Chapter 3~

Research! :D

I always felt uncomfortable when swimming. It was not that I was uncomfortable with my body, but because I was uncomfortable with my scars. My stomach was tore up because of all of the monsters that had attacked me. They somehow managed to miss everything other than my torso. If they did manage anywhere else, it completely healed, leaving no scar behind. I had a giant scar that started right below my shoulder, twisted around my side, and got bigger until it finally stopped in the middle of my back. The last time I wore a bikini, a little boy looked at me, started screaming as he ran to his mommy, and pointed at me with big terrified eyes. There are still cute swimming suits that I have found to wear though.
 I submerged myself into the water as quickly as I could so that I could get used to the bitter chill of the water quickly. Nick stood in the beach, dipping his toe slowly into the water as it rushed up the sand to greet him.
 “Come on, Diego!” I said, referring to the saber tooth tiger in Ice Age who was terrified of water. I slowly began walking back to him. “Are you scared?” I splashed him playfully.
 He jumped backwards. “No! It’s just cold!”
 “Just come in and dunk yourself.” I splashed him again.
 “Sage.  Stop.” I walked toward him with a smile. Each step that I took, I kicked some water at him. “No, seriously, Sage, stop,” he said, taking a step back. I grabbed his arm and playfully pulled on it. He took another step back. This time I really pulled his arm, and he went tumbling into the water, face first. He emerged sputtering and cursing at me, rubbing his eyes.
 I smiled at him, innocently. “Is the water warmer yet?” I asked.
 He looked at me as if he was a grumpy old man. “No.”
 I laughed and pulled him down again. When he emerged from the water, he pulled me down, smiling. I came back up, sputtering and laughing. I leaned back in the water. I hadn’t laughed this much or this hard in years. It felt good. We chased each other farther into the water, splashing each other as much as we could while running. Our fun would have continued like that if not for the brunette model with ice blue eyes that came swimming by, followed by about fifteen men. Our fun might have even continued passed that as well, if her swimming had not looked more like she was just walking through the water without making a splash. Or if Nick had not joined the parade of men clumsily swimming towards her.
 I quickly grabbed his arm and gave him a questioning look. Nick went for what he wanted, but he did not go for woman this quickly. He kept trying to pull out of my grip and his wet skin made it difficult to keep hold of him. I watched as the woman went out farther. She still looked like she was just walking. Many of the men had either fallen back by now or turned around, confused and making their way back to the beach to face their girlfriend, who were looking on angrily. It was nearly impossible to hold onto Nick. Finally, I shouted his name. I shouted it again. And again, expecting nothing to happen.
 He suddenly turned back to me, though he looked confused. “Why are you yelling at me?”
 I took a deep breathe. “I think I found our Kelpie.” His eyes grew wide and he began looking around for her. I put my hands on his shoulder, hoping that if I was also in his view, the Kelpie’s power might not have as great of an affect on him and he might remember her so we could kill her. I saw his eyes grow wide as he saw her, but he didn’t try chasing after her this time. “Oh wow! Look at her. I’d…hmm…is that our Kelpie?”
 “Does she look like she’s walking in the water?” I asked.
 “Even though she’s halfway to Michigan?” He added. “Yeah. She is. She is really-”
 “Nick,” I moved his head away from her and turned him back around to face the beach. “How is a Kelpie killed?”
 “Do we have to?” Nick looked sad at the thought that his deadly future girlfriend had to go.
 “Yes. Let’s go to the library. Seeing how easily you can be taken over by her, you’re not leaving my sight.”
 “What if I have to use the restroom?” he challenged, as he was reluctantly dragged out of the water and through the warm sand to where we left our towels.
 “I’ll go with you,” I replied.
 “What if it’s a public place?”
 “You better hold it until we get back to the hotel. We wouldn’t want you getting too embarrassed,” I teased. I had been through enough that nothing embarrassed me anymore. A child crying because of my scar was a different story.
 We decided that it was best that I drive. It he caught sight of her while driving, he would probably drive the Opel straight into the water. When people, and I, say that I’m not an excellent driver, it is being judged from a Watcher’s point of view. What it actually means is that I do not drive like they do. For instance, I go the speed limit on the right side of the road where as they go whatever speed (as long at it is over the speed limit) and wherever they want (in the grass sometimes). That is how normal Watcher’s drive.
 On the way to the library, Nick must have mentioned the Kelpie one hundred and three times. The library was only two minutes from the beach we were on. “When we get to the library would you call Leslie so that I can get books?” I asked, trying to distract him from the Kelpie.
 My attempt had failed. “Why can’t I call the Kelpie?” He asked.
 “Do you have her phone number?” I asked.
 He looked at the ground. “No.” He looked back at me with hope. “Can I go ask her?”
 “Nick. You can talk to her after we find out how to kill her.”
 “Do we have to?” I pulled into the library parking lot.
 “Yes. When was the last time you had to kill a Kelpie?” I turned off the car and got out of the car.
 “All the more reason to let her-”
 “Nick,” I interrupted him. “We’re killing her.”
 “Okay…,” he said like a child, slamming the door. I rolled my eyes.

