Tales From Lake Bottomless: The West Side

Part 1: Tales From Lake Bottomless: Levi The Leviathan

Howard Greene back again, last time I was on here I promised I’d share my experience of traveling to the west side of the lake with Levi The Leviathan, so here it is…

I ended up taking a trip to the store and buying myself a shotgun, the process wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. So that was definitely a welcome surprise, I also brought my bat along as well, in the event that I run out of ammo. If anything, the boat was a bigger pain to get ahold of.

I stood on the edge of the dock in my backyard, watching the minuscule waves of the murky water below as they crash up against the supports of the dock. I grip my shotgun tight, a bag of extra shells resting in the boat, along with the first aid kit I had decided to put together.

I see a lengthy displacement in the water, like something large was quickly swimming right towards me as I stood there only feet above the surface of the eerie lake. It slices through the natural waves like a knife through soft butter as it approaches closer.

Then he emerges, Levi The Leviathan. His massive head crashing up through the surface, splashing both me and the top of the dock as he raises only around 10 of his sixty-foot length out of the lake while the rest is hidden below in the abyss that is Lake Bottomless.

“Didn’t think you’d remember me.” I chuckle while staring at the reptile. He returns my gaze, although his is much colder.

“You’re more interesting than most humans, I’ll give you that, but you’re a fool if you wanna try your luck with the west side of the lake.”

“Well this is my home, I gotta know what I’m living with,” I reply, cocking the shotgun.

“Maybe you should’ve learned more before deciding to settle here, ever wonder that?” Levi asks rhetorically.

“Yeah yeah yeah.” I scoff. “Now you coming with me or not?”

Levi lowers himself a bit into the water by a couple of feet, turning his head and looking out towards the open water of the lake.

“Well, I truly have nothing better to be doing. So yes, even though this is still an idiotic idea.”

“Well, then it’s all the more reason to tag along with me then.” I smile, looking down at Levi as his head is now only a few feet above the surface. “I promise I’m not that bad.”

I move to the edge of the dock, climb over into the boat and get it started up before we begin to head off. Levi dives a few feet under the surface of the water, but due to his size and the displacement he creates, it makes his position more than obvious.

As he stated previously, having his head above water for too long makes him feel sick, so I didn’t expect him to have a full-length conversation with me while we headed over to the west section of the lake. I was mostly wondering what made him of all… Creatures, so hesitant. I didn’t think a giant damn sea snake could be afraid of very much. But oh boy was I wrong.

I spotted many lifeforms, all sorts of just plain weird marine and amphibian beasts alike. Or whatever you would call a lot of these things anyway. Crazy stuff like mutated sharks that glowed all sorts of different colors, which puzzled me. Considering this seemed like freshwater and most sharks live in saltwater, but I guess that’s far from the strangest thing about this place.

Only about fifty yards on the left of my boat emerged a multi-headed fish beast, resembling that of a piranha that got DNA spliced with a hermit crab. The main body of a piranha present, but with crab claws replacing the fins, and much bigger than your average piranha.

I also came to find there were other gigantic sea snakes, one looked even bigger than Levi which is just quite frankly ridiculous. It was made all the crazier when both he and Levi stuck their heads just above the surface of the water and spoke to each other.

The other sea snake had to be around eighty feet in total length, his skin consisted of a dark, basil-like green. His eyes being those same cold, unfeeling, reptilian slits that could pierce right through your soul with a simple stare.

Levi swims backward a bit as they stare each other down, somehow it seems… Awkward, between them. I wasn’t exactly sure how to describe it. At multiple points I caught Levi trying to avoid eye contact with the other sea snake.

“Hey, dad.” Levi hisses, looking down toward the surface of the water. And of course, the true reason as to why Levi didn’t wanna come here was made clear.

“Why are you bringing humans over here? What happened to ‘I don’t care about anything?’ hmm?” Levi’s father booms, his voice far deeper and more commanding than his son’s. He truly was everything Levi was, just amplified to an even more absurd level.

“He insisted that I bring him to the west side, he lives here now,” Levi argues, avoiding eye contact with his father.

“Then his survival will be on your hands, but I doubt he’ll live for more than several minutes, especially when Tomono roams this area after coming out of his territory. I could just kill him myself and make his death far more merciful.”

