Chapter 4

Loch Ness Monster

Violet Point of View

Nessie, Haden, and Anthony went ahead of us, because Claire needed to shift. Jacob did as well and I offered to put his pants in my knapsack. When I received my spell book, I had also been gifted with this ancient but sturdy knapsack. She said any supplies I would need could be found at stores nearly anywhere and a list of them was in the book. A wand, cauldron, hat, and broom had also been part of the gift. She said they would be mine to keep for eternity but I would also need to provide equipment for the witch that I would come upon. Long story for another time.

Claire shifted into a white stallion, and Jacob changed into his wolf form. Claire kneeled and let me grab her mane to hoist myself on. She stood up and let me situate myself. The pack was filled with her clothing and Jacob's but was extremely light weight. We all ran to the cave and then Jacob and Claire changed back. We went into the enormous cave to tell the pack what was going on.

"I am still telling the story tonight, but we will have a couple visitors. You all remember Jacob, and this is Nessie. Be polite. Peter, I need to talk to you when I'm done." He nodded, walked over to his wife Elizabeth, and sat down. All of the cubs sat quietly but looked way to enthusiastic for tonight's story, you could see it in their eyes. It was always so quiet when Claire talked to the pack. She continuously had their undivided attention. And I was sure that tonight's story would be amazing. Even though Claire thought her skills were average they were far from it. We all sat down around the fire and the cubs snuggled into Claire and I as they sat all around us and over us and we both became pillows. Haden and Anthony settled down next to the cubs on Claire's left. While I sat down on her right, ready to fall asleep the minute the story was over. Quite frankly, I was exhausted. Jacob sat next to me and Nessie snuggled into his chest and sat on his lap. All eyes were on Claire, waiting for her to start.

"So what's the story tonight?" Anthony requested.

"How about I tell your story Nessie?" Claire asked.

"I'm not sure what my story is but I would love to hear it!" Nessie exclaimed.

"Sounds like a yes to me." Claire replied. "Okay… Once upon a time, in the days of the dinosaurs lived a beautiful creature in the deep seas. With a long neck resembling a giraffe, but had front and back fins similar to a dolphin. Ah and the skin… It sparkled like diamonds, but had the feel of a fish's scales. This being was the size of your average Brontosaurus. She was a beautiful creature even among the majestic, ancient dinosaurs, which at the time weren't so ancient. Time continued to pass over thousands upon thousands of years. Species changed or diminished entirely, while new ones were created. And this creature remained, being the only one of her kind.

"She ended in a place now called Scotland, but at the time she first lived there, it had no name. She was content there. Plenty of fish to eat. Not to hot. And for the first time she was so happy, that she had a child. This species was rare, one of a kind. And what was even rarer was that there was no need for physical conception. Just mental and emotional happiness was the key to be able to conceive. This child was a perfect replica of his mother with the exception of gender. But this child was born in the time of humans when owning rare creatures was popular, and killing game was even more notable. Then her son was kidnapped from the Loch Ness. Whenever a boat would pass by she would pull it down to search it, to see if the boat contained her son. She never feed on the people; she simply tore apart the boat looking through it. She stopped doing so when she pulled down a family's boat finding two children and their mother inside. Realizing what she was doing was wrong, she saved their lives, and that is the story that was never truly told. The mother of the children knew that the creature was looking for something so important it could only be a child. The town's people called her the Loch Ness Monstra not knowing she was really the Loch Ness Mother. And she never left the Loch, hoping that her son would return one day. Sometimes you can still see her come up to look for her son, she isn't coming up for air like most people think. She surfaces only to search for what she had taken from her. And that's the story of the Loch Ness Monster, or as you now know it, the Loch Ness Mother." Claire ended.

"That was amazing Claire. But isn't there more? Come on." I said wanting Ness to find her son.

"If I dream up more tonight I will tell it tomorrow." Claire teased me with the thought of more to the story.

"Wait, you dreamt that?" Nessie questioned.

"I dream up most of my tall-tales after I change into that creature. I have no idea if it is a memory of a changer before me, stories of animals living near previous shifters, an event that happened to an animal and had no relation to a changer, or if it is just my crazy imagination running wild." She said with a shrug having absolutely no idea which one was true.

"Can you show me sometime what the Loch Ness Mother looked like, or at least that species?" Nessie wondered.

"I would love to. Sometime soon we should go to the beach and I will show you some other organisms I can change into. But we have to wait for the beach or to be near enough water because she is a sea creature, and that species is enormous, so a big amount of ocean would be nice to change in." Claire promised.

"It's a deal. Well that was fantastic, Claire. Thank you. Can you take me back, Jake?" Nessie asked. Jacob nodded his head and lifted Nessie cradling her in his arms.

"My pleasure, I'll see you guys tomorrow." Claire whispered as Jacob and Nessie left. The cubs all fell asleep, and she was trying not to wake them.

"We're going to go back to the Cullens and hang out with Gabby and Haley. Great story, Claire. Goodnight you guys." Anthony said as he and Haden left the cave.

"Goodnight, Claire," I said.

"Goodnight, Violet," she whispered. Then I drifted off to sleep thinking of the wondrous creature known to most as a monster, but to a few as a mother, and to me as a cousin, whenever she chose to be that stunning sea creature.