Page 146 of Bewitched By the Sea Monster
“Yes.” I sighed and stared at the sloshing water beneath the rocks. “It feels wrong to say goodbye when I can’tseeyou.”
“Hmmm, it’s for the best. I turn into a beast. With the sun. Didn’t you know?”
I huffed.
“A huh-horrible, ugly beast. With big, ugly feet.”
“I hate to break it to ya, but your feet were ugly under moonlight too.”
He extruded a mock gasp. “Oh no. And I thought I’d…c-cast a spell. To make me seem dash-dashing to your eyes. Didn’t it work?”
Gosh, what a goofball.
“It worked,” I said, “a littletoowell.” I paused, chewing on my next words, hoping they wouldn’t hurt him too badly. “I think I love you, Alistair.”
Euphoria seeped into every core of my body, making my limbs feel light and springy, as though I could leap off the cliffs and soar to the sky. But sorrow followed, grinding into my bones, reminding them they belonged planted on the earth.
“I think I love you as well,” Alistair whispered.
“Then why…? I shouldstay.”
“No.”
“I can head to the lobby and ask for a job application. I?—”
“Go home, Pippi. Please. This…here…stayinghere…it’s not a life for you. I want you tolive.Please.”
“I don’t want to leave you here alone.”
“I’ll be okay. I promise.”
But he felt so sad.
All I wanted to do was hug him. Hold him. Protect him. Burrow myself into him and never come back out.
“They torture you here, Alistair,” I croaked.
“I’ll be okay, Pippi,” he repeated adamantly. “Please. Go. Live. For me.”
And there were so many other things I wanted to say.
I wanted to promise I’d see him again, even though I knew I’d never have the money to venture back out to the isle. I wanted to say I’d find a way to free him from the magic binding him here,even though that was a complete and utter pipe dream. Even if I understood how the magic worked, it wouldn’t do me a lick of good since I was a plain ole Standie.
I should have donemore. Dug into the mechanics of the isle. Verified if the other creatures suffered the same as him. Drilled the tourists to see if they knew how the main attractions were treated and raised the flag of awareness if they didn’t.
I should’ve helpedhim.
And I wanted to tell him all of that—to apologize for all the things I hadn’t done.
But he uttered a mournful, “Goodbye, Pippi.” And then his emotions left me.
He was gone, returned to the sea.
And I had no choice but to return to the land.
The cottage doorshouted an overdramaticeeeeeeeepinto the quiet foyer when I pushed it open.
I froze.
