Family

The backyard of Uncle Donnie’s house was a riot of food and music and loud voices. A bonfire burned in the middle, lighting up the yard as the sky turned dark and the moon came out fat and full, as tables full of Scottish delights sat near the barn, none of which Eric particularly wanted to touch.

“So, this is haggis,” Eric said, looking at a large tray full of the noxious looking food.

“Yup,” Fiona said, nodding beside him, arms crossed over her chest.

“Is it actually…” Eric asked, tilting his head as if another angle would cause the dish to make sense.

“Sheep stomach stuffed with fun little bits. An acquired taste,” Fiona said.

“And you’re sure you’re more human than alien creature?” Eric asked, earning him a swift flick to his ear. “Yowch! Okay, deserved!”

“Damn right it was,” Fiona said, the glow of the fire in the center of the party matching her hair, making her silhouette stand out against the dark tree line and dark sky above. Eric could see, though, a bit of green scales poking out from her collar.

“Did you skip your medicine today?” Eric asked, motioning towards the patch of scales.

“No. Its not working well anymore,” Fiona said, looking away from him.

“What’s even in the medicine? It can’t be worse than the haggis,” Eric said.

“Well, the key ingredient is water from Loch Ness. There’s various herbs, secret things which my mom hasn’t taught me. I think some of the plants are only grown by us,” Fiona said.

“Like…alien plants?” Eric asked.

“Mmmhmmm,” Fiona nodded. She gestured towards her extended family gathered in Uncle Donnie’s backyard, at least seventeen families, some with young daughters, some with women in their early 20s, old mingling with young, no mother with more than two, and all with slight patches of scales beginning to appear on their skin. “Look at them. The whole clan. We don’t even know the original name of our family, since all of our members are women. But we have kept this secret for hundreds of years, passing the stories and ways down. Alien plants, grown for our family, how to stave off the change, living with the secret. It feels like a cult sometimes, but…I wouldn’t trade this for anything.”

Fiona looked over and saw Eric staring intently at a man eating the haggis, a confused look on his face.

“Have you been watching a guy eat sheep guts instead of listening to me pour my heart out?!” Fiona yelled into Eric’s face.

“No! Not at all! But…God, look at it! It’s weird!” Eric said. Fiona actually smiled, shaking her head.

“Idiot,” she said through her grin. “You know, there’s something else about this family. All the men here chose to stand with us, to help us, even if it gets hard or weird. Generations of strong, good men.” She nudged him gently in the side. “Hope you feel honored, loser.”

“Like I’d let you turn into a monster by yourself,” Eric said. Fiona’s grin faltered a bit.

“Eric…there is a chance it could happen,” Fiona said.

“What could?” Eric asked.

“Me going all the way. The medicine, it helps but…okay, you know how sea turtles have this instinct to go to the ocean when they’re born? Well we have kind of an instinct too. To come back here. To…to let the scales happen. To change. To…we call it becoming locked. If we go all the way, the waters of Loch Ness won’t work anymore. It happens from time to time. It’s why we only tell one person. They have to be strong enough to keep us human. To give us a reason to WANT to stay human.”

“Wait, you mean some of your relatives are in the lake right now?” Eric asked, incredulity creeping into his voice.

“No, actually. They should be. But they aren’t. It’s why the legend of the Loch Ness Monster exists. Sometimes one of us becomes locked, swims around for a bit and then is…gone. Poof. Vanished, defying all logic,” Fiona closed her eyes, fighting against the thought.

“Think all of it has something to do with, you know…” Eric asked hesitantly, tapping Fiona’s forehead.

“The voice in the dream? Yeah. I do,” Fiona said. “And why the medicine isn’t working.”

“No matter what it is, I’ve got your back,” Eric said, putting his arm around Fiona’s shoulder. She looked up into his eyes, the eyes of a best friend who would never leave her.

As their eyes locked, their words slowing, Eric was pulled away violently by Mickey and Uncle Donnie. “Aye, there, lad! No getting stars in your eyes for a young lad like you! It’s time to join us men for a few games!” Uncle Donnie said.

“Am I being kidnapped?” Eric asked as he hung between the men’s arms.

“You’ll be more than kidnapped if you keep looking at my little girl like a star struck lover,” Mickey said, his fatherly side warring with his fun loving side. “Come on, Eric! Time to initiate you!”

“Have you two been drinking tainted whiskey?” Eric asked.

“YES!” both men shouted, depositing Eric in front of a large log surrounded by the men of the family, cheering Eric on. One elderly man with a sweater thicker than a winter storm stepped forward. His speech was full of grunts and things which Eric thought might be words.

“Um…was he speaking English?” Eric asked.

“Scottish, actually!” Mickey said.

“So…was he speaking English?” Eric asked again.

“Oh, don’t mind old Angus! Accent thicker than a sheep’s wool, it is!” Uncle Donnie said with a laugh.

“His name is not Angus!” Eric said, incredulously staring at the stereotype brought to life before him.

“Listen up! This game is simple! You pick up this caber and toss it as far as you can!” Uncle Donnie said, gesturing towards the log.

“Pick up a log and throw it? You do know electricity exists, right?” Eric said. The crowd laughed and started chanting for the American boy. He looked around, then saw Fiona joining un the cheering.

“Lift the log, skinny armed noodle boy!” Fiona shouted.

“I’ll show you noodle boy, you red headed ferret…” Eric muttered, a grin on his face as he hefted up the log. His arms strained, his legs buckled, the wood cold and harsh in his hands, but as Fiona’s cheers rose above the rest of the crowd, he moved forward and threw. The men and women shouted for him as the caber flew, the family embracing him. Moving mountains would have to wait. He was starting with the damn log.