With a fresh change of clothes and a moment to relax, Tony was ready to continue his adventure. The tent he'd taken sanctuary in hadn't been best maintained, the canopy was covered in holes, and it was clear it hadn't been used in some time. However it had been enough to do as the redhead had wanted. Re-garbed and refreshed, he was ready to move on once more.

He continued down along a narrow path around the outside of the grove. He couldn't help but think of it as 'the road less travelled'. Roots from the trees had warped the ground underfoot, sticking up from the snow in places, and there were very little signs of wildlife considering it hadn't snowed in a few days. Still, with a solid rock wall one side of him, and a clear view in front, Tony felt far safer than if he'd risked the thick forest just to his right.

The moment he caught view of a person in a clearing up ahead he felt far safer. Jogging the rest of the way excitedly, Tony called to the man in greeting.

Looking up from the log on which he was perched, the man blinked at the newcomer. "Blimey!" The man exclaimed, "Don't often see visitors this early!" He set his binoculars down as he watched the boy approach.

Finally within talking distance of the man, Tony caught his breath before responding "Early? Isn't it late?"

With a shrug, the man answered "S'all the same to me, kid. I can never quite tell where the sun's come from these days. Too many clouds."

As much as Tony wanted to dispute the odd claim, Tony decided not to press the issue. He had more important thoughts on his mind. "So you don't get many people coming this way? Has someone been this way recently?"

Tapping his meaty chin, the man replied "Well there was this one kid some while back. Came with an odd little zoo animal. Can't remember what. He stayed with the cluster over down that way." He pointed further down the lakeside, where a small settlement of tents had been set up. "I think he was lookin' for the Tess Monster. Haven't seen him since, mind you. It's a lost cause, anyway."

"Why's that?" Tony wondered, not sure he could trust what this guy was saying. He seemed nice enough, but also didn't seem to be all there.

Chuckling, the man answered "Well, it's cause Tessie ain't in there, now, is he?" Pulling himself up from the log with much effort, he continued "I've a feeling I'm a step closer to finding the answer, here! I mean if you're a lake monster, where's the best place to hide?"

"The lake." was Tony's deadpan response.

"The forest!" came the less obvious answer. "If you've been oft called a 'lake monster', then who'd ever suspect they'd find you in the forest instead, right?? See what I mean?" The man tapped his nose with an obnoxious grin, "Makes perfect sense, right? I tell you, no 'lake' monster's gonna outsmart me!"

This was the point Tony decided to leave, to see if he could find less baffling conversations. "Well then I won't keep you from your hunt. Good luck!"

Heading toward the tents further down, he heard the man call to him "Oh and if you see my mate Biff, let 'im know I'm looking for him! Ain't seen him in far too long! He weren't in his tent, was he?"

-	-	-	-	-

If there was one thing the odd Tessie Watcher had been right about, it was that the thick clouds made it difficult to tell where the sun was. But as the light dimmed in the sky, Tony knew it was drawing to night. The already frosty air was only dropping further. The boy had to wonder how much further it would be to reach... whatever the heck he was looking for now.

Before he could get too wound up in that thought, he caught sight of a scene that only made his heart sink. As he approached the tents, he could see all sorts of activity going on, as people were bustling about, washing up after a hearty dinner, and packing away their equipment into vehicles hidden in the trees. The thought of the crowd dispersing for the night was not a welcome one. The lake-front was cold, and Tony didn't have all that much wilderness know-how. He didn't even have so much as a sleeping bag, it wasn't the sort of thing needed in a boarding house! He sped up his pace, calling out to the nearest person.

"Excuse me!" He cried, "What's happening? Are you leaving already??"

The hunched male, hearing the shout, perked up blankly, "What's that? Leaving?"

Tony slowed to a stop and gestured around, "It looks like you're all packing to go. I didn't realise you left so early, don't you stick around through the night?"

It was hard to read the man's expression as he stared at Tony through dark spectacles. At this poiny Tony realised it had been foolish to assume they stayed at the Lake all the time. Surely these people had families to return to, and comfy beds. Maybe even day jobs! Why would they spend every waking hour of the day, and dreary freezing nights, out by the lake looking for a glimpse of a monster they didn't know was really there?

