“Kyle! Kyle!” yelled Caleb above the din.
A light shone on them from the distance, then another and a third. Moses waved his hand back and forth yelling, “Over here! Help! Mayday! Mayday! Caleb, there’s a boat coming! Two! No, three! We’re saved!”
Encouraged, Teresa and Sonja jumped up, cast off their fear like a bird shaking water from its wings after a bath, and joined Caleb shouting to the boats.
Caleb dove into the water to find Kyle. He couldn’t see a thing. Frantically he kicked and dove reaching out and trying to make contact with Kyle.
There was another loud splash as the male jumped from the water. Something was happening to the female, but no one could tell what. Another steak of lightning lit up the sky followed by a boom and then the thunder. The male shrieked and thrashed back and forth on the surface as if it was in pain.
Kyle finally popped his head above the surface and inhaled deeply. “What’s happening?” he yelled once he caught his breath. Then something grabbed him from behind. It was his grandfather. “Grandpa? What’s happening?”
“I don’t know. We have to get back in the boat. The creatures are going berserk.”
Kyle grabbed at the side of the boat and missed. Caleb came up under him and lifted Kyle clean out of the water. Teresa and Sonja grabbed him and pulled him the rest of the way in. Then the three of them helped Caleb up and over.
“What is happening to the creatures?” asked Kyle. “Is everyone okay?”
Caleb was staring at something in the distance. “Moses. Get us out of here! Hurry.”
Caleb turned and realized Moses wasn’t in the boat.
“Kyle, start the engine. Now!”
“What is it?”
“Don’t ask questions. Quick! Go!”
Kyle pulled the starter cord for the engine. It puttered and died. Then the heard a strange sound. A “zip, zip, zip” of something hitting the water. Kyle doubled his efforts when he realized what it was.
“Everyone get down on the bottom of the boat. Now!” yelled Caleb.
They all dove for the bottom of the boat. Someone was shooting at them. Finally, the engine fired.
Gramps! Where’s Moses?”
“I don’t know. He’s not in the boat. Wait. I see something floating off port side. Left. Kyle. What is it?”
“Nessie!” he screamed as he stood up. A sharp pain tore through his arm and he passed out.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Kyle woke up in a hospital room. The sun shone through the window illuminating the chartreuse walls almost making them appear cheerful. Birds chirped outside. A deceptively tranquil ambience belayed the gloom hanging in the air like the pea soup-like fog of the ancient world he visited what seemed like eons ago. He tried to move.
Why does my arm hurt…and, what is this bandage? Where…where am I?
An IV drip hung over his bed as a watery fluid dripped slowly down a clear plastic line. The bottle read, “Saline.” For a moment, he thought the fluid was green.
His head ached. What had happened? He had a vague recollection of water, then, pain. He realized, after a moment and his head cleared a little, that he was in a hospital room. No one else was in the room. He felt around, found a button, and pushed it.
A nurse rushed into the room followed by a woman doctor.
“Well, hello,” said the nurse. “Finally awake, are we? This is Doctor Granger. Do you remember how you got here?”
“Uh, not really. My head kind of hurts. Is my grandfather here? And my sister. She was here…with Sonja. Are they here, too?”
“Yes,” said the doctor as she shined a small flashlight in first one eye and then the other. “No concussion. I think you’re going to be okay.”
“What happened to me? I can’t remember. The last thing I remember was being on water. On the lake.”
“Well, your family and friends are dying to see you. I’ll let them visit for a few minutes, but then I want you to get some rest. Okay?”
“Are you going to tell me why my arm feels like it’s in a vice?”
“I’ll let you grandfather handle that.”
The nurse and doctor left the room and in came three concerned faces.
“Boy, do you guys look like you’ve been through a hurricane!” said Kyle. “What the heck happened to you? For that matter, what happened to me? What’s going on?”
Caleb pulled up a chair and sat down next to Kyle. Teresa and Sonja looked like they’d been crying.
“What do you remember, Kyle?”
