Just Below the Surface

Today I've got something really strange to share, and once again it comes from a very local source; see, there's a lot of lakes around where I live, and it's a popular pastime to go out swimming in the summer. I don't care much for it myself because of how dirty the water can be, but I still see the appeal. However, I'd like to talk about what I'd consider a really good reason to stay on the shore, specifically when it comes to Lake Washington. If you're familiar with this spot and the urban legends surrounding it, you probably already know where I'm going with this.
To put it simply, there's something wrong with that lake, and I'm not talking about some swamp creature or anything like that, I mean the lake itself. I don't know if it's the result of some chemical reaction or a trick of physics like the Oregon Vortex, but the water is always strangely still. It's as if the whole lake is a giant glass of water, barely interfered with by anything around it. Whatever the case, it's the only hint to betray the big threat at play here.
You ever see those videos of people falling through frozen lakes and getting trapped under the ice? Because that's exactly what we're dealing with here. Let me explain; I've never seen it myself, but people say that when you dive under that water, there's a chance that you won't be able to come back up. It's as if the surface becomes a solid object, like when you do a cannonball and for a split second the surface of the water feels like solid rock, except in this case, it stays that way. For all the personal accounts that go around, I can't remember a single one that mentions the effect fading away or having any holes or edges. I'd have to assume it comes and goes since the reports are fairly rare, but as far as I can tell, you shouldn't get your hopes up about outlasting it or swimming around it, because for all I know it seems to just cover the whole lake for hours at a time.
The weirdest part of all this is how the effect is only active on one side of the water, which ends up being the only lifeline for anyone who gets trapped, but also the reason that they get trapped in the first place instead of giving an impromptu Jesus impression. Elaborating on the former, there's only one known way to get back out, and that's by being pulled out by someone else. Since the barrier only affects forces beneath the water, your best shot at getting out is to get someone else's attention, but good luck doing that when you're trapped underwater, stuck just below the surface. I honestly have no clue how those physics check out, but point is, if you read this and for some incomprehensible reason you still want to go swimming in Lake Washington, bring a friend, and watch each other close; I personally find it distasteful to attribute deaths to conspiracy theories like this, but I've seen far too many reports of drownings in that lake, so please, be smart and exercise caution.
One last thing: I once heard someone say that they've seen similar things at another lake a few states over. I've never found anything to substantiate this, but I felt it important to mention, just in case. Stay safe out there.
-Bucket :)
Category:Places