Spotting Dottie by Gail Anderson-Dargatz

Author:Gail Anderson-Dargatz [Anderson-Dargatz, Gail]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459834842
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2024-04-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

As soon as Mom drives away to go grocery shopping, I leave a note on the kitchen table to say we’re out on the lake. Then Grandma and I throw our gear into the boat and push off. Our plan is to head to Dungeon Island. But even though it’s still early in the day, we’re not the only ones out on the water. In fact, there are way more boats than usual, especially for this time of day.

“What’s going on?” I ask Grandma. “Is there some kind of fishing derby?”

Grandma slows, then turns off the engine as we take a closer look. Many of the boats are just sitting in the water. But the people in them aren’t fishing. They’re scanning the water through binoculars and taking images with their cell phones. And most of the boats are gathered in the bay right where I took the video.

“They’re looking for Dottie,” I say. Like we are. “Are all these people here because I posted the video?”

“I’m afraid so,” Grandma says. “But I doubt the creature is in that bay now. This many boats would have scared her away.”

One of the women in a nearby boat points at us. “Is that Dottie Donna?”

“And Dottie Lottie!” the man with her cries. “Where’s your boyfriend, Dottie Scotty?”

Other boaters hear and turn to look. I pull my hood over my head.

“Hey,” one of them calls out. “Where’s the best place to see Dottie? Should we just hang out here in this bay?”

“Let’s get out of here,” I say to Grandma.

She fires up the engine.

But when we speed away, a few of the others start their boats and follow. “Why are they chasing us?” I ask, raising my voice over the noise of the engine.

“I imagine they think we’ll lead them to Dottie.”

“We’ve got to lose them,” I say.

“Hold on!”

I grab the side of the boat as she races down the shoreline. The other boats are as fast, but the drivers don’t know the lake like Grandma does. She’s lived here her whole life. Once we’re just past a rocky outcropping, she pulls a sharp turn back to the shoreline. Then she tucks the boat behind some large rocks, hiding us. The other boaters zip right past.

“We’ll lie low for a few minutes,” Grandma says. “When we’re sure no one is following, we’ll head back out to the island.”

“I don’t think we’re going to find the monster,” I say. “With all those boats on the water…”

“The noise may well scare off Dottie,” Grandma says. “It must be terrifying for the creature. All those propellers.”

“I never thought of that before,” I say. “How Dottie would be scared of humans.” I only thought about how scared I would be if the creature swam in the water below me.

“Human activity is very dangerous for any animal living in the water,” Grandma says. “I’ve often thought I should have kept quiet about my sightings of Dottie. After seeing all these boaters out here looking for her, I’m sure of it.

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