Creature Keepers and the Hijacked Hydro-Hide

by Peter Nelson

  Kriss and Lou leaped into the air, flying straight toward her. The two flying cryptids grabbed her front dorsal fins. In her panic, she flicked Kriss away. Abbie screamed as the Mothman was tossed against the wall. He bounced off it and flew right back in to grab Nessie again.

  SNAP! The shards of net gave way. Nessie dropped, but not far. She was now awkwardly hovering over the bubbling lava as Kriss and Lou strained to hold her. Her great girth began to win out, and she slipped from their grip, falling fast toward the pit.

  SLAM! Bernard leaped from a running start, side tackling her and knocking her off course. Nessie belly flopped onto the smooth rock floor along with Bernard, Kriss, and Lou, and slid on her slick, scaleless skin, banging into the far wall.

  Eldon, Abbie, Mike, and Paco rushed to them. Jordan scanned the cavern. He spotted what he was looking for—Gusto was sneaking away along the inside wall of the volcano, trying to escape unnoticed in all the chaos.

  CRACK! “Oweeeeeooo!” Gusto was struck by something in the back of the head. He howled and spun around to see Jordan standing with his slingshot.

  Jordan ran toward him and hurled himself at Gusto, tackling him to the floor. The two of them rolled, but Gusto was much bigger. He threw Jordan off and stood ominously before him, his clawlike fingers reaching for Jordan’s neck.

  “I tried to let you go, Grimsley. But now you will feel Chupacabra’s revenge!”

  “Jordan!” Eldon’s voice called out to him. He looked over and caught the small hunk of metal flying at him. Jordan unfolded the blade and jumped to his feet just as Gusto moved in to strike. Jordan pointed Eldon’s Badger Ranger buck knife at Gusto’s throat.

  The dazed Latino blinked at Jordan and grinned. “You are certainly a Grimsley.”

  “Yeah. I get that a lot.” Jordan could feel the anger in him start to take over. He gripped the knife in his hand and took a step closer. “Any last words?”

  Gusto backed up to the rocky overhang. He looked behind him at the bubbling cauldron of melting magma. When he turned back, there was a horrible grin on his face.

  “Just one.” He whispered, “Cannonball.”

  Gusto leaped into a backflip, tucked into a tight ball, and plunged into the boiling magma. A sickening, sizzling splash echoed throughout the cavern. Jordan ran to the edge and looked down in disbelief. He glanced through the superheated air at the others, who were staring up at him.

  RRRRUUUUMMMMMBLLLLLE . . . The lava pool began to churn and thrash around, spilling like a kettle boiling over. The liquid sank into the pit, retracting as if it were being drained from its center. Jordan had seen this before. “I hate his cannonballs.”

  “RUN! GET NESSIE UP! THIS PLACE IS GONNA BLOW!” Jordan leaped to help them get Nessie out the archway. RUMBLE! The lava was being drawn deeper into the depths of Popocatépetl, and was causing the entire cavern to tremble. CRASH! Huge sheaths of rock broke loose from the walls, and stalactites dropped down like massive daggers.

  They got Nessie close to the archway entrance just as another rumbling shook the hall. Rock rained down in front of them, sealing the door and trapping them inside. The pool of lava was now churning violently. The volcano was about to erupt for the first time in fifty years, and they all had front row seats.

  Suddenly, another lower rumble shook from behind them. Panicking, they moved away as rock came loose from the wall. Abbie grabbed Jordan’s hand, and they prepared for the worst.

  CRASH! The wall suddenly crumbled. Peggy came leaping through, with Alistair on her back. “You lot look like ya need a lift home again!” The Scot spurred Peggy, who quickly hopped over to Nessie, lowered her head, and gently scooped the limp water creature in her antlers.

  “Well? You comin’ or aren’t ya?” Everyone climbed on Peggy’s back and she pounced out through the same tunnel she’d burrowed to get in.

  KABLOOOOSSSSSHHHH! The magma pool blasted molten rock in every direction. Lava shot through the cone, leading up, up, up to the top of the volcano.

  Outside, Peggy bounded to a safe distance from the erupting Popocatépetl volcano and let everyone off. As MacAlister rushed to Nessie, a burst of orange blasted high into the sky. In the blaze that shot out of the top of the volcano, Jordan and Eldon spotted a tiny, sparkling object launch away from the eruption. The two boys watched it arc across the sky like a shooting star, until it disappeared somewhere in the jungle hills of central Mexico.

