Under Loch and Key

by Kathryn Cockrill

  Somewhere I really need to start going to, otherwise I’ll never get to Germany.

  I shoved Eli’s notebook in my backpack and went back over to the glass window in the wall, doing another check for Nessie. I couldn’t see her, and even though she terrified me, I wasn’t going to leave her without some more food. I pressed the fish button as many times as I could, watching the jets of water repeatedly propel bundles of fish out into the murky water. Eventually it couldn’t eject any more fish, just sending bubbles instead. Satisfied, I found the button I’d used to open the glass and pressed it again. Like most of the buttons here, it did the opposite of what I’d originally pressed it for and closed the wall. It was even stranger watching two large pieces of what looked like stone slide across in front of this window into an underwater world now than it had been when I’d arrived… I looked at my phone clock… nearly 18 hours ago.

  Damnit. I slept for longer than I thought. I really need to get a move on.

  The wall sealed itself back together with a satisfying click; turning away, I looked around the lab to see if there were any other doors I needed to shut. I really didn’t want to be responsible for letting any of their creatures out into the world. Nothing else jumped out at me, the only other door I’d opened already shut after my run-in with the invisible panther.

  I shook my head as I caught myself.

  Invisible panther. No one would believe that.

  Pip had uncurled from the floor, padding around after me as I checked the doors and storage containers. I’d put everything back as it was, not that it really mattered since they’d abandoned the place. I cast a glance at his fluffy face as he followed me, unsure as to how I was going to take him with me.

  He might not want to come.

  I let that sink in. He might not want to. As soon as we got out of the lab, he could run off into the forest and never look back. I really hoped he didn’t, but it was a real possibility. Casting one last look around the lab, I walked out of the main door into the cave, finding the concealed button and shutting the door so it no longer looked amiss. Outside, it was early morning, the dewy atmosphere trickling into the cave. I could see the soft rosy light of the sunrise through the canopy of trees. Everything seemed to have calmed down since the storm, not even a hint of the wind and rain remaining. Pip stayed glued to my heel, trotting along, every so often letting out squeaks as he paused to observe something new. I laughed watching him; he’d never been out of that cage. This was all completely new to him and he seemed to be revelling in everything he came across.

  I set off back towards the Loch, since that was the last place where I’d had any sense of direction. We wandered back under the tree-lined grassy path, my boots leaving soft imprints in the bright green road. My mind wandered as I remembered the metal circlet I’d found near one of the trees, the circlet I still had in my backpack. I’d completely forgotten about it, the lab distracting me, but now that I knew where it had likely come from, it also dawned on me what it had probably been used for. Something that size and thickness looked like it could have been a collar of some kind. Eli had mentioned finding a way to control Nessie, and probably some of the other animals, and I wondered if that collar had been one attempt at a solution. If it emitted a sound like the one that had pulled Nessie over to the glass, it could probably stop any one of those creatures I’d seen in its tracks.

  That would have been nice to have whilst facing that panther.

  I’d have to get rid of it before I got to the airport, there was no way I could explain that to security. But, if possible, I wanted to leave it somewhere concealed, since I didn’t know exactly what it could do. Eventually, the pathway I’d been following disappeared, the trees climbing a large slope that lead into more forest. My ankle let out a twinge as I remembered rolling down that slope in the pouring rain. Luckily, it seemed like I hadn’t done any permanent damage to my ankle. Just bruising to add to my collection. Pip slowed to a halt beside me as I considered how to get back up the slope. The ground was not as boggy, but there were definite patches of mud and, at a steep incline, I had next to no chance of getting up to the path.

  Pip looked from me to the slope, starting his chattering noise again. Before I had chance to bend down, he skittered off, sniffing at the slope before launching himself onto a small outcrop. He did this again, jumping up the slope on small pouches of rock and sod. When he got to the top, he looked back down at me and chattered again. I grinned, moving to the first patch he’d jumped on to.

  This is great. I’m taking climbing advice from an otter.

