full of thoughts. What has a hold of me? Where is it taking me? It’s hand or claw or whatever feels way too large to be human.

The urge to scream out takes over for a minute, but I don’t. That could cause whatever has me to react badly.

I can feel the roughness of the terrain on the back of my head. The sharpness of small rocks and sticks dig into my scalp every few moments. My breathing is fast. I start to feel numbness in my stomach that radiates throughout my body. Hyperventilating.

The tightness of the sleeping bag makes it impossible to move my arms from my sides.

Tension builds in my muscles as my body fights to free my arms. Nothing gives. They’re stuck.

Sudden stillness shakes me to full awareness. It must be night because I can hear the chirps and croaks of crickets and frogs. Their noises are almost drowned out by the heavy and labored breathing of my captor.

A loud scream erupts from my left. I’m not the only one. Is it one of my friends I was camping with? The scream sounded female. High pitched. The screaming becomes louder and more panicked. It’s primal. Are they out of their bag? Can they see whatever has us?

“Please, please, please,” the person pleads.

I stay silent. Their voice becomes strained as if something has them by the throat. The screaming starts again but it’s watery and gargled. Then it stops. The crickets and frogs take over.

Another groan and the dragging starts again. I can hear the thing’s footsteps. Something about their sound makes me think its feet are wet. Or is the ground wet? I don’t feel any wetness on my back.

I feel something round under my back for a moment and then white light feels my vision as the back of my head bangs against the ground. I must have gone over a log.

The impact makes me feel foggy.

In front of me I hear splashing and then the sensation of cold water on my back. I’m no longer being drug across the ground. I’m being pulled across the surface of water. Are we in the lake?

Water pulses up and down at the opening of my ears before fully filling the canals. I can feel the water traveling up my face towards my mouth and nose. Suddenly, I feel the thing pull on my leg from below the surface. I’m fully submerged now. Had no time to take a deep breath. No air in my lungs. My body is already in the fight for life and air. I jerk and fight. The grip doesn’t let up. I’m traveling deeper and deeper. Numbness begins to take over. My movement becomes weak. I fade away.