"What are you on about?" The man asked, dumbfounded, "Packing up? Don't be stupid. This equipment won't do us any good at night, will it!"

Looking around again, Tony realised that while some vehicles were being filled, others still were being emptied. People were stashing away their binoculars in favour of night-vision goggles, torches and light-flares. "Ohh," he said, relief washing over him.

"You've gotta remember," The stout man explained, leading Tony into the hubbub, "we don't know things like when Tessie sleeps, if she even does! Could even be a nocturnal creature for all we know. So we in the Tessie Watcher Club have got to be vigilant! That way we stand a chance of even one of us snapping a photo of the beast! And now that supper's over, we can all begin our shifts! That way, everyone can get some rest, before we try again tomorrow!"

Nodding in appreciation, Tony noted "You all seem so passionate about this!"

The man smiled. "Naturally." Packing away his goggles into the trunk of a car and pulling out some goggles, the man changed the subject, "So what about you, short-fry? What's your story?"

"I'm looking for my friend," the redhead answered, "he left a few weeks ago to be on this grand adventure or something. So I was hoping to find a way to cross the lake, to try to catch up with him." A beat later he added "His name was Jeff, if that rings a bell." Then his manners caught up to him, "Oh! And I'm Tony."

"I'm Ed," Tony's new friend greeted him, and led them both to a small group of tents, where a camp-fire had been set up. "And you're not gonna be doing any catching up tonight, I can tell you!"

Deep down Tony had known that would be the case. That didn't stop him pouting "Why not?" at the guy.

Ed snatched up a thermos from a small pile on a make-shift table. "It's too dark." He responded. "The lake's not exactly a short trip down, either. The goggles here don't have that much battery to 'em, and setting up light has been known to attract unsavoury sorts." He popped open the cap, and a puff of steam billowed out. "You'd be better off heading over there tomorrow. There are some boats up here we use for fishing on weekends, I'm sure one of that lot would take you."

Tony nodded slowly, and noticed that a thick blanket had been thrown over his shoulders at some point when he arrived. He looked around, and found anyone who he caught eyes with would smile and wave cheerfully. "Then," he drew his attention back to Ed, "would it be okay to stay the night here? I'd be ever so grateful."

Throwing an arm over his shoulders and thrusting the thermos into the boy's hands, Ed grinned and answered "Looks like you're already plenty welcome. C'mon lemme show you round! I know a couple people who can arrange a sleeping tent for you."

The hospitality and good nature of this club was near-enough infectious. Before Tony realised it, he was beaming from ear to ear and enjoying curious conversations with various folk of all different ages.

This adventuring malarkey was pretty exciting.

-	-	-	-	-

The night had drawn in, but it hadn't noticed. Where it stood, natural light couldn't reach, and what little illumination had been set up barely worked. However that wasn't for this thing's benefit anyway. It didn't need the light to see, any more than those it led. It could see the room just fine without the flimsy lamps

It identified a silver being approaching stiffly. In its visor was a steady stream of information, which was read in less than a second. They would be pushing on with stage 2 shortly.

They would have to choose their targets wisely, so as not to attract <i>him.</i>

-	-	-	-	-

Sleep had not come easy to Tony. Meeting many new people, hearing amazing stories, and just knowing where he was and where he would soon be, meant slumber had almost escaped him. But even as he settled down, it was still a rare occasion where he wished the sun would come up just that little bit sooner.

Even with that thought in mind, he was nowhere near the first to rise with daylight. He found himself waking to the noise of many people scuffling about hurriedly, giving orders to one another and sharing hushed conversations. Panic rose in his chest and he jolted upright, realising he was late for class. When he saw the unfamilar surroundings, and felt a days' worth of knocks from yesterday's tumble, he remembered everything.

"Is it always this busy in the morning?" He mumbled, rubbing his eyes and his sore rear.

One of the watchers, Bob, turned to him excitedly, "It's the wind! Can't you hear it??"

