Dave loved his pool. It was his pride and joy, his sanctuary, his escape from the stress of his job and his messy breakup with Tasha. He had spent a fortune on installing and maintaining it, and he enjoyed swimming in it every night before going to bed. He felt calm and relaxed in the water, as if nothing could bother him.
One night, he decided to go for a late night swim as usual. He put on his swimming trunks, grabbed a towel, and headed to the backyard. He didn't bother to turn on the lights, as he liked the dark and the silence. He opened the gate and walked towards the pool, ready to dive in.
But as he approached the edge, he saw something that made him stop in his tracks. There was a large, dark shape moving in the water, creating ripples and splashes. It looked like a fish, but not any fish he had ever seen. It had a long, sleek body, a triangular fin, and a mouth full of sharp teeth. It was a shark. A shark in his pool.
Dave felt a surge of fear and disbelief. How did a shark get into his pool? Who put it there? And why? He quickly backed away from the pool, hoping the shark wouldn't notice him. He reached for his phone, but realized he had left it inside the house. He had no way of calling for help.
He looked around, trying to find a way out. He couldn't go back through the gate, as the shark was blocking his path. He couldn't climb over the fence, as it was too high and had barbed wire on top. He couldn't run to the neighbors, as they were too far away and wouldn't hear him. He was trapped.
He wondered if this was some kind of prank, or a nightmare, or a hallucination. But it was all too real. He could hear the shark's breathing, see its eyes, smell its blood. He knew he had to do something, or he would be shark food.
He remembered that he had a metal pole in his shed, which he used to clean the pool. He thought maybe he could use it as a weapon, or a distraction, or a way to scare the shark away. He ran to the shed, which was on the other side of the pool, and opened the door. He grabbed the pole and turned around, ready to face the shark.
But as he did, he saw another sight that made him gasp. Standing by the pool, holding a remote control, was Tasha. His ex-girlfriend. His vindictive ex-girlfriend. She had a wicked smile on her face, and a gleam in her eye. She looked at him and said, "Hello, Dave. Fancy a swim?"
Dave realized then that this was her doing. She had somehow gotten a shark from Sea World, where her uncle worked, and put it in his pool. She had rigged a device that allowed her to control the shark's movements. She had waited for him to come out, and then unleashed the shark on him. She had planned this all along. She wanted to kill him. And she wanted to watch.
Dave felt a surge of anger and hatred. He hated Tasha more than anyone in the world. She had cheated on him, lied to him, humiliated him, and now she wanted to murder him. He couldn't let her get away with this. He had to fight back.
He raised the pole and threw it at her, hoping to hit her or the remote. But he missed. The pole landed in the water, making a loud splash. The shark heard the noise and turned its attention to the pole. It swam towards it, curious and hungry.
Dave saw his chance. He ran towards Tasha, hoping to tackle her or grab the remote. But he was too slow. Tasha saw him coming and pressed a button. The shark stopped chasing the pole and turned back to Dave. It swam towards him, fast and furious.
Dave reached the edge of the pool, but it was too late. The shark leaped out of the water, its jaws wide open, its teeth ready to bite. Dave screamed, but no one heard him. The shark grabbed him by the leg, and dragged him into the pool. Dave felt a sharp pain, and then nothing.
CONTINUED IN REPLY ONE