Thomas loved the absolute silence of solo night diving in the deep ocean. With his flashlight cutting through the black water, he searched the coral reef for nocturnal sea life. The only sound was the steady, rhythmic hiss of his scuba regulator.
At fifty feet down, his flashlight beam suddenly flickered and died, plunging him into total darkness. He reached for his backup light, but felt a cold, leathery hand gently wrap around his wrist. It wasn't an animal; the grip was distinctly, undeniably human.
Thomas panicked and kicked hard, but more hands emerged from the blackness to hold his legs. They didn't pull him down; they simply held him perfectly still in the deep. He watched his oxygen gauge tick down and just before the gauge ran out, the hands let go.