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 the 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.