Tammas and the Nuckelavee

The road left Tammas nowhere to go.

On one side was the sea. On the other was a deep freshwater loch. Ahead of him, something enormous was moving steadily closer.

He could not leave the road, and he had heard that turning your back on an evil thing was the worst thing you could do.

So he kept walking towards it.

“The Lord be aboot me, an’ tak’ care o’ me, as I am oot on no evil intent this night!”

The shape ahead resolved into something worse than the stories.

Its lower body was like a great horse. Around its legs were flaps like fins. Its mouth was wide, and its breath came from it in heavy bursts. From the horse-like body rose the upper body of a man.

There was no skin.

Tammas could see pale flesh, dark blood and veins beneath the surface. Long arms hung from the human body. One red eye faced him as the distance between them narrowed.

He knew what it was.

The Nuckelavee.

Then Tammas remembered the one weakness attached to almost every story about it: fresh water.

He edged towards the loch.

His foot slipped into the water and sent a splash over the creature's leg.

The Nuckelavee recoiled.

Tammas ran.

Behind him the creature turned and followed.

A burn crossed the road ahead, carrying fresh water from the loch towards the sea. Tammas drove himself towards it with the Nuckelavee close behind.

He reached the bank and jumped.

The creature lunged at the same moment.

Tammas landed on the far side of the running water.

The Nuckelavee did not.

It had only managed to catch his bonnet.