"The Depths of Despair"

"The Depths of Despair"

By the fall of 1942, the war had spread to every continent, even below the oceans. Built for speed and stealth, the USS Vanguard was a state-of-the-art American submarine intended to sink enemy ships in the Pacific. The Vanguard, however, was suddenly a vessel caught in a nightmare.

Just 19 years old, Private Jack Riley enlisted in the Navy to get away from a boring life in the little town where he was up. The hundreds and miles of frigid water above them were oppressive now, down below the surface. Every groan and creak of the metal hull served as a reminder of their loneliness, making the guys on board tense. The team started hearing stories about things that should not be in the sea because the conflict had taken its toll. Jack had brushed aside old sailors' tales of unexplained lights, deep-ocean shadows, and whispers. The war was a terrible enough.

After being silent for a few days, the Vanguard got an emergency communication one evening. They had been told to find and destroy a Japanese vessel that had been sighted. As they got ready to venture more into enemy waters, the crew was tense. Commander Harris, the captain, was as cool and collected as ever, but there was a glimmer of discomfort even in his keen eyes. There was a problem. The air was different today, though he could not exactly pinpoint why.

With each foot they sank, the pressure of the ocean increased as they plunged further and deeper. Private Jenkins, the sonar operator, started to see something strange on his screen as the Vanguard sank farther. Just below them was a great mass, too big to be a ship. Jenkins reported it to the bridge, clearly shaken. Commander Harris urged them to continue cautiously after taking a quick look at the screen.

Before shortly, the radio completely stopped working. A low, deep growl sounded across the intercom, followed by static that appeared to echo throughout the submarine. It was not a human sound, nor was it the sound of any mechanical.

A shiver went through Jack's body. His voice was scratchy as he said, "Did anyone else hear that?" The snarl continued to reverberate in their ears, and the crew remained silent.

With a tight voice, Commander Harris yelled, "Check all systems." "There is a problem. Down here, we are not alone.

The crew hurried, their uneasiness permeating every move they made. The lights wavered. Then the whole submersible shuddered fiercely, as though the darkness itself had become hostile. They had the impression that something enormous had hit them from the outside.

"Report of damage!" Harris demanded, his composure now a front for the underlying panic. However, the Vanguard's walls made a strange creaking sound, akin to a tormented scream, before anyone could react.

The tapping then began.

At first, it was only a faint rhythm against the hull. It quickly became louder, though. Keep tapping. The sound was too intentional, too eerie. Then the murmurs began.

"Leave... Leave now. Get away before it discovers you.

Jack felt his heart pounding in his chest. The murmurs were coming from all directions. Nobody said anything. Nobody made a move. Frozen in fear, the men gazed at one another.

Then someone showed up. Initially, it was merely a shadow at the end of the corridor, an ill-defined form that changed shape and form with each flash of light. But Jack saw it, an atrocity, as it drew nearer. A man in a tattered military outfit, or what had been a soldier. His eyes were pitch-black, and his skin was pallid and slippery with brine. Rows of sharp, yellowed teeth showed through the hideous grin that stretched his mouth unnaturally wide.

"Aid us... Come along with us." The voice was a hoarse, drowning gurgle as it rasped.

It was too late as the crew yelled and hurried for their guns. With unnatural speed, the creature lunged, its body twisted. The creature was upon them, its wet, cold hands clutching his throat before Jack could even fire.

The Vanguard shook again, more violently, and the lights flickered again. Something outside started tearing at the hull, and a loud, metallic shriek ripped through the ship. The whispers turned into a thunderous roar, and the submarine moaned as though it were alive.

The thing snarled in Jack's ear, its breath moist and nasty, "They are all dead." "You will be, too."

The walls began to buckle and split as the water pressure outside rose. For a minute, the thing's hold relaxed, and Jack, struggling to breathe, was able to escape, shooting his final bullet into its contorted face. However, it did not topple. Rather, it vanished into the darkness, leaving only the deep roaring as a reply.

Jack knew it was over when the Vanguard trembled one more time. There was too much pressure. The ocean was taking possession of the sinking submarine.

The ship broke apart and plunged into the dark abyss as a deafening smash erupted from below. The low, guttural voice of the fallen souls calling from the depths was the last thing Jack heard as his eyesight blurred and the water poured in.

"Come along with us forever."

The crew of the USS Vanguard was engulfed by the shadows beneath the seas, and the ship's history was reduced to a terrifying mystery. According to some, the whispers continue to reverberate, waiting to be heard by the next person.

-I hope the spooky story was enjoyable! If you require any changes or another story, please let me know. Thank You.-