“Tomono is growing old, he’s much weaker than he was a few centuries ago dad.”

“He’s still more than strong enough to kill us both, you know that as well as I do.” Levi’s father snarls, attempting to get closer to his son before Levi backs away. Avoiding the prospect of any father-son intimacy.

They both pause, Levi’s dad emerges a few feet more above the surface to display dominance and control of the conversation. But Levi seems unfazed by his action. Keeping his gaze focused elsewhere.

“You spend too much time on the east side, you should come around here more, your mother and I miss you.”

“The east side has far more of The Submerged, hunting is way easier over there. Plus, you know why I don’t like it here.”

Levi’s father groans, rocking my boat slightly just from the force of his breath being exhaled.

“Fine, I’ll speak to you later once your friend is dead. Be careful Levi, you are my only son.”

“Will do, Dad,” Levi replies with a huff, if he was capable of rolling his eyes, I’m sure he would’ve done it right then and there.

Levi’s father then arches his body and dives back down into the murky depths while Levi himself just about submerges his head and keeps moving along on pace with my boat. Not saying anything as the both of them go their separate ways.

I soon lay eyes upon the west section of the lake, it’s even murkier than the east. That was only just for starters, it possessed this almost swamp-like property. Thick, elongated, and curved trees that jutted up from the water, they looked almost cursed. Which they probably were in all honesty.

There were creatures that sat perched on them. All of them the size of an average raccoon, but their pigmentation was a mixture of both light purple and dark red. Their heads were sculpted in the shapes of deformed triangles, each possessing five rectangular eyes that glowed a bright yellow, it was extremely ominous. Made all the more unsettling as they watched me with an endless stare.

All of these alien critters stood on six legs, each in sets of two along the underside of their bodies, one set in the front, middle, and back. I spotted two different y-shaped tails that jetted out from each of their rear ends.

I stopped driving the boat and looked out over the side to talk to Levi, grabbing my shotgun just in case those things in the trees could swim.

“What are those things?” I question, prompting Levi to stick his head just above the surface.

“Vexers, they’re small but not to be taken lightly. One bite from them will drive any creature insane. You’re lucky they can’t swim or you’d already be long gone.”

“Noted.” I huffed. “Anything else I should know?”

“Yeah actually, I was gon-.”

Levi suddenly cuts himself off and does a quick dive underwater. Splashing me as I stand there looking over the edge of the boat, the water dripping off my hair and back into the lake.

Levi then suddenly comes back up, one of The Submerged creatures locked within his jaws. It screeches horrifically as Levi continues to bite and tear at its flesh, ripping apart its tentacles and tearing them away from its body while casually dismembering the creature.

“You interrupted our conversation so you could grab a snack?” I ask with my eyes squinted disapprovingly. Levi doesn’t respond as he continues chewing and swallowing the now dead monstrosity. That dark red blood now coating his fangs like icing on a cake.

“How many of them are there down there?” I follow up, Levi hissing as he tries to get some of The Submerged’s flesh off of his blade-like teeth.

“Billions, did you forget the lake is endless below?” Levi laughs. Amused at my ignorance.

“Well, it’s definitely a new concept for me,” I reply uneventfully. “Still just getting used to everything ya know?”

My ears suddenly pick up an ear-piercing squawk and or bird call ring out from the sky, no more than a hundred feet above from what I could predict off the top of my head.

I look up, expecting to see something like a hawk or an eagle. But judging from the distorted and almost raspy effect accompanying the cry, I knew there had to be something wrong with said eagle or hawk.

But, to say there was something just “wrong” was a massive understatement, I lay eyes upon what appears to be a hawk circling the tree with all of the Vexers sat upon it. The hawk itself was definitely bigger than one you’d see on an average day, a wingspan that had to be six feet across, bare minimum.

His color and feather patterns resembled that of a typical Red-tailed hawk, except for the fact that he had holes in his wings, the edges coated with dried blood, half of the flesh from his head was missing, exposing the bone of his cranium along with half his beak being chipped away. His talons, however, still looked as sharp as surgical knives.

