Nessie's Arc

Chapter 1 of 2

Nessie glided beneath the murky water, her body creating no wake, no sound, no trace. She wanted to disappear completely when she moved—to pass through water like a whisper. The tourists at her old loch had ruined everything with their boats and cameras, so she'd come here to the Cryptidia swamps to practice in peace. Here, the water still spoke its own language. She surfaced near a twisted cypress root and listened. The frogs called to each other. Bubbles rose from the muddy bottom. A dragonfly's wings hummed past her snout. These sounds belonged here. They didn't drown out the water's voice like the engines had. She dove again and pushed toward the open lake ahead, where she could test herself in deeper water. A small wooden boat floated in the center of the lake, unmoving. Nessie circled beneath it, measuring the distance with her senses. She could hear every ripple her body made, every shift in pressure. Too much. She needed to move without disturbing a single drop. She slowed her breathing and let her body go still. Then she glided forward, keeping her movements smooth and controlled. The boat rocked slightly as she passed underneath. She stopped. That was the problem—even her best efforts still left traces. She would stay here and practice until the boat sat perfectly still while she swam beneath it. Only then would she be truly invisible in the water.