Nessie's Arc

Chapter 2 of 2

Nessie needed to understand her own body first. She floated in shallow water near the bank and focused on her tail. Each small movement sent ripples across the surface. She tucked her flippers tight against her sides and tried again. Better, but not enough. She counted her heartbeats and matched her breathing to them—slow, steady, controlled. Then she moved just her tail, one tiny motion at a time. The water barely stirred. She practiced this for hours until her muscles ached, learning which movements made noise and which ones didn't. By sunset, she could flex her tail without breaking the surface. It was a start. The next morning, she discovered a small structure built at the water's edge. Large windows stretched across its front, looking down into the deeper water. She approached it slowly, curious. Through the glass, she could watch creatures moving beneath the surface—fish darting between plants, turtles gliding past, insects skating on top. Nessie settled in front of the windows and observed. A bass swam by without creating a single ripple. She watched how its fins moved, how its body stayed level. A heron's reflection appeared above, then its beak struck down and pulled back up with barely a splash. She pressed closer to the glass. Each creature had its own way of moving through water. She studied them until the light faded, memorizing every detail. Tomorrow she would try what she had learned.