Chapter 5: The Kraken
"Depth charge incoming!"
Splash!
Ben, clad only in his swim trunks, cannonballed into the lake with a triumphant yell. Water sprayed high into the air.
"Ahahaha! Gwen! Klein! Come on down and play! We came to the lake to swim, didn't we?" Ben called out, playfully splashing water at his two cousins standing on the shore.
"No, Ben, I don't feel like getting wet just yet," Gwen replied, her arms crossed. She eyed the lake's surface, which was shrouded in a thick, eerie fog under the dim night sky, and decisively refused his invitation.
"Same here, Ben. I'm heading back to the Rustbucket." Klein had only stepped out for a bit of fresh air in the first place. With a slight nod, he turned to leave.
"I'll go with you," Gwen said, quickly falling into step beside him.
"Aaaah!" A sudden, choked scream erupted from the lake. Ben vanished beneath the surface, and a stream of bubbles began to rise from where he had been.
Gurgle, gurgle.
"Ben, stop joking around, okay? This isn't funny!" Gwen sighed, though she and Klein both turned back toward the water's edge. Knowing Ben's history of pranks, she wasn't particularly worried.
Gurgle, gurgle.
As the bubbles continued to churn the surface without any sign of Ben, a flicker of uncertainty crossed Gwen's face. Klein's expression remained neutral, but he was already preparing to transform and dive in for the rescue.
Splash!
A dark, hulking shape, draped in slimy green seaweed, burst violently from the water.
"Ah!" Gwen shrieked in genuine fright, stumbling backward and falling onto the damp ground.
"Ahahaha! Dweeb! You should see your face!"
Gwen squinted through the gloom and realized the seaweed-covered monster was just Ben. "Dweeb! That wasn't funny at all!" she snapped, scrambling to her feet and storming off without another word.
Klein just shrugged, turning to follow her.
"Aaaargh!" Ben screamed again, this time his cry cut short as he was abruptly yanked back under the water.
"Alright, Ben, have you had enough fun yet? We're leaving," Klein called out, his patience wearing thin.
But as he spoke, a flicker of movement in the murky depths caught his eye. Something was wrong. Without a second thought, he slapped the faceplate of his watch and leaped into the lake.
A faint blue light pulsed beneath the surface, and the water began to roil violently, splashing in all directions. A moment later, a monstrous figure erupted from the lake. It was a piscine humanoid with a gaping, fanged maw, a long anglerfish-like lure dangling from its head, and powerful, clawed limbs. In its arms, it held a gasping, terrified Ben.
As the alien, Ripjaws, landed on the shore, a colossal black shadow reflected on the lake's surface swiftly moved away into the fog.
"What... what was that?" Ben coughed, water streaming from his mouth.
...
Early the next morning, the sun had not yet fully risen, and the fog over the lake was still thick. The Tennyson family made their way to the docks to meet the fishing boat they had chartered. The early hour meant the area was mostly deserted, lending it a slightly desolate feel, but the air was crisp and refreshing.
"Grandpa! You have to believe me! There really is a monster in the lake! If Klein hadn't saved me, I'd have been a goner!" Ben clung to Max Tennyson's arm, animatedly recounting the terrifying events of the previous night.
"Alright, Ben, we can talk about the monster later. Today, we're going fishing, all day long," Grandpa Max said, his eyes twinkling with anticipation. "I was a master fisherman back in my youth. I'll show you all how it's done." He clearly wasn't taking Ben's monster story too seriously. He had seen creatures far more terrifying than some oversized lake cryptid. Besides, he knew Earth was home to many such unknown organisms, and they generally kept to themselves. There was no need to pay them any special mind.
Klein and Gwen followed a few paces behind, chatting quietly. Gwen seemed to be leaning just a little closer to Klein as they walked, a detail he noticed but didn't comment on.
Soon, they arrived at a fishing boat where a grumpy-looking old man was busy organizing his gear.
"Hello! Are you Captain Shaw? I'm Max Tennyson. I booked your boat," Grandpa Max called out cheerfully.
