Loch and Key

**Loch and Key** is an InCryptid short story. It is sixth in the Jonathan and Frances Shorts.

## Synopsis

Daniel Healy has been dead for two years, and his parents are still in the process of healing both themselves and their relationship. When Alexander Healy suggests that it's finally time for his daughter-in-law to accompany them on their periodic fishing trip to White Otter Lake, it seems like the perfect opportunity for the four surviving members of the family to become reacquainted with one another. Fran is dubious at first, not really understanding what a fishing trip could do for them as a family.

That was before she knew about the monsters in White Otter Lake, of course. The monsters change everything.

Before long, the entire Healy clan is embroiled in a fight for the lives of the creatures that live in White Otter Lake, which may be the last of their kind in the world. If they want to save these majestic plesiosaurs, the family will need to find a way to come together in order to solve the mystery of what the guardian of White Otter Lake has disappeared to.

It's bullets versus brains as the Healys finally step up to do their jobs, and preserve the crytozoological world. No matter what it takes.

## Plot

The Healys pack up for a road trip to Otter Lake, arrive, and settle in at their campsite. Jonathan takes Fran to meet Bessie the lake monster. She is delighted. Later, the couples split up to fish for dinner.

The next morning, Jonathan and Frances make love while the elder Healys forage for breakfast. Jonathan is embarrassed to realize Enid and Alexander were back at camp for the end of their acrobatics; Fran is brazen.

After breakfast, they go to say hello to Herbert, the owner of most of the lakeshore. Instead they encounter Paul and Eloise, who claim to be Herbert's nephew-in-law and niece, and whom are attempting to hunt the lake monsters while their uncle is in the hospital. Alexander and Enid ask around town and learn Paul and Eloise have been squatting for at least a month.

The couples split up to investigate further. Jonathan and Fran run into Eloise and Paul, who threaten them and tries to convince them to leave the lake. They reveal their plans to catch the plesiosaurs and sell them to carnivals and amusement parks for a profit.

The Healys make a plan to lure the couple away from the house. Alexander and Fran make themselves visible down at the lake, and Fran manages to ride away on Bessie's back when their foes arrive. Meanwhile, Enid and Jonathan break into the house to search for Herbert. They find him held captive in the basement. They bring him out to confront his niece, and Herbert banishes Eloise and Paul from the property.

## Characters

* Alexander Healy
* Enid Healy
* Jonathan Healy
* Frances Healy
* Bessie the Lake Monster
* Paul Wilson
* Eloise Wilson
* Herbert Wilson

**Mentioned**

* Daniel Healy
* Goliath the Lake Monster
* Abigail Wilson
* Arturo Gucciard

## Field Guide

* Aeslin Mice
* Michigan Lake Monster
* Fricken

**Mentioned**

* Basilisk
* Jackalope
* Apraxis Wasp
* Pliny's Gorgon

## Locations

* Buckley Township, Michigan
* White Otter Lake, Michigan

**Mentioned**

* The Haven
* The Black Lake, Michigan

## Organizations

**Mentioned**

* Covenant of St. George

## Continuity

* It's been two years since Daniel's death. Alexander has been combing his contacts and journals for a culprit.
* Reference to the Apraxis wasps in the train station.

## Trivia

* Jonathan is terrible at managing his laundry.
* Alexander and Enid have been married for nearly forty years.
* This is Fran's first trip in nine years, despite it being an annual tradition, due to "bad timing, that unseasonal jackalope migration, and other factors."
* There are at least three species of fricken residing around the lake.
* Jonathan and Fran haven't been "exactly careful about their marital activities" of late, but Fran has not become pregnant. Jonathan wonders if she is taking contraceptive tea in secret.
* Enid and Alexander first started teaching Jonathan survival skills when he was five or six, but he didn't realize it was more than a game until he was about twelve. That's when they told him the extent of the danger from the Covenant.
* Fran learned to ride a horse around four or five.
* The Healys never bring the mice to Otter Lake. The mice wouldn't understand how many predators are in the woods.

## Quotes

* "That'll be her mate calling her back to him. They tend to get restless when they're separated for long periods of time." -Jonathan
	+ "Oh, so you learned about women from lake monsters, did you? That explains an awful lot, you know." -Fran
* "I've been petting a dinosaur. A real dinosaur, that's still alive, and I petted it." -Fran
* "You shouldn't call me 'city boy' when we're sitting in the middle of the wilderness, trying to catch fish for our dinner. It's a contradiction." - Jonathan
* "Don't kill her, dear, it would be incredibly messy and I don't feel like trying to hide the evidence." -Jonathan
* "How do we know you're the Healys?" -Eloise
	+ "Because no one's stupid enough to pretend to be us." -Fran
	+ "Blunt, but accurate." -Jonathan, wincing
* "[The lake monsters] are my family. You're just someone who happens to be related to me." -Herbert Wilson