“I…remember we were in the boat. It was dark. Nessie! We were looking for Nessie, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“And…” Kyle tried to think. His head was beginning to clear a little at a time. It was as if a fog were lifting from his brain. “We found them! I remember. But…something happened. Noise. I remember loud booming sounds. I fell in, didn’t I?”
“Yes…and…”
“And, oh no. We lost the camera. The animals went crazy for some reason. I remember! I was shot! I remember it, now. Who was shooting at us?”
“The police are looking into it, but I think we know. I guess there’s no other way to tell you, Kyle.”
His grandfather held up a newspaper. On the front page was a picture of two enormous creatures sprawled out on the ground next to several fishing boats. The headline read:
“LAKE CHAMPLAIN MONSTERS CAPTURED”
Chapter Fifty-Eight
It was the most difficult time in Kyle’s life. No young person should have to handle the kind of raw emotions engulfing his mind and body, yet, others do—and survive. Loss is never easy; Kyle knew it was his fault. Had he not gone back in time, this never would have happened. He was beginning to wonder if he was as smart as everyone thought he was.
First, his decision to go back and rescue Priti had almost destroyed the entire universe in a paradox. Pure chance had saved, not only his life, but also the life of everyone that had ever existed: his mother and father, Teresa, Sonja, her parents. Now his meddling had cost the lives of two rare and beautiful creatures. If that weren’t enough, Moses was missing. Presumed dead. How could he live with this? He wondered. What could he do to undo all the damage that, this time, had almost cost him his life?
Was it possible that people were so evil that they would kill an animal, just so they could become famous? Yet, hadn’t he done the same thing? The feelings were overwhelming. Darkness closed in around him. The walls seemed to shrink and expand as if they were breathing—squeezing the life out of him. He felt as if he were suffocating.
Tears flowed and dampened the pillow. His nose ran, eyes turned red and the color drained from his face. A voice came out of the darkness. A soft voice filled with love and wisdom.
“Kyle. There, there, my boy. All may seem lost, but you have the key. You can turn back the clock. You can master what no one has ever been able to do. You can master time!”
Kyle looked up into the face of his grandfather filled with compassion and love. Instant trust calmed his jangled nerves and Kyle relaxed.
“You know what you have to do, Kyle. You have to go back and make it right. Once and for all time.”
Kyle tried to open his mouth, but no sound came out. His eyes felt heavy—so heavy. He fell fast asleep. A deep and dreamless sleep.
***
The next morning, Kyle awoke with a start. Someone was calling his name.
“Kyle! Get up! You’ll be late for school.”
“Coming Mom!”
Kyle rolled back over and pulled the covers over his head. He hoped maybe there would be an early snow day, but it hadn’t snowed in October in Boston in years—with the exception of the mountains.
The pillow was soft and fluffy and he felt his head sink deep into clouds. A smile crossed his face as he drifted. Suddenly, he was floating on the clouds. This was wonderful! He could fly and steer by flapping his arms up and down as if he were a bird. He was a seagull, then an eagle. Majestic and stro
ng, he soared above the clouds. With his amplified vision, he could see anywhere, even into the buildings. Nothing could get him, not at this height. But wait. Something was able to get him. A vicious predator had somehow acquired the ability to fly!
An allosaur! How could an allosaur fly? That was quite impossible, even in a dream. But it wasn’t an allosaur. No, a pterosaur! The pterosaur, on the other hand, was quite capable of flight. He knew that all too well. Was this it? Was this the end of his life? Would he now never have the chance to correct the wrongs of the past few months? Wrongs that only he knew how to fix? Hadn’t his grandfather told him that? Or was he dreaming that, as well.
The pterosaur grabbed a hold of his leg and yanked it back and forth. Then it growled and barked.
Wait a minute! Pterosaurs don’t bark. This is all wrong. It must be a dream.
He turned to see the massive beak of the pterosaur with its long tongue lash out as him. His face was wet. My face is wet? How can that be?