  I placed one foot on the clump of dirt, jumping up and balancing as I sized up the next step. Next to the second rock was a low hanging tree so I stretched my arms out and grabbed the closest branch, using it to hop over. Slowly, I made my way up the same path as Pip, the outcroppings of rock much sturdier than the rest of the slope. When I heaved myself up to the top, he let out a series of squeaks, bouncing around in front of me. I gave him a quick stroke, swiping the hair back from my face as I looked around. I’d come from the right when I’d been leaving the Loch so I set back off in that direction, careful to stay as close to the middle of the path as I could. A few times, I heard something rustle in the bushes behind me, but Pip paid it no attention, so I told myself it was probably a bird.

  We reached the edge of the Loch within fifteen minutes, the early morning light dousing everything with a golden shine. Even the water seemed to sparkle, a complete change from the dull, rain pocked expanse I’d left yesterday. I sat down on one of the rocks surrounding the Loch, shimmying my bag from my shoulders and letting it slide into the gap between two of the large boulders. Pip scurried around, darting into bushes and to the edge of the water, looking back at me with excited eyes.

  “Go on then.” I rolled my eyes, pretty sure he wouldn’t understand me, but surprisingly, he seemed to nod, launching himself into the Loch. I had a momentary burst of panic as I remembered that the literal Loch Ness Monster was in there but reminded myself I’d left her lots of fish, so hopefully she wouldn’t be hungry. Or vengeful. I rolled my shoulders, reminding myself of the route back to the main road, and to the next step of my journey. Maybe I could get an animal crate and pretend Pip was a very fluffy dog. Or a ferret. The sun was higher in the sky now, beaming down through a small smattering of candyfloss clouds and I turned my face towards it, enjoying the warmth. Out in the Loch, Pip’s head broke the surface for a few seconds before he dove back under, tail flicking above the surface. His fur had completely slicked down, making him look a lot smaller. I grabbed the handle of my backpack, unzipping it and pulling out the collar.

  In the sunlight, the shiny metal was almost blinding, the thick band easily the size of that panther’s neck. If there was something electric in this collar, I didn’t know how to turn it on. As far as I could see there was no button or hidden latch, like the kind GAI seemed so fond of. Hopefully the bottom of the Loch would be concealed enough to keep it away from anything it could harm. I wasn’t sure whether it would work on Nessie, given that she hadn’t been wearing one, and the bottom of a Loch was better than the middle of a forest.

  I stood up, my thighs crying in protest and hobbled my way across the collection of pebbles to the Loch. Pip reappeared again, closer to the shore, squeaking at me. I wanted him out of the water before I threw this in, in case it reacted in any way. I jerked my head to the side, motioning to the large boulders near where I’d thrown my backpack. He squeaked once and dove back under, moving too fast for me to even track him. I turned the collar over in my hands again, wanting to wait until I saw him leave the water. At the very underneath of the collar was a code, etched into the metal. I squinted at it, trying to make out the letters.

  “It’s the identifying code.” I jumped as an all-too-familiar voice snaked its way over my shoulders. Spinning round, I took a step back, water licking the sole of my boot. Caden was stood a few metres behind me, casually grinning with his arms crossed. I opened my mouth to
say something, but nothing came out. I’d known he would come to find me, but I guess I had been hoping something else would find him first. He took a couple of sauntering steps towards me, the same cocky smirk on his face; now, it didn’t reach his eyes. They were hard as flint, the grey still dark even in the morning light.

  He stopped a few strides away, eyes flicking up and down the length of my body. I returned the gesture; it was only as I scanned back up that I noticed the dried blood on the arm of his top, a semi-circle of pin points, almost like a bite, marring the edge of a thick-lined tattoo. He saw me looking and moved his arm, mouth losing the smirk. “Would you like me to show you how that collar works?” His voice was cold, no hint of the joking guy I’d actually liked. I guess I had tied him up and left him unconscious in a warehouse, so I could understand that. Without giving me a chance to respond, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black piece of plastic. It almost looked like a phone, but a quarter of the size. “The great thing about these is that they developed them to work across numerous different devices. Anyone with the access codes could use them. And, lucky for you, I have the access codes. So, you get your own personal demonstration.” I found my voice, finally.

