The River's Revenge

As the lone man trudged through the cold, murky river, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. The night was so dark that he could barely see his own hands in front of him, but he pressed on, driven by a deep sense of urgency.

Suddenly, he stumbled over something in the water, and as he looked down, his heart sank. It was the lifeless body of a child, pale and bloated, with eyes that seemed to stare accusingly up at him from the depths of the river.

Panic set in as the man realized that he was not alone after all. Something was following him, something that had claimed the life of this innocent child and now hungered for more.

He tried to run, but his feet felt heavy as if he was wading through molasses. The sound of splashing water echoed in his ears, and he knew that the thing was getting closer.

In a last desperate effort to save himself, he turned to face his pursuer, but all he saw was a swirling mass of darkness, with the ghostly outline of a small, twisted figure at its center.

With a scream of terror, the man plunged into the water, but it was too late. The darkness had enveloped him, and he knew that he would never be seen again.