It was all over the papers, one of which found its way into her hands this morning at the little diner where they had always eaten. No one knew who had slipped it onto her table and Kari hadn't been paying much attention to who was around her.

She had looked down and seen him. On the water the sun setting in the background his half smile plastered on his face. They had been happy, so happy. It didn't matter that the photo was in black and white, she saw it in color. She saw it in motion.

The picture had been taken just before the accident. Or were they calling it murder now? She shook her head and flung the paper away. The damage was done, Tim was dead and she was suspected of having something to do with it. Kari felt tears slidding down her cheeks as she remembered that day two weeks ago.

Tim picked the place, the activity and the group they went with but at the end of the night she gave in to going out on the water with just the two of them. It was damned stupid but he had convinced her that they were going out on the water to make love on their anniversary. Before she knew it he was in the water urging her to take the boat on one quick trip around the lake before they settled to their celebration.

Kari felt the elation of having him trust her so much and that he loved her above all of the other woman vieing for his attentions. He never ceased to take her breath away when he gave her that half smile like he was when she took the picture. He had been flying over the water and living his life like he loved to do.

It was after she took the picture that the water began churning and she realized they were in trouble. The sun had not completely set but it was getting darker. The natives had warned them to be in before sunset and Tim had laughed and told her they had legends of monsters in the water. He had never believed in legends like she had.

When the beast dragged Tim screaming under the water, Kari could only stare. It was the legendary beast the Natives had described and it had taken Tim. Red, frothy bubbles popped on the surface of the water as she killed the engine and tried to bring the boat back around to get Tim. It was too late. No one ever found his body.

Kari shifted nervously in her seat at the diner. There was more that she had never told the police and she was sure that the people who had told her would never come forward to clear her name in the murder charge. Well, it would be a murder charge if they could ever find any evidence.

The Native elders told Kari, when she finally got back to the shore for help, that Tim had been foolish. He had been warned and when he disregarded that warning, the beast had claimed him as a sacrifice. The fishermen of the village were readying a feast and dance as the elders spoke to her to celebrate his sacrifice. It was the height of insult when they refused to help her find his body, but they had been right there was nothing anyone would ever find.

It wasn't until she returned home alone that the letters had begun to arrive from other people who had visited the island. Many of them had lost loved ones in those waters. They had become sacrifices as well. It seemed that every five years someone died and made the waters safe to be in at night.

She covered her eyes and wept. Perhaps, four years from now she would go into the water herself and join Tim. Then they could be together forever.