To put this simply, it was a large, zombified, and or undead hawk. Whatever you prefer I guess. It was as terrifying as it was fascinating. Yet, once Mr. Zombie Hawk had set his sights on me is when I started to grow tense, turning his attention away from the Vexers and beginning to dive down towards me.

“Hey uh Levi, a little help!” I call out, looking down next to the boat and seeing Levi had dived down under the water. Nowhere to be found, I couldn’t even see the displacement he usually created when swimming close to the surface.

“Great just great, I’ll just do this my fucking self.” I babble to no one as I begin to ready my shotgun. Holding it as steady as I can while pointing the barrel upward as Zombie Hawk dives down while looking at me with his one remaining eye. Which also glowed blue by the way.

I cock the firearm, feeling the anticipation grow more intense inside me for every second that passes by, I keep my knees locked and my hands wrapped tight, waiting for just the right moment to pull the trigger and send this thing back where it came from.

The undead avian then lets out another one of his bone-chilling calls, leaning back and opening up his talons as he edges closer to me.
Once he’s in range I finally take the shot, the gun making me take a step back from the kick, but I handled it pretty well all things considered.

The only thing is that I missed, horribly. Which then allowed the hawk to make it to me and sink his talons into my shoulders. Bloodstains on my shirt as it drips down past my armpits and abdomen.

I howl like a wounded dog, attempting to hit the horrifying monster with the gun in a more blunt force fashion. The blow connects, but it does little to faze the beast. He’s determined, filled with undying motivation to make sure he killed me.

He sinks his talons further into my flesh, after he’s satisfied with the strength of his grip, he begins to fly vertically, slightly lifting my feet up off the boat and into the air. I slam the barrel into the hawk’s abdomen before firing again.

The blast blows off a significant, fleshy chunk of the avian’s left side, but still doesn’t put him down, it only causes him to drop me, and if zombie movies have taught me anything, it’s that I had to shoot him in the head.

I fall back-first into the boat, groaning as I feel multiple pops in both my shoulders and ribs, but I nonetheless take aim with the shotgun yet again as the hawk dives back down. Another evil-sounding shriek vibrating my body as this thing converges on me.

I pull the trigger a third time, the shell from the shot blasting off what was left of the hawk’s head and a quarter of his right wing as well. Blood bursts out in every direction as his remains fall down into the lake next to the boat, the opposite side from Levi was swimming. That also allowed me to notice some of the fermented blood had gotten onto my bat. Which sat comfortably on the floor of the boat.

Speaking of which, Levi was still nowhere to be seen. I hadn’t heard from him since before the hawk attacked, he had simply vanished. Gone below the depths without giving me a heads up. But what I did hear instead was disturbing, yet cathartic once I realized what it actually was.

Gritting my teeth as I feel the stinging sensation of my shoulders, I curse and swear up and down like a drunk in a bar while looking over the side of the boat yet again.

In the water, I see a multitude of rapid splashes, a group of smaller creatures are tearing apart the rotting flesh of the hawk, picking his bones clean as if he hadn’t been already dead for god knows how long.

Some of them were the piranha and hermit crab hybrids I saw earlier, a few were oversized aquatic parasites that resembled centipedes with limbs that were are too big for their slender body. Yet they still made it work, they must’ve been intelligent as well. Either that or they were purely scavengers, due to them not attacking Levi or his father.

While they continue to tear apart the dead-undead hawk, I grab a bottle of peroxide from the first aid kit I had brought along and take my shirt off. Pouring a bit onto the wounds I had received. Which, surprisingly didn’t feel as deep as I thought they would.

I ball my hands up into fists as it burns intensely for a few seconds, but that’s how you know it’s working. After that’s done with, I grab two small pads and wipe away the excess blood before slapping a couple of band-aids on my shoulders.

Levi sticks his head out of the water and levels it just above the boat, looking at me as I put my shirt back on. There’s this sort of child-like guilty expression on his face, even those cold reptilian eyes had a little remorse in them. Either that or I was just simply overthinking it.

“You killed a Kran? I heard its cry from below.” He asks. “Seems like he got you pretty good. Although I’ve never seen one of them attack a human before.”

“Yeah no shit, thanks for the help by the way. What were you even doing down there? Let me guess, finding more of The Submerged to eat?” I erupt, only realizing how pissed I sound once I finish my mini tirade.

