The Chief Engineer

A moonless July night finds two companions paddling silently across a black‑water pond, hoping to capture a perfect photograph of deer feeding near the river’s mouth. Their quiet approach—one with a camera and flash, the other steering with a deft, feathered paddle—creates a tense, atmospheric scene that draws listeners into the hush of the wilderness.

Suddenly the boat’s bow strikes something massive, sending a spray of water and a frantic scramble of teeth and claws onto the deck. The men are left questioning whether they’ve encountered a muskrat, a bear, or something far more enigmatic, and the damage to their vessel only deepens the mystery. By morning they discover fresh bite marks on a fallen poplar, hinting that an unseen predator has been at work, setting the stage for a suspenseful hunt for answers.