  39

  The sky-blue, bunnyless bus pulled up to the boardwalk by the beach and let out a weary crew of humans. Jordan, Eldon, and Abbie looked around for witnesses. The coast was pretty clear—just a few couples wandering around near the shore.

  Mike and Paco stepped off the bus next. Eldon called them over to make a plan for getting the cryptids away without being seen, but Mike sprinted down to the shore, dived into the water, and took off through the surf. Lou could be heard yelling from the bus, “Feel the burn, bro!”

  Mike swam out to the oval platform jutting just above the surface, opened a hatch, and hopped in. A minute later, the submarine was breaching near the shore. The few people present gawked at it, missing completely the giant Skunk Ape, Jersey Devil, and Mothman who stepped off the bus behind them and snuck into the water a bit farther down the beach.

  Once the cryptids boarded the submarine, they were joined by the rest of the Creature Keepers. Everyone was happy to be submerged in water, far away from volcanoes and molten lava. They were also very happy to be heading home. But there were a few more passengers to pick up, and the sub rounded a bend to a secluded cove tucked beneath a steep dune. They opened the hatch and waited, staring at the dune wall. Some sand began to trickle down as the small cliff began to shudder and shake. Suddenly it exploded, blasting the area with sand.

  Peggy erupted first, shook out her antlers, bounced onto the beach, and froze in her tracks, mesmerized by the sparkling water. Next was Alistair MacAlister, riding on Nessie’s smooth back. The full-sized Loch Ness Monster lumbered out of the tunnel. Seeing the water, she bucked her Keeper off with a flick of her tail and let out a happy SQUONNNNNK! as she bounded ecstatically into the surf.

  The submarine passengers cheered Nessie on as she dived and frolicked in the water. Jordan looked toward the shoreline and saw Alistair sitting on the sand, chuckling heartily, tears rolling down his chubby red cheeks. Then the happy Scot turned to his other keep, put his fingers in his mouth, and let out a loud whistle. Peggy snapped out of her trance and looked at him. Alistair made a hand gesture toward the sub. Peggy tapped her foot and leaped into the air.

  “Incoming!” Jordan ordered everyone inside the sub, and they all scurried into the hatch, slamming it closed just as—WHAM! Peggy stuck her landing atop the oval platform. Alistair whistled again. Nessie came swimming over and lowered her head. He stepped off the beach and onto her neck, and she delivered him, high and dry, onto the submarine deck. Alistair climbed up and gave Peggy a nice rub on her nose. “Atta bunny,” he said as she fell into a half-lidded trance.

  SPLOOSH! A stream of water blasted MacAlister, soaking him. He looked off the side of the submarine. Nessie was giving him serious stink eye.

  “Oh, don’t be such a jealous drama queen, Haggis-Breath,” he said. “I’m just helping her get settled in for the ride home, that’s all.” Nessie snorted and dived under the water as Alistair turned back to Peggy. “Stay,” he said, adding in a low whisper, “That’s my girl.” He patted her one more time, then joined the others below.

  Jordan plugged the reverse coordinates into the navigational system, and Bernard pretended to steer the submarine out into the gulf. They moved full speed ahead, careful to cruise near the surface so as not to drown the hypnotized Giant Desert Jackalope riding on the roof, just above the waterline.

  Once they were underway, Jordan sat in the captain’s seat and stared out the front window. As Nessie swam figure eights ahead of the sub, Jordan grinned in amazement, happy to be watching what he considered to be his first real sighting of t
he Loch Ness Monster.

  Bertha stood on the lido deck of the cruise ship Serenity with a big, fruity drink in one hand and a pair of binoculars in the other. Milo came up and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “How’s my pretty little desert flower feelin’,” he asked. “Relaxed?”

  “You were so right, Milo. This is exactly what I needed. Out here on the open water, no desert heat, no stolen balloons, no demon bunnies.”

  “Gonna be another beautiful Mexican sunset, darlin’. You watch that peaceful horizon, and I’ll go wrangle us up some more of that all-you-can-eat shrimp.”

  Bertha smiled as she raised the binoculars to her eyes. Scanning the horizon, she suddenly froze. Crash! Her big, fruity drink hit the lido deck. “M-M-Milo . . . ? MILO!”