  “I don’t think I want one thanks.” I turned back towards the Loch, moving my arm back to throw it into the water, hoping Pip was out and staying out of the way. Caden chuckled behind me,

  “Nu-uh, I don’t think so babe.” I heard a click behind me and a split second later the collar began to emit the same ear-splitting screech that I’d heard through the glass window, except this time there was no glass and no way for me to get away. I let out a strangled sound, dropping to the ground and covered my ears. The collar fell into the shallow water next to me, sinking into the stones. As I pressed my palms to my face, something warm trickled out of my ears onto my skin. Pulling away one hand, I blanched when I saw it was blood. The ringing from the collar increased, tearing through my eardrums and sending my head into a spin. I couldn’t open my eyes, my balance completely off. I doubled over on the ground, my head almost touching the stones and screamed. I kept screaming until I ran out of breath, the screams petering into dry sobs that choked up my throat. I couldn’t stop.

  The ringing got even higher. I could feel the heat pounding in my head; my stomach rolled and churned and I fell to my side, desperately trying to escape the sound. Then, with no warning, it simply vanished. I was left gasping on my side, black spots across my vision as I tried to right myself. Caden’s feet appeared in front of me, and even with the damage to my ear drums I could hear him laughing. He knelt down so his face was in my line of vision, pulling my chin to the side so I was forced to look at him. The world had reduced to a pinpoint again and the only thing I could see was his face. I tried to get my throat to work, to say something, anything, but I didn’t seem to have any control over my body now. The gently lapping waves hit my back, the cold sending small shockwaves through me, over and over. Caden’s lean fingers gripped my jaw until my teeth hurt. He started talking, the sound just filtering through the static that was buzzing through my whole body,

  “It’s so interesting isn’t it? The effect it has on humans. When they designed them, they had only had the subjects in mind, but I’ve found that they can be just as beneficial when dealing with irritating girls.” He held up the little black device in his other hand, turning it back and forth between his fingers, “Not quite enough to kill you, but enough to render you incapable of fighting back. Exactly how I like them. You see, Ari, I’d been hoping something else would take care of you. First, you almost got electrocuted trying to be a hero but that little rat you let out warned you. Then you pressed the call button and almost ended up drowning under the weight of the water that would have filled the lab if good ole Nessie had broken through. But somehow you survived. So, I gave a little helping hand, directing one of the subjects your way when you stupidly opened the outdoor pen doors and yet you managed to not only escape, but make fried cat fritters.”

  He sent the panther in. The bastard.

  “You’re probably thinking, why didn’t I just come in and kill you? Well, I happened to enjoy watching you struggle to succeed again and again. In case you didn’t realise, the whole lab has cameras. Another thing I can access with this nifty little device. And, despite what you may believe, I’m not a bad guy. I wasn’t going to actually kill you; I just thought I’d let something else take care of the annoying issue you’d become. But, as it turns out, it was not to be. There is no way I can let you get to Germany, so I’ve had to take matters into my own hands. Luckily for me, you came back to the Loch and you still had the collar in your backpack. It was like a perfectly laid out plan, just waiting for me to execute it. Or… execute you I guess.” He paused, smiling down at me. This wasn’t the smirk or the cocky smile, but a completely malicious, evil grin. It certainly wasn’t human. I made a weak attempt to move whilst he was pausing, something which only made him chuckle.

  “You won’t be able to move for another minute or so. Even then you’ll be so incapable of controlling your own limbs, you wouldn’t be able to walk, let alone swim.” Swim? I closed my eyes as I realised his plan, hoping they didn’t show the fear that had galloped its way to my chest. Putting his device back in his pocket, Caden slipped both his arms under my prone body, scooping me up with ease. My head lolled back even as I tried to fight it. I had no control. He began walking. I could see, with my head flopping back, the water level rising as he waded further and further into the Loch. When the water was touching my legs and feet, he stopped, moving his hand to lift my head up so I was looking at him.