 

I basically had Nick by a leash; I would not allow him out of my sight. We were walking through one of the library’s isles looking for anything that seemed like it might have a Kelpie even mentioned in it, when Nick finally called Leslie. “Hello there, kids!”
 “How do you kill a Kelpie?” I asked.
 “Or just injure,” Nick put in.
 “Nick,” I dropped a three-inch book into his already full arms. “We’re killing the Kelpie.”
 “Why are you trying to hunt some myth-o-logical creatures that don’t exist again?” Leslie asked, incredulously.
 “Because they aren’t mythological creatures. I thought Nick was crazy when he suggested it too, but then he fell in love with one a few minutes ago.”
 “She’s beautiful!” He shouted.
 A librarian came around the corner and shushed us. “Put that phone away right now. Students are trying to study and your two are making this noise. How is anybody supposed to study with you two? Another outburst like that and you’ll be out of this library so fast….”
 “Yes, ma’am,” we said together, including Leslie. I shushed her.
 “Sage Lloyd, you shush me one more time and I’ll be there quicker than you can even think to be a smart-aleck and do it again! You know I can.” I did know. Demons can transport themselves miles away in a few seconds. As soon as the librarian went back around the corner, I shot Nick a look and apologized to Leslie. “Anyhow, Nick, I want to know all about your new girlfriend! All the details!”
 “She’s beautiful-” Nick began how he normally did when saying anything about her, but I interrupted him.
 “Well, she’s all legs, brunette, creepy eyes, and she walks on water. Oh, and she charms men into drowning,” I sarcastically explained.
 “Oh she’s a real keeper,” Leslie said. “I can’t wait until our first family meal! I’d love to meet this fine young killer-I mean-lady.”
 “Really Leslie?” Nick asked, his face lighting up.
 “No. I’ll look for some information.”
 “Thanks Leslie.” I hung up the phone, throwing another look at Nick, and another book into Nick’s arms.
 He moaned. “Can I go put these down yet?” he asked. The books were almost stacked to his chin.
 I sighed. “Yeah, we can start with those for now.” I guided him to a table in a deserted part of the library that was blocked from the front desk where we proceeded to do research. By “we did research“, I mean that I did research and Nick endlessly talked about how amazing the Kelpie probably is and that I was wasting my time.
 Three hours later, Nick stopped talking about the Kelpie and started complaining that he was hungry. I almost decided to let him starve if it meant not hearing about her, but I realized I was hungry as well. I put the books back on the shelf and we drove to the nearest restaurant. It was a small bagel shop. As Nick shoved two turkey bagel sandwiches down his throat, I picked at my pizza bagel. I wasn’t as hungry now. At least Nick wasn’t talking about his lady-friend. “You’re quiet,” I noted.
 “You’re feeding me,” he replied. I smiled and suddenly was struck by an idea. Nick didn’t talk when he was eating. I loved Nick, but he was getting annoying. I ran up to the front counter and ordered half dozen cookies, keeping a close eye on Nick. The man told me the ridiculous price for the cookies and I paid. Nick was happily inhaling his last sandwich when I returned. He automatically reached for the cookie bag. I snatched them away. His jaw dropped, making some of his sandwich fall out of his mouth onto the table. “Nick. You will get some later. Let’s go back to the library,” I said, cleaning up his mess and quickly eating the rest of my bagel, knowing that I would be hungry again as soon as we got back to the library.
 We quickly walked back to the car. Nick didn’t mention the Kelpie again until we got back to the library. “Internet this time,” I said, directing him to a chair and setting my laptop in front of him. I sat on the seat beside him. “Don’t you be looking up anything bad. Just Kelpie stuff.”
 “I bet she likes the internet,” Nick said, dreamily, ignoring my last comment.
 I looked at him in disbelief. “I bet she likes eating your liver and heart too.” I tossed him a half of a cookie. He quickly inhaled it and was quiet for the next five minutes. I smiled and enjoyed the silence.