Mating Season — Kari Gregg

He didn't believe in the monster of the lake . . . but that didn't make it any less real.

When Danny needs a getaway, his best friend goads him into a week-long hiking trip. Who cares if local superstitions and old wives tales warn the wary to avoid the lake once summer nights turn chilly? The trails are still pretty, the wildlife just as plentiful, and the fall colors beautiful for the lens of Danny's digital camera. Nothing sinister could happen, not here.

Danny was wrong. Assaulted by lusty tentacles that push his body -- and his sanity -- to the brink, Danny is then held captive by his best friend, betrayed for the sake of science. Unable to escape and terrified of the changes in his body, Danny's alternatives are few. He will be returned, over and over, to the monster.

But maybe his future isn't as bleak as it originally seemed.

Note: This is a standalone release of a story that originally appeared in the Bump in the Night anthology.

Word count: 12,100; page count: 52