Child Tugs On Rope Emerging From Lake, Unearths Misplaced Tank

The Hatch

As everyone watched him, the crowd murmured behind him. Putting one foot on the rusted hunk of metal, the boy claimed it for himself.

After looking at the hatch for a few seconds, he still couldn’t believe what he had found. The crowd chanted, “Open it,” and the boy grinned as he grasped the wet door handle. Suddenly, someone yanked him from the hatch.

Haldo Kallas

Haldo Kallas, an Estonian high schooler, had a different ending in mind. A find like this is unheard of, especially where he comes from. Given that he found it, he had expected to take it home with him.

Suddenly, things changed when he opened the hatch. Despite his filthy back and blurry sight, he struggled to comprehend what was happening. Perhaps it was a mistake to find this piece of metal.

A Walk To Clear His Mind

The only reason Haldo went exploring that day was to clear his mind. Since his parents yelled at him for his bad grades at school and one of his friends moved away, his week hadn’t been good for him.

Things had not gone Haldo’s way for a long time. That week, he really needed a win. It was a harmless walk through the local swamp that turned into one of his town’s greatest discoveries.

Buzzing Insects Through The Swamp

Haldo’s path was covered with lush green trees that protruded from swamp water. There was no grass here, only thick mud to wade through.

A constant buzz of insects and frog croaks were the only sounds filling Haldo’s ears. Knowing he would reach his destination soon, he took a deep breath. The famed waters of Lake Kurtna Matasjarv were only a matter of minutes away.

Deviate From His Usual Path

Haldo had visited this area several times before. Haldo always reached out to his dad on dark, cold days like today, when he would take him for a walk here every evening.

To get to the lake faster, he knew the best routes to take. Something kept telling him today to deviate from his usual path for some reason, as if the metal hunk were calling to him.

Detour

In response to the voice in his head, Haldo obeyed. What was the harm in detouring to the lake? His feet squelched against the mud as he wandered around the perimeter.

Then his eyes caught sight of something strange. The wet earth in front of him was adorned with strange markings. He furrowed his brows. Is there any reason why he hadn’t noticed this before?

Piqued Interest

Haldo had been here countless times. Despite this, he had never seen anything like this before. Upon approaching, he noticed that whatever piqued his interest had been eaten by years of growth. Still, he stepped cautiously toward the object.

Though he was sure his father had only been joking, Haldo couldn’t be too careful, especially since he had heard scary stories about this area from his dad. After nudging the item with his boot, he parted his lips.

Where Would The Old Rope Lead Him?

Continuing to crouch down, Haldo whispered, “A rope.” Was there perhaps a hidden boat somewhere here? He needed a distraction from his problems, so he said, “Let’s see where it goes.” That was exactly what he needed today.

Rolling up his sleeves, he grabbed the rope. There was a layer of wetness that made it smooth. Has it been here for a long time? Haldo wasn’t particularly interested in that question. His only interest was in finding out where it led.

Could It Be A Boat?

For most people who live near large bodies of water, ropes aren’t a surprise. Boats are usually secured with ropes, ensuring they won’t drift off while their owners are away.

Although Haldo could clearly see how worn the rope was, he was convinced this was the case here. The most intriguing thing to him was that he couldn’t see the boat that the rope was attached to.

Uncovering This Mystery

Haldo was responsible for uncovering what was amiss here. After removing his jacket, he grabbed the rope tightly and pulled, but it wouldn’t budge. As he squared his shoulders and dug his feet into the ground, his brows furrowed. As before, nothing happened as he heaved.

In the end, Haldo stepped back after several attempts. There was no way he could do this alone. It was necessary for him to ask a few friends for help. There was no way he could have predicted what was going to happen next.

Back With The Crew

Haldo returned with a few friends, and half an hour later, word had gotten around the village about his find. People flocked around him, eager to see what was happening.

By now, Haldo and his crew were looking around the swamp, hoping to find any clues that would give sense to this mystery. Little did they know that what they were looking for lay submerged in the lake before them.

To The Lake

It took another half hour for their search to land them at the lake’s shore. Haldo had realized that the rope, disappearing into the mud, seemed to lead toward the lake’s water.

Slowly but surely, he mobilized his crew to uncover it. “It leads to the water,” he told one of his friends before going to the shore. He was about to make a discovery of a lifetime.

Crowded

By now, the entire swamp was crowded with villagers. This was a good thing because more able-bodied people came to help Haldo and his friends with their quest.

Over a dozen strong men and women came to pull the rope. But whatever was at the other end wasn’t going to come up without a fight. They pulled and pulled but to no avail.

Help Needed

“Maybe it’s time to call people who know these kinds of things,” Haldo suggested, seeing they’d need the right equipment for this job. For the first time that week, he felt he was doing something worthwhile. He didn’t feel suffocated in any way or like a failure.

His friends called a few farmers, who showed up faster than expected with a massive bulldozer to help with Haldo’s problem. They tied the rope to the gigantic machine as its driver prepared himself to move the vehicle forward.

Time To Get Dirty

Haldo and his friends, among the other villagers who’d decided to get dirty, held parts of the rope to help the bulldozer. There was no way they’d lose this fight.

“That’s it,” Haldo encouraged his friends even though they knew the vehicle behind them was doing all the work. He was convinced that with the farmers’ help, they could finally put this matter to rest. He’d soon find out just how wrong he was.