"Melissa," Mom said in her serious voice, looking distraught. "I don't feel comfortable with this.....I'm not leaving you here. Richard, what do you think?"

"I think....I think that she should try. Mel is growing up, Debs. She needs some freedom," Dad said unsurely.

Mel beamed at her Dad and Gran put her arm around Mel's shoulders.

"Richard! We can't just leave Mel, a thirteen year old girl, here without us in a foreign country!" Mom gasped, whirling on her husband and speaking with quite the edge.

After taking her time dressing, Mel and her parents went back to Gran's house.
Mel was and wasn't looking forward to this visit. What if...What if she was right? Mel thought this over again and again in the car. She did wonder what they looked like, what they were like. What if they exsisted after all? Oh, that would be amazing!
Mel shook herself mentally. Stop it, Mel. Gran just needs a....uhmmm....Wake up call! Yeah. That's it, a wake up call, she told herself.

Mel plopped down on her hotel bed that night, questions running through her confused mind.
Why would Gran make up ridiculous lies like that? But what if she wasn't lying? What if the did see, or at least think she saw, the water horses? Mel grabbed her black hair and pulled on it. I really need to shut up and go to bed, she thought.
She tossed the blanket over her and closed her eyes, trying to sleep.

CHAPTER TWO