Searching for the Loch Ness Monster

X - Kingussie

X - Kingussie

“Is that a building I see?” I ask Keith.

“Where?” he asks, looking around us.

Keith squints his eyes as if he’s trying to look through a thick fog at the direction I’m pointing.

“It is!” Keith starts to run towards civilization. I follow him, happiness bubbling in me. Yes! Just find the bloody hotel, then get an apartment and finally live my new life in Scotland.

My feet are starting to hurt that I nearly lost my footing. I slow down for Keith’s sake. He looks like he’s going to faint anymore moment now. Poor guy is so unfit.

“This is not the town of Loch Ness,” Keith says, panting loudly.

Almost as if on cue, there is a huge signboard with the words written ‘Welcome to Kingussie’.

Disappointment fills in me. I really thought we can make it to Loch Ness earlier…

You thought wrong, my brain informs me evilly.

“Look,” Keith gasps. I turn around to see what he’s pointing at. A public telephone! “Can I borrow a few coins?”

I eye his red kilt doubtfully. “Don’t you have pockets?” I blurt out.

Keith blushes. “It’s a traditional kilt so they don’t come with pockets.”

“Oh.” That’s all I can say. I put down my knapsack and look for my purse.

I frown as I dig deeper.

I swear I left my purse in the front compartment. Panic starts to set in when I check the rest of the compartments.

“Kaya?”

“Shut up, Skirt Boy,” I snap before turning the knapsack upside down. All my things fall to the ground. Everything except for my purse.

“Kaya?”

“Shut the bloody up or I’m going to rip that mouth of yours!” I threaten, glaring hard at Keith. Once my brain processes the fact that it is not in there, I drop my empty knapsack on the floor. The mess I made attracts a lot of unwanted attention which I easily ignore.

He does not say anything. Even I’m surprised at my own outburst. I’ve never yelled at anyone like this before. Other than Gerard Ross.

Gerard Ross. The name sounds foreign to me now. He’s now nothing but a person I met. After spending days in Scotland, I realize that I don’t deserve him. He’s been a good friend, I admit but he has never appreciated me for who I am. Sure, he was used to it once. It all changed when we hit puberty, as I said before. He once told me to stop believing in nonsense. Gerard told me that I must change to be a normal girl.

A change I did. I tried to fit in when I was in school just like Gerard. I became who I didn’t want to be.

Behind closed doors, however, I keep a secret that only my mum knew. Books, reports, articles and all sorts of sources about Scotland and its famous mythical creatures are kept hidden in my room for years. I would study them every night before I fall asleep.

Every night, I would promise myself that I’ll go to Scotland with mum and we’ll see Nessie together with our own eyes.

Unfortunately, my mum died before she can do so.

I sigh when I realize that I’ve zoned out. “I’m sorry, Keith. For yelling at you.”

“It’s okay,” he mutters, looking down at his bagpipes that he’s still carrying. “Will you tell me why you’re so mad?”

I bite my lips in nervousness. Will he go panic mode if I tell him? Here goes nothing: “We were robbed by the fraud.”

Keith’s face turns from blank to realization and finally to anger. “That good for nothing…”

My eyes widen in surprise. He is not whimpering or screaming or anything involves the feeling of fear. This must be the first time I’m informing him bad news without him getting a panic attack.

“What are we going to do now without cash?” I moan, leaning against the lamp post. I notice a few Scot staring at us which I glare at. They should mind their own business!

Keith puts his bagpipe down as he picks up my knapsack. “Let’s pack your things first.”

“What are we going to do now?” I ask again. Money is everything. Without money, we’re as good as dead. This is all because of that stupid Madame Zelda.

Keith grins, handing me my knapsack so I can do my own packing.

“I have a plan.”