“Actually no, my mother wanted to speak to me. She prefers to stay quite deep below. A few thousand feet or so.”

“Or so,” I repeat sarcastically, using my fingers for quotations.

“It’s not my fault my family is not completely put together, plenty of things wrong with us all.” Levi retorts.

“What’s up with you and your dad anyway? Does he not like you or something?”

“He’s upset that I am showing a human around, he thinks I should’ve just killed you when I first saw you. Spared you the misery of trying to survive here as only a human.”

I curl my lips, nodding my head in a comedic acceptance.

“Yeah sounds about right, and your mom?” I question, turning my head to face Levi.

“She was a bit more willing to think about it.”

“And by ‘think about it’ you mean she’ll wait just a bit longer before she tries to eat me?”

“Eat you?” Levi recoils. “No, not eat you, kill you? Probably. They, like me, don’t really enjoy the taste of human flesh.”

“Yeah, that’s what I kinda figured,” I responded unceremoniously. “I’m gonna keep going deeper into the west if you’re gonna tag along. Maybe help me out this time in case another one of those things show up?”

Levi then yawns obnoxiously, rocking the boat as he does so. Prompting me to give him a disapproving glare.

“If it means I can avoid seeing my parents again then I’m in.” He mutters. “But I’m telling you now that there are places even I can’t go.”

I first reload the shotgun with the extra shells I had brought along, this thing was able to only hold three at a time. Which should be enough as long as I can learn to improve my aim first. But nonetheless, I move back to the cockpit and head off as Levi dives back down.

More strange trees are making themselves known here on the west side of the lake, Vexers and other creatures I didn’t recognize all resting on their branches and twigs. Some of them looking at me with a ruthless, hungry stare while others pretended I didn’t even exist.

A dorsal fin from one of the mutated sharks slices through the water next to my boat, I was unable to tell what actual species of shark he might’ve belonged to. My eyes were just fixated on that sickly bright green that his dorsal fin glowed, it almost hurt to look at. Like staring at the sun.

The fin itself was a bit bigger than a MacBook, I couldn’t see the body of the big fish below the murky surface. But luckily for me, he didn’t really seem to take much interest in the boat and just simply swam off to the left. Leaving me alone, but I wondered if that was actually because he saw Levi and knew attacking me would end terribly for him. But I’ve always know sharks aren’t just the merciless killers everyone makes them out to be. Most of the time it’s just them mistaking you for a prey item they actually enjoy.

But I’ll tell you now that navigating the boat through this swampy area of the lake was a huge pain in the ass, especially as I encountered more trees and natural debris floating along the surface. I of course use the term natural pretty loosely in this instance, because at one point I was damn sure I had passed the severed head of an alligator which blinked at me.

Nothing here makes sense, but I’m way too intrigued to not explore it.
After several minutes of waving through this swampy filth and insects far too large to even exist. I finally get to a point where the trees end and there’s a clear path to more open water.

There was one little problem, however… The water was purple, an African Violet purple. It looked no more or less dense than the water on the side I was on, but its strange color and shading were more than a little off-putting.

“I can’t follow you there, that’s Tomono’s territory. He doesn’t usually care for my parents and me as long as we stay out here. But if we go in there he’ll definitely kill me and you, even if he is weaker nowadays.” Levi speaks up, slightly swimming backward past the boat.

“What’s he like?” I probe. Looking down at the now resurfaced Levi. “Because from what you and your pops have said, he sounds like he’s a bit cranky.”

“He’s the ultimate being of this lake, as long as you leave him alone and don’t interrupt his hunts. He’ll return the courtesy, we shouldn’t even be this close in the first place.”

“Is it possible to kill him?” I inquire, shocking even myself as the words leave my lips. Of course, Levi simply laughs hysterically at me like I’m a toddler trying to overpower a grown man.

“A lot have tried, including my grandfather. But you’ll need much more than just that weapon if you wanna stand even the slightest chance. I’m not sure where all this extra confidence came from in you, but I admire it.”

