the caverns and tunnel under the lake. I’d speculate that whatever made these prints probably came from those same caves.”
The tracks appeared real. They looked like something out of a horror film. So damn big. Henry swallowed hard, his sense of reality blurring. He loved watching old Twilight Zone episodes, but he didn’t like living through one.
“They’re absolutely not bear or cougar tracks.” Henry did some quick calculations in his head: If the size of the body lived up to the feet…then whatever created those tracks was a hell of a lot bigger than any bear.
“Damn,” grumbled Henry, “I should have brought a camera along. They’re expecting more storms tonight. These might not be here tomorrow.” He knew he was behind the times; his cheap cell phone was just a cell phone. It didn’t take pictures. Didn’t work half the time in the park anyway. He took off his hat and raked his fingers through his hair, a nervous habit. “And there’s no way I can run, get the camera and get back here before the light’s gone. No way.”
Justin was still studying the prints. “Well, at least, you’ve see them, too. That’s a relief to know. I thought I was losing it.”
“You’re the expert. Do you think they’re authentic?”
“I don’t know. They look real. It’s just that I’ve never seen any impressions like these in any of the books or excavation sites. If they are dinosaur tracks, they’re tracks of a beast as yet undiscovered in history.”
“Or they could be a clever joke,” Henry offered, hopefully. “You wouldn’t believe how ingenious some hoaxers can be.”
“Well, let’s hope it doesn’t rain tonight. Like you, I wish I could have gotten pictures. I guess I wasn’t thinking, either. When I found these prints I thought I had my camera in my duffel bag, but somehow I must have forgotten to put it in this morning before I left. I was in such a hurry. Perhaps it won’t rain tonight and these will be here tomorrow.” He traced the fading outline of one of the prints. His hair fell forward, covering his face; he slipped the straggly strands behind his ears and rose to his feet.
They stood examining the prints in the flashlight’s circle until it was almost totally dark.
“We’d better get back to the lodge,” Henry finally said. “The path can be treacherous in the dark.”
“Maybe you’re right.” Justin dropped his muddy hands to his side.
Water lapped softly behind them as they painstakingly made their way to the boat dock using Henry’s flashlight.
The cold had crept in with the night and the men shivered in their coats as they picked their way through the rocks lining the path. Henry chose to take the easiest trail up to the rim and straight down to the lodge.
Henry began to doubt what he’d seen. The impressions could have been a trick of the escaping light; or something the lapping water had created. That was possible, wasn’t it?
A full moon, pale and transparent, was riding the horizon above ebony trees. The illumination it gave off was faint. The water of Crater Lake glimmered far below them and they could barely make out the shadows of the trees and the blurry outlines of Wizard Island and Phantom Ship.
Henry glanced behind him when they’d reached the top and before he turned away thought he saw something. “What’s that rippling on the surface of the lake there past Wizard Island?” He paused, squinting and staring hard at the water, as Justin waited behind him. Yes, something was swimming down there…a series of bumps in the water.
Then it was gone. The water was placid.
“Did you see that?”
“See what?” Justin asked.
“Never mind.” The skin on Henry’s arms and neck was tingling. He experienced that strange feeling of unreality again, as if he were dreaming. A cold breeze fluttered across his face.
He was wide awake.
Had that woman the summer before really seen something in the lake? Something that shouldn’t have been there?
The tracks appeared real. They looked like something out of a horror film. So damn big. Henry swallowed hard, his sense of reality blurring. He loved watching old Twilight Zone episodes, but he didn’t like living through one.
“They’re absolutely not bear or cougar tracks.” Henry did some quick calculations in his head: If the size of the body lived up to the feet…then whatever created those tracks was a hell of a lot bigger than any bear.
“Damn,” grumbled Henry, “I should have brought a camera along. They’re expecting more storms tonight. These might not be here tomorrow.” He knew he was behind the times; his cheap cell phone was just a cell phone. It didn’t take pictures. Didn’t work half the time in the park anyway. He took off his hat and raked his fingers through his hair, a nervous habit. “And there’s no way I can run, get the camera and get back here before the light’s gone. No way.”
Justin was still studying the prints. “Well, at least, you’ve see them, too. That’s a relief to know. I thought I was losing it.”
“You’re the expert. Do you think they’re authentic?”
“I don’t know. They look real. It’s just that I’ve never seen any impressions like these in any of the books or excavation sites. If they are dinosaur tracks, they’re tracks of a beast as yet undiscovered in history.”
“Or they could be a clever joke,” Henry offered, hopefully. “You wouldn’t believe how ingenious some hoaxers can be.”
“Well, let’s hope it doesn’t rain tonight. Like you, I wish I could have gotten pictures. I guess I wasn’t thinking, either. When I found these prints I thought I had my camera in my duffel bag, but somehow I must have forgotten to put it in this morning before I left. I was in such a hurry. Perhaps it won’t rain tonight and these will be here tomorrow.” He traced the fading outline of one of the prints. His hair fell forward, covering his face; he slipped the straggly strands behind his ears and rose to his feet.
They stood examining the prints in the flashlight’s circle until it was almost totally dark.
“We’d better get back to the lodge,” Henry finally said. “The path can be treacherous in the dark.”
“Maybe you’re right.” Justin dropped his muddy hands to his side.
Water lapped softly behind them as they painstakingly made their way to the boat dock using Henry’s flashlight.
The cold had crept in with the night and the men shivered in their coats as they picked their way through the rocks lining the path. Henry chose to take the easiest trail up to the rim and straight down to the lodge.
Henry began to doubt what he’d seen. The impressions could have been a trick of the escaping light; or something the lapping water had created. That was possible, wasn’t it?
A full moon, pale and transparent, was riding the horizon above ebony trees. The illumination it gave off was faint. The water of Crater Lake glimmered far below them and they could barely make out the shadows of the trees and the blurry outlines of Wizard Island and Phantom Ship.
Henry glanced behind him when they’d reached the top and before he turned away thought he saw something. “What’s that rippling on the surface of the lake there past Wizard Island?” He paused, squinting and staring hard at the water, as Justin waited behind him. Yes, something was swimming down there…a series of bumps in the water.
Then it was gone. The water was placid.
“Did you see that?”
“See what?” Justin asked.
“Never mind.” The skin on Henry’s arms and neck was tingling. He experienced that strange feeling of unreality again, as if he were dreaming. A cold breeze fluttered across his face.
He was wide awake.
Had that woman the summer before really seen something in the lake? Something that shouldn’t have been there?
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