  Bertha spun around and slipped on the icy fruit smoothie spilled on the freshly swabbed lido deck. She slid down some steps, hit another railing, and went flying overboard. Milo and a bunch of nearby crew members scrambled to fish her out of the water with a big net, while throwing life preservers and ropes at her. Not one of her rescuers happened to look up and notice gliding along the horizon a giant, white, fluffy bunny rabbit. With antlers.

  40

  Mrs. Grimsley hauled the last of the suitcases out of her beautiful house and down to the driveway, where she loaded it into the Grimsley Family Rambler.

  Inside, Mr. Grimsley reviewed his multipaged, color-coded, fully tabbed and footnoted to-do list with Doris one more time. There could be no confusion on how to properly run and manage the Grimsley House for Surprisingly Active Retirees.

  “Mr. Nausbaum takes his chamomile tea with a drop of honey in the morning, but a cube of sugar before bed.”

  Doris smiled. “I won’t forget, dearie. But thank you for the reminder.”

  “I know you’ll keep things shipshape ’til we return this summer, Doris!”

  “You can count on me. There’s just one thing, if I may make a suggestion.”

  “Sure, Doris. I’m all ears.”

  “Well, some of us feel the ‘Grimsley House for Surprisingly Active Retirees’ is a mouthful.”

  “Oh. What’d you all have in mind?”

  Doris whistled. Two retirees carried a large, beautiful wooden sign into the room. It was carved, painted, and ready for installation. It read, quite simply: Eternal Acres.

  Mr. Grimsley looked at it, more taken with the handiwork than the new name. “Did you guys make this?”

  “We have some very handy residents here,” Doris said. “You wouldn’t believe what they can accomplish.”

  “Well,” Mr. Grimsley said, trying to hide his amazement. “I suppose we could live with it for a while, and see how it works.”

  As they excitedly dragged their heavy handiwork outside, Mr. Grimsley took one last look around. “To-do list, totally to-done.” He glanced at his watch and yelled up the stairs. “Jordan! Abbie! Let’s get ramblin’!”

  “I’ll find them and let them know it’s time,” Doris said, ushering Mr. Grimsley out.

  She shuffled to the basement stairs at the end of the long hallway. About halfway down the steps, she stopped and turned, standing at the exact place where she fell through all those years ago. She reached under the banister and pressed a hidden button. A section of the staircase dropped down and flattened, sending her sliding beneath the stairs. As soon as she disappeared, the stairs sprung back into place.

  “Whoooo-hooo-hoo!” Doris’s ride was short, depositing her deep beneath the house in what was now an underground construction site. Many of the Eternal Acres residents were buzzing about in yellow hard hats, putting down flooring, putting up wall paneling, running wires, and installing pipes. Doris walked over to a temporary intercom call box. She stuck her yarn moustache to her upper lip, then pressed a button. It crackled to life. Frzzzzt!

  “Denmother Doris here,” she said in a deep, burry voice into the intercom. “Come in, Boathouse.”

  Frzzzzt. “Boathouse here, Double-D,” a Scottish brogue crackled back.

  “Tell Grandkid One and Grandkid Two that Poppa Bear is looking to ramble on out. Over.”

  In the boathouse, Alistair MacAlister spoke into an identical intercom.

  Frzzt. “Roger that, Den Mother. I’ll let ’em know. Over and out.” He stepped outside and watched as Lou and Mike were giving unnecessarily strong hugs to Jordan and Abbie. The submarine was parked at the end of the dock, and after the hug fest, the Jersey Devil and his Keeper raced each other into the hatch.

  Next, Jordan and Abbie said good-bye to Paco, who quietly and neatly boarded the sub. Jordan tried to shake the Mothman’s hand, but Kriss kept turning away shyly. “That’s okay,” Jordan said. “I know we didn’t talk much, but I want you to know that without your help we never would’ve gotten Nessie back. So thank you.” Kriss stared at his feet. Jordan stepped away awkwardly.

  He and Alistair pretended not to watch as Abbie and Kriss stared out at the water together. Abbie reached out and took his hand. Kriss pulled it away, but gave her a quick smile. WHOOSH. He took flight, disappearing in the sky. Only then did Alistair and Jordan approach Abbie. She had a goofy smile on her face, but Jordan decided not to point it out to her.

