The Hand of the Loch
The oar of the boat plunged into the black water, turning in a small circle. The boat only moved a little bit.
“Oh my goodness, Eilidh!” Luna said with a sigh like a camel. “Where did that year lifting weights go! We've been on Loch Fyne 2 hours now, and I can still see the bottom of the lake as if it's dancing beside me!”
Avi put his hand in the water and splashed Luna in the face. “Eilidh is trying, gobby!”
The boat started to move much faster and they all jumped. A wave came across the loch and when the three of them looked over at the Inveraray road, there was a beastly green and blue hand, climbing up into the air from the water. The shell covered hand lifted a small red car from the road and the two occupants fell out. The hand took the car down under the water of the loch and nobody ever saw it again.
Eilidh was sitting by the fire, her two brothers and her sister sitting at her feet. They were arguing because their favourite program wasn’t on the television. The news was only talking about “The Hand of the Loch”.
Eilidh found herself in the Co-Op in Inveraray at eight at night. She was alone, but the shop was quite busy. She picked up the things she needed, her legs like stones. Suddenly, a girl hit into her. Her artificial nails in Eilidh’s eyes, her Nike platform shoes breaking poor Eilidh’s toes, long blonde hair like a whip. “Oh! My! Goodness! I'm so sorry!!” She stood up, her tight trousers strutting away. Eilidh paid and drove away. It was dark, nothing could be seen in the dark blanket that lay on the loch. Out of the darkness there was a girl - the girl from the shop - climbing over the river. Eilidh stopped. “It's you! I'm Chloe! Can I have a lift?” She jumped inside.
A week later, Eilidh, Luna, Avi and Chloe were all sitting in the caravan in the forest next to Eilidh's house. Luna and Avi were asking Chloe questions and Eilidh was writing on a board. “Okay then!” Eilidh stood up, in this small place, the whole caravan shook from side to side. “I've created this board to figure out what in the mad world was that beastly hand. As you can see, I have obtained pictures from the newspaper and, with a lot of research, I found out that this has happened more than once. I'll just say that the last few times it wasn’t only a car that monster had got.” Chloe gasped and put her hand over her mouth.
“What?” Luna said.
“Luna! It ate people!” This time Luna made a small gasp and Avi was horrified. “And...” Eilidh began again. “I've identified patterns. Scary patterns. Every time the hand appears, it’s moved around 1.5 miles. It started at the end of the loch, near us. Meaning that this hand, for as long as it takes, is going to Inveraray.”
‘The Hand Club to Stop the Beastly Fingers of the Loch’. This was on the front of the caravan and the four of them were standing at the door. They all had badges, with their names. Eilidh, Breaker of Nails. Avi, Cracker of Knuckles. Luna, Puller of Fingers. And finally, Chloe, Turner of Wrists. Luna raised the large net. “Well then, are you ready?” She smiled, and they started for the loch. They were on the beach, where Eilidh thought the hand would appear again. “It will be a miracle if the hand comes up,” said Eilidh with a sigh. Avi shouted, as he saw a green finger break the quietness of the loch.
Luna ran down to the end of the beach, jumped into the water and the net went over the monster’s finger. The finger went higher and higher, dragging the net with it. A hand, shoulders, belly, neck, and finally a head appeared. Sunlight bouncing off the side of its teeth. Luna shouted and tried to jump off. The beast grinned and gave a frightening laugh as it went back down, Luna screaming as she disappeared under the water.
Two hundred 'lost' posters across Inveraray. 'Luna, 15, Long black hair’ and a picture of Luna. Eilidh, Avi and Chloe were sitting at the pier. “Three months.” Chloe said. “Three months without a single word.”
Avi looked at them. “Aye. This is crazy!! Chloe!! Eilidh!! Look!!” Avi went like a deer down the shore, heading straight for a large patch of seaweed. Or they thought it was seaweed…
“She’s still breathing!” Avi was going crazy, jumping around like an idiot, arms flying around his head. Eilidh and Chloe came over to him. “What?” Eilidh said with a sigh. Amongst the seaweed, as cold as the poison, was Luna.
They were all standing around a hospital bed, with flowers and balloons covering the place. Luna opened one blue eye to a light blinking. “Luna?” Eilidh said softly, kneeling by the bed. Luna didn't say a word, but with all her energy, she put her hand on Eilidh’s.
Epilogue
The four of them stood at the beach, looking out at the head of the lake, beyond Inveraray. In the middle of the sunset, there was a huge tail. It waved, and it went under the water for the final time.
