~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What Lies Beneath
by
~Miriah~of~the~Wind~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 25: Into the Loch Ness
Tomorrow they woke up excited.
"Remember to calm down, you guys, we're not out of hot water yet." Cam warned them. They walked quietly down stairs with M.I.M.I. following at their footsteps. There was a gigantic roar and they all rushed to the window. They saw the Loch Ness Monsters up close. They were tall, green figures, with rippling muscles and slimy skin. Hake like eyes and razor sharp teeth. But one of them was different. It seemed less solid, like a image or an illusion. They ran outside and down to the Mohair were the fake monster was. Mali picked up a seemingly solid rock and it crumpled in her hand, like ashes.
"I think that it's about time that we see what goes on in that lake." she said quietly.
"You don't mean..." Tak said.
"We have no choice." Cam said and they stared off into the dark legions of the lake with it's beautiful but deadly water. They ran to the cellar where old diving equipment laid. There was only one set of useable diving equipment.
"Who's gonna go in?" Tak asked.
"I will." Cam said almost silently.
"You sure?" said Mali.
Cam nodded yes although the thought of her anywhere near the substance was truly terrifying. She still couldn't forget how the water had burned her skin and almost killed Zim. Although Mali was no coward she wasn't exactly thrilled at the idea of going anywhere near that lake. Her antennas twitched nervously. While the others went out to the lake Mali went to outside and to the greenery. There was a wheel barrow and a hose. She took that back inside the cellar and got a few more things and then, using Irken strength, picked up the wheel barrow and a large pump that was there and took it to the others as they stared into the lake.
"You're almost out of your powers and we need to save as much as possible. So use this instead of a bubble to keep water from touching your skin." Mali reached into the wheel barrow, brought out a diving suite, and handed it to Cam.
"What's this piece of rag?" Cam said angry that her powers were fading.
"This 'rag' is called a diving suite. Humans put these things on like Irken jump suites in order to keep there bodies from being wet. Hopefully it'll do the same for you." Tak replied. Cam raised an eye at the thin piece of rubber that supposedly would keep her from enormous pain but put it on anyway. It seemed to cling to her body though.
"Instead of mutilating the earths atmosphere around you to keep you underwater use this."
"Boots made out of metal?" Cam asked. Mali and Tak nodded and Cam put them over her feet. Mali took the hose and attached one end to the pump and the other end to a small circular metal object that Cam wasn't familiar with.
"Put this on your head. Then go in the water to investigate. Tak is going to our room to guard the Celtic Triskel and the two crystals we have so far. I'll feed you air through the hose on the helmet with the pump." Cam put the helmet over on her head where it squished her antennas. She went down into the water with Mali working to feed her air. Cam looked around for a marking place back up to the surface and found a bicycle that someone threw in. The water was serene and peaceful when it wasn't trying to kill you. She saw the Loch Ness Monsters dip in and out as though they were playing in it. Others chase after little fish and snapped at a few and ate them. Cam explored the lake when she came upon something that looked like broken glass. She picked it up and was confirmed that it was broken glass yet, luckily it didn't break her suite. Finally she heard a "CCCCRRRAAACCKKK" sound and realized that she had stepped into a skeleton, an Irken skeleton. She ran from it as far as she could until finally she bumped into a wall. A large metal wall that was covered with seaweed .When Cam used the broken glass to scrape it off she found it was a wall with the symbol of a Raven.
Well one thing's been living in Loch Ness, that's for sure. Cam turned around to go tell the others until she noticed it was getting harder for her to breath. An idea finally went through her head. Mali had stopped feeding her air.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~