“I’m not either, maybe it was just a stupid question.” I sigh, rubbing my forehead. I would’ve expected the heat in the swampy area to bother me. But it didn’t, and when my hand made contact with my forehead I felt no sort of sweat or anything. Fatigue itself was absent as well. But I did feel an internal pounding sensation inside my skull, growing more intense with every second that passed.

“A stupid question if you intend to stay alive, yes, yes it was,” Levi interjects.

“You know, maybe you’re right. Maybe I should just head back.” I complain, groaning due to my head feeling as if it’s about to violently explode any minute.

“Are you in pain? What’s wrong?” Levi asks with a tone of genuine concern. Not something you hear every day from a reptile.

“Head hurts like hell. Think it’s because of all the shit in this area, I should probably just get home.”

“I don’t remember making a bowel movement but alright.” Levi hisses. “I prefer being on the east side anyway so I’ll swim and follow you back. Best to leave before Tomono realizes our presence.”

“I appreciate it,” I say, my vision beginning to become somewhat blurry. I wasn’t even sure that I would’ve actually made it back home. But I wasn’t gonna give up and pass out right here, I was already vulnerable enough.

I got back into the cockpit and began driving the boat back to my house, Becoming quite hopeful once I saw the silhouette of the roof come into view. Despite my ever-pounding headache and weakening state.

I saw Levi’s displacement in the water next to me, it was comforting to know that I had an ally in this otherworldly place. Even if he was reluctant to going along with what I wanted to do, I knew there was at least one thing in this lake that didn’t wanna kill or maim me.

I turn the boat to park it right next to the dock, although forgetting to actually tie it to one of the supports, but can you really blame me? It’s not like I was really thinking as clearly as I could’ve to begin with.

Once I lift myself off the boat and onto the dock, I turn back to see Levi sticking his head only slightly above the water level. Looking at me like I was a helpless child in need.

“You should rest up, but if you die in your sleep, there are plenty of things here that will scavenge and devour your body. So don’t worry about your corpse going to waste.” He announces with a slight chuckle before going and submerging himself again, proceeding to shift his body to swim away.

“G- good to know.” I stutter. Limping slightly as I make my way to the sliding glass door of my back patio.

The blurring of my vision intensified, it was like I could almost feel the world slipping away right in front of me. As I said, it wasn’t fatigue, it was something else. I had no idea what that something else was, but I do know what probably caused it.

The hawk, Kran, or whatever the hell Levi called it. He might’ve transferred something into me. A disease, infection. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. As I said, I’ve seen my fair share of zombie movies, I know how this works.

To make matters worse, I didn’t actually make it to the glass sliding door of the house, no. I was close, maybe only a few feet from what I could recall. But still, I passed out before I could make it inside.

To my surprise, I did wake up in the middle of the night feeling much, and I mean much better than previously. Stronger, sharper, more in tune with my surroundings and instincts. I had seemed to have done a complete one-eighty. Even the darkness of the night didn’t appear nearly as strong as it should have.

However though, when I took a look at my skin, it appeared paler than snow. My eyes couldn’t believe it, I must’ve laid there on the patio staring at my nearly chalk white arms for over a minute. Mesmerized by how I felt so good on the inside but looked so sickly on the exterior.

But it wasn’t just that, no. I put the palm of my left hand up to my face as I had noticed two separate but faint, light blue hues in a circle shape on it. As I brought it closer to my face, it grew brighter and more visible. The opposite happening when I moved my hand further away.

My eyes…they were glowing. Emitting a sapphire equivalent color in the direction I looked.

“W- what the hell is this?” I recoil. Raising myself back up to my feet. “What the fuck is happening to me?”

I throw my hand on the sliding glass door and open it, only to hear the shattering of the glass as it slammed into the side of the house. I didn’t even try opening it that hard. It just… I don’t know, everything felt like it was just falling apart little by little.

I thought it was all just a bad dream, some sort of nightmare that was being concocted by some supernatural force here at the lake. But no, that was just my mind telling me how to rationalize it. I knew the truth, I was wide awake and fully aware of these horrific changes to myself.

But I’ve got stuff that needs to be done around here. It was great to update you all again, I will surely return with more of my strange and paranormal experiences. There are many stories and tales to share. Here, at Lake Bottomless.

It’s been Howard Greene, until next time.

 

Credit : mrmills45

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