  “Your mum and dad are looking for you two,” Alistair said. “And I gotta be shovin’ off meself, so . . .” Abbie gave Alistair a big hug, then walked up the dock. Jordan faced his Scottish mate and held out his hand. Alistair’s arms wrapped around Jordan and squeezed him almost as tightly as Bernard. “Thank you,” he said. “For keepin’ yer promise.”

  He let go and the two of them looked out at the bay. Nessie suddenly came blasting out of the water. She leaped over the submarine, her scales glistening and sparkling like diamonds. Jordan’s eyes popped.

  “She’s grown her Hydro-Hide back!”

  “Aye, with the help of Bernard’s secret stinky stash of Ripeness.”

  SKRONK! Nessie’s head popped out of the water and barked at Alistair. He chuckled. “All right, Haggis-Breath! Hold yer water horses, I’m comin’!” He looked at Jordan. “We got a lotta work to do. She’s anxious to get out there and start repairin’ the seas.”

  Jordan pulled something out of his back pocket. It was Alistair’s slingshot. Alistair shook his head. “Nah. You keep it. Something tells me you might need it again real soon.” He winked at him, then climbed the sub, closing the hatch behind him.

  Jordan and Abbie watched the submarine pull out into Ponce de Leon Bay, escorted by a frolicking Loch Ness Monster. Then they made their way back through the swamp, passing the pool where the lemon tree used to stand. A homemade sign stuck in the ground read, Eldon Pecone’s All-Natural Spring & Swimmin’ Hole. They continued through the swamp, past the wall, and up to the house.

  Inside, Jordan and Abbie made their way through a line of the new residents of Eternal Acres, who thanked them and wished them well. Doris finally led them to the door and gave them both big hugs. “Thank you,” she said to Jordan. “For saving me.”

  “I think you saved me a lot more than I saved you.”

  “You’re probably right about that. But I had an advantage. You needed a lot more saving than I did.”

  “I still don’t believe I’m the Grimsley boy my grandfather said would come for his case. I mean, how could I be?”

  “You might be right about that, too. We’ll see. But for now, you’re close enough.”

  A minute later, the Grimsley Family Rambler rambled past the rows of identical houses Jordan’s grandfather had built and given away.

  “Hey, Dad, could you stop the car, please?”

  Jordan and Abbie hopped out and ran up to Eldon, dutifully manning his stand. It had a new sign, just like the one in the swamp: Eldon Pecone’s All-Natural Spring & Swimmin’ Hole. On the counter were stacks of fresh, clean towels. A number of bathing suit–clad elderly neighbors lined up, wearing nose plugs, rubber bathing caps, and arm floaties.

  Jordan chuckled. “I think this new business is gonna do quite well.”

  �
��I’m not in it for money,” Eldon said. “Just helping out the community.”

  Clunk. A rather large cherry pie was suddenly plopped down on the counter.

  “Mrs. Fritzler!” Abbie said. “I’m glad I got to see you before I left.”

  “I hate baking,” she said. “But apparently I have to check out this natural spring bath everybody’s gabbin’ about. And I don’t take nothin’ for free, so, pie.”

  Abbie suddenly did something she’d only done to Chunk. She leaned in and gave Mrs. Fritzler a kiss on the cheek. Then she ran into the car.

  “Okay then, bye, Abbie . . . ,” Eldon weakly called to her.

  “Well?” Mrs. Fritzler said. “Do we gotta wait for glaciers to melt to fill up this idiot pool of yours, or what?”

  Eldon handed her a towel and pointed her to a group of bathers gathered by a tree. “I should probably go,” he said to Jordan. “Pretty big group.”

  “Have you seen Bernard or Peggy? I wanted to say good-bye.”

  Eldon shook his head. “Those two are kinda hard to miss, though.”

  “I have a feeling I’m gonna miss a lot of things around here.” He lifted his fingers in the shape of a clenched monkey paw and gave his friend the official Badger claw salute. “See you this summer, First-Class Badger Ranger Pecone.”

  Eldon saluted back. “You betcha, Badger Runt Grimsley.”

  Jordan walked back to his dad’s 1972 Pontiac Grand Safari and hopped in. He turned to his sister, but she already had her skull-shaped headphones on and was reading a new book: The Fascinating World of Moths.

  Jordan sank back in his seat and stared out the window as the Grimsley Family Rambler pulled out of Waning Acres and headed east on the Ingraham Highway. For a second he thought he saw a flash of something black and furry moving through the trees, but he knew it was probably his mind playing tricks on him. Bernard was fast, but not that fast.