It seemed like the leeches had been getting more and more plentiful in Crystal Lake the last few years. And bigger, too! Five and six inches long, some of them. Folks said the lake was cursed. Tuck knew better. The more leeches the better.

   Chapter 9

Tina stayed in the water, clinging to the edge of the raft, for a long, long time. She didn't know how much longer she could hold out. She was starting to get this very weak and sleepy feeling. She felt so drained.

It was an hour before she spotted movement in the woods. She let go of the raft and let herself drop down into the water, trying not to make a splash. She had planned for this situation. She would put the raft in between her and the crazy man.

Taking a huge gulp of breath, she starting swimming gently—she didn't have the strength to swim hard—right under the raft. She swam past the raft's anchor chain, where she had tied her dungarees and shirt. They floated in the green water like flags.

She was halfway under the raft when her lungs started to burst. She was three-quarters of the way under the raft when she realized she was going to drown. And it was a few long agonizing moments after that before she finally swam out from under the raft and came up out of the water, gasping for breath. She gripped the raft with—

Her hands... What was that on her hands?

For some reason Tina could only see out of her left eye. But still she could clearly see these long, slimy black things attached to her hands and forearms.

She opened her mouth to scream. But it was as if her mouth were stitched shut. She put a hand to her mouth, which meant she fell back into the water. Now she felt the big black leeches that were sucking from her lips, her cheek, her right eye.

She tried to pull herself up onto the raft. Horror gave her new energy. She spasmed upward. But still she didn't have the strength to get out of the water.

Frantic, she started swimming again, breast-stroking around to the side of the raft with the metal ladder. Her arms were so weak! She pulled herself up, rung after rung, and dragged herself onto the deck like a dying fish.

She was naked, but she didn't look it. The huge leeches had covered her body from the toes up, like a bumpy suit of rubber. She pulled at the leeches with both hands. But they held fast. They seemed to be attached to her with cement. Tina felt like her heart was breaking with fear. But she couldn't even scream.

With her good eye she watched the leeches. Their slimy, hideous bodies bulged as they sucked out the last of her blood.

   Friday the 13th: Jason's Curse, chapter 22