The Man Who Rode Champ, Part I

If you’ve been to north New York, or the western side of Vermont, you might’ve head of a sea monster, the vast Lake Champlain is his haunt. The locals all call him ‘Champy,’ not to dissimilar to Loch Ness, many folks claim they have seen Champ rising up from the chilly depths. Now I once thought Champy was just a bit of local folklore, until the day when my friend Pat invited me down to the shore. He had himself a fine speed boat, soon enough we were on our way, I expected a bit of fun tubing and skiing on the lake. But Pat had brought a big, thick rope, and a bucket that truly reeked, we motored to open water, when Pat stopped the boat, and did speak: “You know how I love my cryptids, and that I saw Champy way back, I have discovered, by hard research, what the beast prefers for a snack. “That bucket has rotted lampreys, we’ll drag them by the boat as a lure, once Champy gets the scent of them, he’ll come up to our boat for sure!” I though my friend was a mad-man, as he set about his strange work, we dragged a line for ten minutes, then the whole boat began to jerk! Pat slowed the boat down to a crawl, and a Plesiosaur emerged! One of the lampeys hid a hook, the ancient beast loved unnerved. “You need to drive the boat, my friend,” said Pat as he undid the line, then he leapt onto Chamy’s back! Had the crazy fool lost his mind?! The massive beast did try to dive, but Pat just pooled back on the hook, Champy abandoned thoughts of escape, just one pull was all that it took! Then Pat pulled the line to the right, and great Champy began to swim. I gunned the engine to follow, but could barely keep up with him. He drove Champ like a chariot, gliding swiftly across the waves, stunned boaters looked on as he went, all too shocked to know what to say. I drove, but in one hand I filmed, recording this forever more, because what could be more bad-ass then saddling a damn Plesiosaur! CONCLUDES IN PART II.