By Yon Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond

The water of the loch glistened in the moonlight as they glided through it with ease. Chris could see stars all around him, and it was like a dream. The cool, clean air rushed across his face, awakening his senses and filling him with the feeling of freedom—a kind he had never felt before. It cleared his mind. He took a deep breath, and his lungs tingled with an energy he had never felt before. It was as if the weight of the world and the stress of his job were gone. For the first time in years, he was calm enough that he could enjoy the moment. The night ride across the loch was wonderful for Chris, but as they approached the isle he sensed that things here were different. The clear sky vanished into a mist that fell from the sky and hovered over the water of the loch. The cool breeze went still, and the calm waters began to roll outward toward the tiny ship, causing it to rock. The air became heavy and hard to breath, and Chris suddenly felt a dampness rush over him. “The veil,” the boatman whispered with a frightened tone. Chris looked up into the sky. The mist seemed to go on up into the heavens, and for a moment he wanted to turn back. But before he could signal to the man to turn around, they where already heading into the veil. Chris became enveloped by it, and it felt like a sudden flash of chilly vapor. His body shivered for a second. It was as if time had stopped and he was trapped within the mist. He glanced around and saw a bright white light that flashed intensely and then fell away as they broke free of the mist and headed toward the shore of the tiny island. Near the shore they found a small dock that they could pull up to. Once there, the boatman tied up the canoe and quickly threw all of Chris’s luggage onto the land. “All the best with ya,” the boatman remarked as he untied the canoe from the dock. “Whoa there, where are you going? Aren’t you going to stay with me? I mean, how am I to get back to the hotel?” Chris asked. “You have a phone, I’ve seen it. Call me at this land line and I’ll come back for you.” The man reply handed Chris a scrap of paper with a number scribbled on it. Chris looked at the paper and then placed it in his pocket. He stood there as the man drove the canoe out of sight. Holy crap, what have I gotten myself into now? Chris rubbed his head in frustration. He was alone in the dark on an island he had never been to before, and he couldn’t quite understand why it had been so important for him to be there. Why couldn’t it have waited till the morning when he could actually see and get some work done? But no, his boss wanted him there now, so there he was, and all he wanted to do was sleep. Chris thought for a moment and remembered his boss mentioning there was supposed to be an old castle on the island. And it was possible that the old castle might have some kind of structure for a man to bed down in and get some sleep until morning. So Chris grabbed his gear and desided to venture out in hopes of finding something he could use. It only took him a few steps before he discovered a path heading in one direction. The path led him into a thick forest. The moonlight was suddenly gone, so he took out his cell phone and used its small light to help him see. After a few moments, the cell phone light went out and he was once again in the dark. As the dark pressed in around him, he suddenly saw something in the distance. There was a faint flickering light not too far ahead of him on the path. His paced quickened, and after a few more moments the single flickering light broke apart into several smaller lights. The small lights slowly spread apart as he walked forward and they seemed to border the path he was walking on. He followed the lights and soon discovered that they were actually several crude lanterns that lined the path. They guided him to the center of a village. Chris strolled past a few well-kept wooden structures and entered the square. Looking around, he couldn’t believe his eyes. It was a perfectly kept town. Every detail was immaculate, from the fire lanterns to the handmade benches.