  “I’ll tell Eli you send your love.” He murmured, mouth flush to my ear, before throwing me out into the lake. I gasped for as much air as I could before I fell like a dead weight, hitting the water with a resounding splash. Holding the largest breath I could, I closed my eyes as I went under, the frigid water immediately stiffening my limbs. I wanted to move, to panic, but I was trapped inside my own body, sinking lower and lower. The dappled sunlight faded, the grey of the deeper water taking over. As I sank, screaming internally at my own limbs to respond, I kept frantically trying to move any part of my body, concentrating on my fingers and toes. Anything to get them to move. I knew that, even though I was a good swimmer, even though I could hold my breath for about a minute and a half, the cold of the water and the increasing depth was eating away at any chance of survival I had.

  Out of the corner of my eye, something flashed past. My already racing brain came to the conclusion all to quickly; Nessie. A shadow passed next to me, so large that it couldn’t be anything else, her powerful swimming moving the water around me, so I seemed to float. The next second, her neck snaked round, head looming towards me, sharp rows of teeth aiming straight towards my face. I closed my eyes, waiting for the impact. There was a sudden whoosh of water next to me and I opened my eyes to see a small, mottled white shape blur past, attacking Nessie’s face. Her head pulled around, blood streaming from one eye. She snapped at the shape, but it darted out of the way, tail flicking,

  Pip!

  The momentary distraction was enough. I felt one of my hands respond, the slow twitch of fingers and, as Pip darted in and out of Nessie’s snapping jaws, the rest of my limbs began to work. I kicked with my legs, weakly at first, but enough to stop the slow descent into the Loch. There was blood in the water around me; some of it from Nessie’s eye, some of it still leaking from my ears. As the blood floated towards the gigantic creature, her head flipped round again, slitted pupils narrowing on me. Her body curved, the pectoral fins creating a huge current under the water, buffeting me. I knew the air in my lungs was running out, could feel the need to gasp working its way through my system.

  As Nessie raced back towards me, I gave a huge kick with my legs, just enough to move me out of her bite. I kicked down with one foot, hitting her on the top of the head, sending her swimming off a little way to circle back. There was a splash above me as Pip dove back
down, his eyes focused on Nessie. I began swimming up, arms frantically pulling the water around my body, the small glimpses of sunlight beginning to filter back through. As I moved higher and higher, I could feel the current being created below me. I glanced down through the stinging water to see Nessie flip around in an arc, diving after Pip, who darted in and out of her fins. My eyes widened as I realised her tail was heading directly for me.

  I pulled my legs up, tucking them to my body as the end of her tail whipped across the water. There was a slash of red-hot pain in my leg and I looked to see more blood drifting into the grey water, a startling scarlet ribbon. I couldn’t see how deep the cut was, but I wouldn’t stand a chance if I kept bleeding like this. Pip was distracting Nessie but sooner or later, he would get tired. With renewed determination, I flung my arms up and swam with broad strokes, heartbeat pumping in my ears. The second my hand breached the surface of the water, cool air surrounded me, a welcome shock. I gave another kick and burst up through the surface of the water, gasping in gulps of air. Then I started swimming to the shore. We had ended up nearly in the centre of the Loch, the wide bulging shape meaning I was at least a minute’s swim from the shallow, stony shore. Adrenalin raced through me; I had no idea if Nessie was about to surge up and drag me back down. I just kept swimming,

  Left arm, right arm, breathe, left arm, right arm, breathe.

  I repeated the mantra to myself, taken back to my school swimming lessons, the PE teacher shouting at us from the edge of the pool. It was nothing like this, but somehow it helped. After an agonisingly slow crawl, I could see the shallow water and the stones, slicked with spray and shining in the sunlight. As soon as my legs hit the stones, most of the fight went out of me. I dragged myself up onto the shore, far enough away that the water couldn’t touch me and collapsed, eyes still on the Loch. From here, the water almost seemed calm, the occasional ripple belaying what was going on underneath the surface. Frantically I searched for Pip, any indication that he was alive.