I surfaced from the dive reinvigorated from the desert heat. Jason was dancing on the pier near the waterhole; Full of both mesmerizing and terrifying energy, he excitedly grabbed my flashlight from the planks. Had he wanted to spend his springbreak at a rave there were less remote areas than the dusty expanses of Australia.
His wild gesticulation drew my attention first to him and then to placid green waters around me. He'd turned on my flashlight and was panning it across the bank on the opposite shore. The tourguide mentioned that it was crucial to always bring a flashlight to the watering hole at night, but it had seemed a shame to ruin the moonlight landscape with a reminder of modern life. Conversely, Jason seemed to be less appreciative of the natural beauty, with his dependence on the artificial.
A faint red glint shone in the water as Jason's light drifted past a floating pile of branches. As I stared at the illuminated globes I sensed a primal awareness. Just as a I squinted to gain a better understanding of the orbs they began moving towards me with a quick fluid rapidity.
"Get out of the water," Jason strained in desperation.
Paddling, I retreated to the safety of the pier. With each determined stroke I neared the shore, choking on algae as I swam. Jason sat my light down and extended his arm to assist me on deck, but before I could grab him a quick flash of teeth and turbulence wrenched Jason from my view.
Frantically crawling away from the edge, I searched for him by the flickers of the flashlight. The water, once an emerald green was stained with my friend's leaking life. Hands shaking, I shone the light at where I had last seen poor Jason and, when it was positioned just right, I could make the out the outline of a pair of glowing red eyes, deep within the depths of the idyllic tourist trap. .
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