Searching for the Loch Ness Monster

XV - Super Fred

XV - Super Fred

“Help! Anyone out there? Keith? Lucy? Miss Shelly? Just help me!” I scream for the, probably, the hundredth time.

The sound of crickets reply to my cry.

This is useless, my brain tells me.

“Anyone?” I scream again.

You shouldn’t have told Keith that, you know, my annoying brain comments.

“Shut up!” I yell at the brain. It’s official: I’m insane.

Now you’re going to die in the woods without anyone remembering you. Gerard will have Ellen. Keith would be home by now, enjoying his dinner with his parents. Lucy will be somewhere in Scotland with her Scottish relatives. You? All alone? You are nobody!

The voice is right. I am nobody. Who would remember me?

“I’m not nobody! I’m someone!” I yell, trying to keep my head in place.

Try telling yourself that, honey.

“My name is Kaya Harrison. I am twenty-two years old. I was from London. I am here to see the Loch Ness Monster and I will. I am someone. I am Kaya,” I say.

I had to say the sentences a few times just to block the voice out. This is the only way to entertain myself. Before, I would bug Keith out until he gets annoyed.

Keith…

“Help!” I yell my last hope.

No one.

I sigh and stop by a tree. It is dusk so it’s going to be dark very soon. I got my torchlight out and ready.

Poor Keith won’t have anything but his bagpipe with him. What if he’s still in the woods? Will he sleep at all? How is he going to travel without any source of light?

“Anyone cried for help? Super Fred is here to save the day!” a voice says.

I jump in surprise. One thing for certain, it is not Keith.

“Who’s there?” I ask, holding the torchlight out as a weapon.

Something human-like figure drops from the branch above me, missing me by a few centimeters.

In a flash, the figure jumps to his feet.

“It is I! Super Fred, your savior!” he yells, puffing out his chest.

I stare at him in shock. The blonde teenage boy looks very skinny that you can see his bones. He has this Superman-like outfit but with a letter ‘F’ on his chest. He even wears his underwear outside his pants, for God’s sake!

“Who are you?” I ask, gripping my torchlight tighter.

He holds up his chin. “My name is Fred, miss. I heard you cried for help so here I am! To save you!”

“Uhh, okay?” I say unsurely. “How did you get here so fast?”

He grins and then point up. “I flew here!”

I blink a few times. “You flew?”

Fred waves his hand. “Forget about that now, miss. What can I do for a pretty human like you?”

I ignore the compliment and ‘human’ comment as I ask, “I need to find a friend who is also stuck in this forest and get to town.”

Almost instantly, his face turns blank. “Town?” he repeats as if it’s a dirty word.

I nod. “Yes, town. Can you help me?”

Fred rubs his chin thoughtfully. To tell the truth, he looks like he’s trying to show his non-existent muscle. What a wimpy teenager.

“Town as in a place where humans live in?” he questions.

I’m starting to get annoyed. What does he think he is? A crocodile? “Yes.”

“In that case, sure! I’ll help you find your friend and lead you to town. Under one condition though,” he whispers towards the end as if he’s telling a secret.

“What?” I whisper back.

“You have to kiss me.” When he says this, he smirks.

I stare at him in horror.

Before I can tell him off, a familiar voice cuts me off.

“There’s no way she’s going to kiss you.”

I twirl around to see the redhead who carried the plastic bag of dirty clothes and his bagpipes.

Keith.