Elias reached out, his hand trembling. As his finger brushed the cold, vertical wall of water, the humming stopped. The pillar collapsed instantly, a heavy splash drenching him to the bone.
Suddenly, the boat lurched. Elias gripped the gunwales as the silver surface broke. But no creature emerged. Instead, the water itself seemed to fold like glass. A tower of liquid, perfectly square and standing ten feet tall, rose silently from the depths. Inside the pillar of water, suspended like a fly in amber, was a pocket watch—ticking perfectly, its gold casing untouched by the lake. That Night on the Lake
When the spray cleared, the lake was flat again. The watch was gone. The moonlight was just moonlight. Elias looked at his hand; the tip of his index finger was glowing with a faint, silver shimmer that wouldn't wash off. Elias reached out, his hand trembling