Tony's brow furrowed and he listened carefully. A strong howling could be heard washing over the tents and the trees. "That is pretty loud," he admitted, "is it bad? Should I evacuate the tent?"

Looking back at Bob, Tony knew the answer from the way his eyes sparkled. "It means Tessie's gonna appear! This is perfect Tessie weather!" he went back to grabbing cases, and said "I'd get up, though, otherwise you'll miss it!"

The redhead couldn't argue with that.

He'd gotten himself collected quickly before heading out toward the lake. Another thermos had been pushed on him, and a spoon, with the only explanation being 'breakfast'. Accepting the thermos breakfast, he made his way to where a crowd of Tessie watchers were setting up tripods, cameras, camcorders, the works. Everyone was brimming with energy, and Tony could hardly blame them. They'd poured so much of themselves into this, and now it was going to pay off.

Ed, who had perched himself near an outcrop of land, caught Tony's eye and waved him over. It took him longer than expected, as he dodged out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the Tessie Watchers, but was soon kneeling next to Ed, stabbing a spoon into his open thermos.

"Isn't this exciting?" Ed beamed, his camcorder set up on the edge.

With a nod, Tony said "It is. I can't believe I'm going to see the Loch Tess Monster! Have any of you seen it before?"

Ed shook his head. "No, but we came close! A few weeks ago we got weather like this, too! Then someone, I think that boy you were talking about before, he went and stood over there," he motioned toward the outcrop, "and the lake went wild!"

"Wow." Tony whispered, awestruck. "Then what happened?"

The older male gave a sheepish look. "I don't know."

That hadn't been the answer Tony was looking for. "What do you mean you don't know? If everyone was watching the lake, then how could you <i>not</i> know?? Did something happen?"

"When the lake started going wild, so did half the equipment." Ed admitted. "My last camcorder exploded all of a sudden, and there was a huge fuss. The wind went totally wild again, too. It was pandemonium! By the time we were all back in order, the wind had died down, and your friend was gone."

Tony had to admit, that hadn't been the answer he was looking for, either.

Feeling the solemn air, Ed gave the boy a solid pat on the shoulder, "Ah, cheer up! That's why I'm here this time!" He exclaimed, "It was only the stuff on the front line, over where everyone else is now, that the commotion happened! If I'm over here, I'm more likely to see it up close and personal!"

"It's here! It's here!" Someone in the crowd screamed out, eagerly, "The lake's going wild again!"

Both males, hearing this, craned to see where a shadow was forming in the water. Ed shuffled with his camera, muttering to himself about getting the money-shot, while Tony could just watch, frozen.

A horrible feeling was welling up in his gut, pushing him to run. He couldn't explain it, but even though everyone else was excited beyond belief, this all felt very, very wrong.

The wind picked up, and camera shutters could be heard across the Watchers, clicking and snapping and whirring like a group of cicadas. The dark shadow rose up higher, and the water bobbed up with it, spilling and rippling.

That was when Tony caught more of the strange shadowed whirlpools in the lake, the ripples from their disturbances rebounding off one another. "Uh, Ed?" he prodded his friend meekly, to no avail.

Looking back to the original, Tony's shock caught in his throat. A metallic sheen could be seen as the UFO rose up from the lake, water spilling back down. The top half began to spin, shedding what little droplets remained. A cold feeling hit the side of his face, and he looked back toward the others, where the UFOs had risen and were doing the same.

"That..." Tony swallowed, his voice coming out cracked, "That's not Tessie."

Ed apparently hadn't even noticed. "What are you babbling about now?" He snapped, readying his camera, "If you've never seen Tessie before how would you know?"

One of the UFOs fired a laser, hitting the ground between Tony and Ed.

Tony cried out, backpedaling in alarm. Hearing a 'splash!' close by, he tried to locate Ed, but he was no longer in view.

"ED!!" Tony yelled out, lunging forward once again to try and find his friend. He was stopped, however, when another laser hit, much closer to Tony than before.

The redhead faced the Tessie watchers, panic filling his face... then dread. <i>None</i> of them had cottoned onto the fact this wasn't Tessie yet! How could they not see it yet?? Why was he the only one who realised??