"Then what are you waiting for! Get on, quick! I'm a busy man!" Captain Shaw barked, his temper proving to be as sour as his expression.
"Well then, let's get on board," Max said, gesturing to Klein, who was gazing out at the foggy lake, and to Ben and Gwen, who had already started bickering.
"Okay, Grandpa, I'll be right there," Klein responded.
"Ugh! How disgusting!" Ben was holding a handful of wriggling worms for bait, thrusting them toward Gwen's face. Her own face went pale, and she dodged away, scurrying toward Klein. "Cousin, wait for me!"
"Gwen, are you alright?" Klein asked, steadying her as she stumbled.
"Alright, you two, stop messing around. Let's get on the boat," Grandpa Max urged his grandchildren.
...
Out on the lake, the fog had thinned somewhat, but visibility was still low.
"So, Captain Shaw, how's the fishing today?" Grandpa Max asked, trying to start a conversation.
"Very good! Better than you can imagine," the captain grunted, then nodded toward the side of the boat. "Looks like your grandson is planning to use today's breakfast as bait."
Ben was leaning far over the railing, his face pale as he stared down at the water.
"Dweeb, what's with you now?" Gwen asked.
"I have to find that monster from last night!" Ben declared. He suddenly sat up straight, pointing at a dark shape floating in the distance. "Ah! It's coming!"
As the shadow drifted closer, however, Ben's excitement deflated. It was just a large piece of driftwood.
"It's called the Kraken," Captain Shaw said gruffly.
"You know about it?" Ben's face lit up, happy to have finally found someone who would listen.
"Of course. It's famous in town," the captain replied, pulling a worn photograph from his pocket. Though the black shadow in the picture was blurry, its general outline was unmistakable. It was the same creature they had encountered last night.
"I have to catch it! Everyone in town says I'm crazy, that the monster doesn't exist at all," Captain Shaw said, his voice laced with frustration as he put the photo away.
"I don't doubt it," Grandpa Max murmured, looking at the captain with a knowing expression.
"I can take you to where I saw it," Captain Shaw offered, a strange, almost predatory smile stretching his lips. "But you'll have to be brave enough to go on an adventure with me."
Vrooom...
"Hey! No fishing allowed here! Turn back immediately!" A large, modern-looking boat approached them through the mist. Several people stood on its deck, and the man in the lead, dressed in khaki gear, shouted at them. "I am Jonah Melville, a member of the International Anglers Association and an animal protection expert. This area is off-limits for fishing, old man."
"This is my lake! You stinking fish-hugger! I'll go wherever I want!" Captain Shaw immediately shot back.
"Ahem, Captain Shaw," Grandpa Max interjected smoothly. "I believe I chartered this boat for the day, so whose orders should we be following?"
"Hmph!" Defeated, Captain Shaw fell silent.
...
Back onshore.
"Those stinking 'anglers'! They actually sealed off the entire lake!" Captain Shaw paced back and forth on the dock, fuming. Then, his eyes hardened with resolve. He spun around and marched back toward his boat. "I will catch the Kraken. I am the greatest monster expert!"
Without another word, he started the engine and sped off alone, clearly having no intention of giving Jonah Melville and his crew any respect.
The Tennysons watched him go, shrugging amongst themselves.
"Gwen, do me a favor and look up that Jonah guy," Klein said quietly. He had a vague, uneasy feeling that something was off about him.
"Mm-hm." Gwen sat down on a nearby bench, pulling a laptop onto her lap. A few moments of typing later, her brow furrowed. "Found him. Jonah Melville. He's not a member of any fishing association, nor is he an animal protection expert. He's a poacher who frequently hunts valuable animals, packs them into crates, and sells them to the highest bidder!"
"It seems we'll have to follow them and see what they're up to," Grandpa Max said, his expression turning serious at the news.
"Awesome!" Ben pumped his fist, his face breaking into a wide grin. "Are we finally going to look for the big monster?" After all, what was a road trip without a real adventure?
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