Kyle opened his eyes and then his mouth to say something when a tongue lapped right between his teeth.
“TOBY! Will…you…get…off of me! Poooooo!” Kyle spit the dog saliva out of his mouth as Toby slunk back under the covers and then started pulling on his leg again. He hopped out of bed; something older folks wished they could do. It was a simple thing, unless the ravages of age rob you of your vitality. Kyle couldn’t understand that. No one does…until you reach that age; it differs from person to person. His grandfather, though in his late fifties, seemed to retain his vitality while others, such as Mrs. Laurence next door, looked as if someone torched her face and melted it like wax. She was just fifty-nine. Time could be so cruel.
His grandfather seemed to have so much wisdom. While his father always seemed so wrapped up in his work and couldn’t see past the end of his nose. It was as if his dad were focusing on the head of a pin while his grandfather contemplated the entire universe. You could only surmise so much looking at that pinhead, while the wonders of the universe were endless—timeless.
His mother was smart, too. But she was wrapped up in the day-to-day minutiae, the tiny details of life like his father, such as what she was going to wear today, what she was going to make for dinner and was she going to call her mother and argue about the weather. To Kyle, that all seemed so trivial now. Once, he had been concerned with honing his skills with a basketball. He worried his dribble would not be good enough so he could reach his goal: to put the round ball in the basket. Two points! Hurray! The crowd would cheer and he would bow to the accolades of his peers, the pinnacle of every young boy. Acceptance by friends and family and making his parents proud consume the minds of a child—until it didn’t materialize. Then disappointment crushes the ego like an elephant steps on an egg.
Certainly, his father never seemed to be impressed with what he had accomplished. Oh, his mother would coddle him, but that was only maternal instinct, he thought. It was what mothers were supposed to do by design. Even when she and Mrs. Bashan came back and rescued him, his sister and Sonja, she was following the maternal drive to protect her offspring. And yet, it was the women that had the courage the men lacked. How odd, he thought.
It was all moot, now. He had failed in the biggest way possible. Sure, he would be famous, or perhaps infamous? Either way, it wasn’t a good thing. There were no money contracts or speaking engagements for a killer. No, he hadn’t pulled the trigger, but he had set in motion events that brought about the situation. Thinking was only making him more depressed. He had to talk to someone, but whom? Of course! His grandfather. He would know what to do. Maybe that’s why he saw him in his dream. If it was a dream. Reality could be so confusing at times. Too often, he couldn’t tell the difference between a dream and the real thing. Sometimes, he thought maybe the whole experience was just a nightmare. If only that were so. It would be so easy, he thought, to wake up and everything would be back to normal.
“Kyle!” his mother sounded frantic. “Are you up? The bus will be here in 10 minutes. Get a move on.”
Fat chance it was a dream, he thought, as he felt his arm. It still throbbed every now and again. “Hmmm… hey, at least I’ll get some sympathy from my friends at school!”
“Who are you taking to, Kyle,” asked Teresa. She was just shutting the door to the bathroom, when Kyle emerged mumbling to himself.
“Uh, oh hi Teresa. Nothing. I was just thinking what everyone was going to say to me when I get back to school.”
“Well…don’t expect a welcoming party. I don’t think you’re too popular right now. I mean the animals and all. I know it wasn’t your fault. But…well, the kids. They can be pretty tough, ya know.”
“Yeah. I know. Uh…if you don’t see me in class, don’t worry. Okay?”
“Kyle. You’re not going back again, are you?” Teresa’s eyes were the size of saucers.
“Back…uh, no—“
“Don’t lie to me, Kyle. Please don’t go back there. Aren’t things bad enough already?”
Kyle hung his head with that stinging remark. Teresa didn’t mean to hurt him. She was more afraid she’d never see him again.
Kyle looked up with a dejected look on his face. “No. I’m not going back. That’s the last thing I want to do. But I can’t leave things the way they are. I’ve caused too much damage. I have to do something, Teresa. But I don’t know what to do. I’m skipping class to go and talk to Grandpa. He’s the only one who can get me out of this mess.”
