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Will goes once a year, just for the weekend, and stays in the cabin his father used to rent for them every summer.
Fishing was something Dad made him love, and even with dad dead for years now, it's nice.
The dogs love it, he loves it, and the quiet is worth the trip.
That year he went in the summer, needed to because of all the murder and work.
Jack isn't happy about it, but he still goes, and Will is grateful for the time away.
Then, the rain comes.
He's stuck inside with seven dogs and has to go out multiple times because Harley decides to get into something questionable in the cabinets.
It's a miserable day, but the next day is better, and Will goes out excited to be in the boat.
The dogs play in the yard, no neighbors nearby to bother, and Will is sitting there with a sigh waiting for a bite.
It comes almost immediately.
His whole boat quivers, nearly falling over, and he grabs hold of his fishing pole, pulling hard just as out of the water comes a surprise.
It's not a fish.
It's a merman.
Or Will thinks it is?
The quiet stream he'd hoped to get fish from is home to a sea creature with slightly green skin and razor sharp teeth that has Will's hook stuck in his mouth.
"Oh sh....."
He yanks the boat again, and Will can't stop the way it capsizes, thrown into the water as the dogs all start to go crazy.
Will sputters, thankful he thought to put on his waders, and hurries out of the water soaking wet in time to see his fishing pole snapped in half as the monster in the water gets free.
"Christ."
He hurries the dogs inside, heart pounding, and stares out the window in fear waiting for the thing in the water to crawl out heading for them.
Nothing does.
Will still checks and rechecks every lock, shaking, and keeps a knife when he sleeps on the couch.
He wakes up to an open door, a shit load of fish on his porch, and looks out to see the monster peeking out at him as if waiting for a response.
Will just says, "Um, thank you!" loudly enough he hopes he's heard, and while he knows he won't be able to eat all the fish - likely won't eat any truth be told - he takes some in just to be polite.
The next day the fish are all gone, replaced by a dead deer, bigger than there's any right for it to be, and Will can barely carry it to the garage.
This feels like a bad idea, taking the offerings, but not taking them seems like one too.
He goes out then, his back up pole in hand, and the boat is upright like an apology.
Will tries again, careful this time, and says, "Hey!" hoping to get his new friend's attention.
He does.
A live fish is thrown into his boat, and Will laughs grateful he brought a cooler. It's not fishing per se, but it's still fun, and when the merman - sea monster? -appears out of nowhere behind him, leaning over the boat, and turns. His heart is beating so fast he can hardly think, yet he reaches out and touches the merman - monster? is it a monster? - who licks his hand like a happy cat.
"Um, hi?"
The creature's face lights up, like Will said the best thing ever, and before he can stop it he's bitten.
HARD.
He screams, bleeding like a stuck pig, and curses, terrified as he barely makes it to the grass.
Will passes out halfway into the house and wakes up to a healing scar on his hand.
And so hungry.
"Oh shit."
Will turns to see the closed door, and it's pitch black outside but there in the dark is a set of glowing red eyes.
And he knows exactly who they belong to.