He didn't have enough time to think about it. Three of the UFOs were beelining towards him menacingly. Clumsily pulling himself to his feet Tony sprinted, heading toward the forest. The extra cover he'd been so afraid of yesterday he could only hope would be his sanctuary now.

Before he knew what was happening, something had grabbed the scruff of Tony's neck, yanking him off to one side roughly. It loosened up his voice-box, and he screamed "HELP!!" as loud as he could.

Or he would have, but his shout fell short when another laser skimmed by, right where he'd been running.

"Watch yourself!" a voice boomed behind him, "These things are dangerous!!"

Tony whirled to find one of the watchers releasing his shirt. This one, Sebastian, wore a stern, wary look on his face. Whether this was due to the sudden attack or his typical expression the teen didn't know. "Why don't they see this isn't Tessie??" the boy blurted out, the 'thanks for saving my life' not yet making it to his lips.

The two of them tensed up when one of the lightning-fast UFOs stopped between them and the forest. Sebastian pulled Tony to his feet and they both took off running again, away from the other watchers. "No time to chat!" Sebastian called back once they were moving again.

"But whyy??" Tony near-enough wailed, "This is madness!!"

"Because faith is blinding sometimes!" Came the sharp answer, the older man not looking back. He stopped suddenly, cursing as another UFO appeared in front of them again. "Can't go that way."

Backing up into the man, Tony quivered "C-can't go back, either."

The two of them took in their situation. Five UFOs, surrounding them, twitching into new positions any time the two humans so much as jerked a muscle.

Finally letting out an exasperated sigh, Sebastian faced his young companion. "Geez, this isn't how I wanted to spend my weekend. What do they want with us, anyway?"

Tony was pale and shaking, his eyes as wide as dinner-plates. "I don't know," Tony sobbed, tears streaming down his face.

'But they weren't after you." He realised, as the UFOs finally closed in. 'I'm sorry.'

-	-	-	-	-

The wind had died down, the lake was calm, and the shutters had fallen silent. The crowd of Tessie Watchers looked out along the water, soaking in what had just happened.

Bob, letting his binoculars hang from his neck, stepped forward. "Oh..." He breathed, before looking down to his feet. "My..." His voice grew louder, his lax limbs stiffening up once more, as he whirled to see the other watchers. "GOD!! Did you see that??"

Another watcher piped up "Yeah! Wow!!"

The lanky man's eyes were sparkling once again, "We finally saw Tessie!! Lucky!!"

A splash at the shore caught everyone's attention. They all looked round to see Ed pull himself to safety, shivering away and coughing. Three men quickly stole forward and covered him with blankets and offering him thermoses filled with a selection of drinks and stews.

The bespectacled man rasped out "I... lost my camera."

Bob thrust out a thumb with a grin. "Its okay, we all got pictures!"

A shaky smile spread across Ed's face. "That's a relief."

One of the other watchers suddenly spoke up "Hey, where's Sebastian?"

Frowning, Bob asked "Wasn't he here just a moment ago?"

-	-	-	-	-

'Can't... see....'

The room was dim, and the boy's field of vision was obscured, but he couldn't say what by.

'Can't... move...'

His limbs felt heavy, and just trying to move a finger, it felt like he was trying to push against rock.

'Can't... breathe....'

Each time he tried, his lungs burned and he'd gasp out thick bubbles. His consciousness was constantly wavering as a result. He had no idea how long had passed, as no natural light reached this strange, gloomy place. He wanted to panic, to cry out, to do <i>something,</i> but he had no energy. He was completely helpless.

'Why... did I do this?...'

All he'd wanted to do was find his friend, who was out there on some grand adventure. All he wanted was to not lose his friend, and to prove he was strong enough to stand by his side. But all he'd done was get himself caught by the enemy he'd not believed hard enough in, and gotten someone else wound up in this, too.

... And nobody knew where he was.

He felt like crying, but had no energy or breath to sob, and if there were tears, they were eaten by the viscous liquid he was trapped in. 'I'm sorry, Jeff' Tony thought, 'I'm sorry... I'm scared... please...

'... save me....'

~End~