The Hand of the Loch
The oar of the boat plunged into the black water, turning in a small circle. The boat only moved a little bit.
“Oh my goodness, Eilidh!” Luna said with a sigh like a camel. “Where did that year lifting weights go! We've been on Loch Fyne 2 hours now, and I can still see the bottom of the lake as if it's dancing beside me!”
Avi put his hand in the water and splashed Luna in the face. “Eilidh is trying, gobby!”
The boat started to move much faster and they all jumped. A wave came across the loch and when the three of them looked over at the Inveraray road, there was a beastly green and blue hand, climbing up into the air from the water. The shell covered hand lifted a small red car from the road and the two occupants fell out. The hand took the car down under the water of the loch and nobody ever saw it again.
Eilidh was sitting by the fire, her two brothers and her sister sitting at her feet. They were arguing because their favourite program wasn’t on the television. The news was only talking about “The Hand of the Loch”.
Eilidh found herself in the Co-Op in Inveraray at eight at night. She was alone, but the shop was quite busy. She picked up the things she needed, her legs like stones. Suddenly, a girl hit into her. Her artificial nails in Eilidh’s eyes, her Nike platform shoes breaking poor Eilidh’s toes, long blonde hair like a whip. “Oh! My! Goodness! I'm so sorry!!” She stood up, her tight trousers strutting away. Eilidh paid and drove away. It was dark, nothing could be seen in the dark blanket that lay on the loch. Out of the darkness there was a girl - the girl from the shop - climbing over the river. Eilidh stopped. “It's you! I'm Chloe! Can I have a lift?” She jumped inside.
A week later, Eilidh, Luna, Avi and Chloe were all sitting in the caravan in the forest next to Eilidh's house. Luna and Avi were asking Chloe questions and Eilidh was writing on a board. “Okay then!” Eilidh stood up, in this small place, the whole caravan shook from side to side. “I've created this board to figure out what in the mad world was that beastly hand. As you can see, I have obtained pictures from the newspaper and, with a lot of research, I found out that this has happened more than once. I'll just say that the last few times it wasn’t only a car that monster had got.” Chloe gasped and put her hand over her mouth.
“What?” Luna said.
“Luna! It ate people!” This time Luna made a small gasp and Avi was horrified. “And...” Eilidh began again. “I've identified patterns. Scary patterns. Every time the hand appears, it’s moved around 1.5 miles. It started at the end of the loch, near us. Meaning that this hand, for as long as it takes, is going to Inveraray.”
‘The Hand Club to Stop the Beastly Fingers of the Loch’. This was on the front of the caravan and the four of them were standing at the door. They all had badges, with their names. Eilidh, Breaker of Nails. Avi, Cracker of Knuckles. Luna, Puller of Fingers. And finally, Chloe, Turner of Wrists. Luna raised the large net. “Well then, are you ready?” She smiled, and they started for the loch. They were on the beach, where Eilidh thought the hand would appear again. “It will be a miracle if the hand comes up,” said Eilidh with a sigh. Avi shouted, as he saw a green finger break the quietness of the loch.
Luna ran down to the end of the beach, jumped into the water and the net went over the monster’s finger. The finger went higher and higher, dragging the net with it. A hand, shoulders, belly, neck, and finally a head appeared. Sunlight bouncing off the side of its teeth. Luna shouted and tried to jump off. The beast grinned and gave a frightening laugh as it went back down, Luna screaming as she disappeared under the water.
Two hundred 'lost' posters across Inveraray. 'Luna, 15, Long black hair’ and a picture of Luna. Eilidh, Avi and Chloe were sitting at the pier. “Three months.” Chloe said. “Three months without a single word.”
Avi looked at them. “Aye. This is crazy!! Chloe!! Eilidh!! Look!!” Avi went like a deer down the shore, heading straight for a large patch of seaweed. Or they thought it was seaweed…
“She’s still breathing!” Avi was going crazy, jumping around like an idiot, arms flying around his head. Eilidh and Chloe came over to him. “What?” Eilidh said with a sigh. Amongst the seaweed, as cold as the poison, was Luna.
They were all standing around a hospital bed, with flowers and balloons covering the place. Luna opened one blue eye to a light blinking. “Luna?” Eilidh said softly, kneeling by the bed. Luna didn't say a word, but with all her energy, she put her hand on Eilidh’s.
Epilogue
The four of them stood at the beach, looking out at the head of the lake, beyond Inveraray. In the middle of the sunset, there was a huge tail. It waved, and it went under the water for the final time.
