I need to finally tell you the truth; it's a story that has occupied my being for the past few decades. But I fear I am getting ahead of myself.
It all started almost thirty years ago, when digging through my grandfathers old belongings in his attic. Most was the usual old person junk, kind of like the junk I have in my attic right now, but I came upon the following photo.
Over a beer or two, he then told me the following story; a story that would change my life mostly for the worse.
"This photo has been in the family since the early 1890's" he told me, "and according to tradition, it is to be passed onto my oldest son in secrecy, upon my passing. I'm an old man, and I shouldn't have let you seen it. It should be your fathers. "
The pain in his face was obvious, and although I knew what was coming, I feared it, based on his obvious discomfort.
"Since you've seen the photo" he continued, "I have no choice but to pass this onto you now. It's brought me nothing but sorrow, and I have no desire to see it bring the same sorrow to anyone else. But....."
After a long pause he continued, "But if this photo is real, and you are able to prove it, just think how famous you would be. Now that the photo is your's, you can do what you will with it. But for your sake, please just destroy it and forget I ever showed it to you..."
It wasn't long after that, maybe a few months when my Grandfather did end up passing away. While the official cause of death was ruled as old age, I knew better. It was grief. He died of a broken heart, knowing what he had passed onto me.
Fast forward thirty years, I've done a lot of research on this photo. I've read the myths from the early 1900's where the people blamed a number of sunken ships in the area, on the creature in the photo. Maybe they're true; I really have no way of knowing. For all I know the monster could be friendly.
I've spent almost twenty years, and countless money, out on the lake with various equipment trying to prove it really does exist. But the cost was too much. My wife left me, most of my children barely speak to me. Was it worth it? Of course not. But I can tell you this, I can't rule out that this monster really does exist. So if something comes of my passing this photo onto you, my only child who actually visits, maybe you can make some sense of the mess I've made of my life. The last thing I can tell you is this... I heard a rumor recently, that every hundred and fifty years or so, it heads up the river to lay it's eggs before heading back out to the deep. I suspect this is going to happen soon, but I'm an old man and can't make it now. Please go and find her, and make your dad's life mean something... I love you so much, my sweet child. I'm sorry....