Teresa slowly nodded her head. “That’s a good idea. But why don’t you wait until after class. Dad already has you grounded for darn near the rest of your life. He’d kill you…well, not kill you. But you know what I mean.”
“I suppose you’re right. But try and look at this from my point of view. Would you go back to class knowing everyone thought you were responsible for the deaths of, like the most famous animals ever? And a good friend of your grandfather?”
“I never thought of it that way. You know…my being so popular with all the boys and all. I wouldn’t have a clue what it was like with no one like, liking you.”
“Oh, puuu…lease!”
“I’m just joking. I guess I can’t do anything to get a smile out of you today. I guess I’ll have to call in the big guns.”
“The what?”
“Sonja. Bet she could get a smile out of you.”
“Oh come on. I don’t like Sonja. Not like that. She’s like…like…a second sister. The good sister.”
Kyle couldn’t help himself with that remark. He really was clever sometimes, even if he was afraid to admit it to himself that he did like Sonja more than a friend.
“Ok Kyle…”
“Kyle, Teresa! The bus is here. Are you both ready? Come on, before it leaves without you and I have to drive you to class.”
Together they replied, “Coming, Ma.”
“Hey, that was pretty good harmony, eh?” asked Teresa.
“Yeah. Perfect harmony.”
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Kyle exited the school bus and, before anyone noticed, he disappeared into the bushes next to the school entrance. Vice Principal Hanover saw something out of the corner of her eye and decided to investigate. The bush shook and the older woman ran as best she could and yanked the bush open by spreading the branches. As she did, a large toad jumped out of the bushes. Ms. Hanover screamed and let go of the branch, which, as the law of physics demands, responded by an equal and opposite reaction. The branch whipped back at Ms. Hanover sending her onto her rump in the grass, soft from a morning rain, with a squishy thud. The toad, now startled by the sudden appearance of an immense creature plopped irreverently into its path, stopped and looked. Ms. Hanover screamed again, jumped up, and ran back into the school falling several times.
The students standing nearby as they departed from the buses at first stood perfectly still, awestruck by the flurry of activity and the surprising athleticism of their Vice Principal. As soon as she entered the building however, laughter br
oke out uncontrollably among all the students and even the bus drivers lapsed into spasms of jocularity.
Kyle, still hiding in the bushes afraid to move, peered out cautiously, holding his hand over his face trying desperately not to laugh. He knew Ms. Hanover had seen him and, in all likelihood, the school would suspend him for at least a week. He could only imagine how angry his father was going to be after this caper. He frankly wondered if it was worth it. At this point, after everything he went through, he didn’t care. He was going to find his grandfather and get some answers.
Teresa was the only one of the schoolchildren who knew what Ms. Hanover saw in the bushes. She knew that Kyle was the reason the Vice Principal acted so strange. Her suspicions were confirmed when she entered the school and found Ms. Hanover standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips and mud on her knees, her face contorted in anger with a bright red streak clean across her nose and cheeks from the bush. She knew Kyle was really in for it this time. What could she say her brother was doing, she wondered? Would she believe he’d taken absence of his senses? That he went crazy? Boy Kyle, you really did it this time. Nothing can save you from the wrath of Hanover!
***
Kyle slipped away from the bush as soon as Ms. Hanover ran back into the school and slid around to the back where the sports clubhouse stretched far enough away into the surrounding woods. Ducking and hiding as he went, the football coach almost tripped over him as he emerged from in front of the clubhouse.
“Where are you off to in such a hurry young man?”
“Uh…uh, sorry. I was just trying to get in some laps before the season coach. I want to try out for the team this year.”
“Ha ha! No offense, son. But I think you might be a little on the small side for football. But you might try the basketball team…if you put on a couple of inches.”
“Uh…sure, yeah. I’ll do that coach. Thanks. But I’ll just start jogging now. You know…so I’ll be ready when the time comes. Thanks, coach. Gotta run. Bye?”
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