Page 93 of Bewitched By the Sea Monster
“No. It hasn’t. There’s still another chapter to cover the tense and awkward trip back home, which the irate boyfriend is probably gonna boot her out of?—”
“That won’t be the end,” Alistair said. “Only a-a p-p-plot twist. The girlthinksher story ends sad. But she hurts. For a little. And then finds her joy.”
I traced my fingers over the point in one of the scales, suddenly so flooded with affection, I felt buoyant—ready to slide off his head and float above the water.
It was his affection for me.
But also my fondness for him. This lovely, sad, sweet creature.
What a pair we made.
Two lost and lonely souls.
Except my lost and lonely feelings were all self-inflicted. I’d chosen the path that led me into my quagmire, and the only binds holding me there were the ones I created.
Alistair was imprisoned by outside forces. And it was heartbreaking.
He had so much heart and personality. He deserved so much better than to be isolated to this dinky little island full of vapidtourists. People who only ever saw him as a thing.Not the wonderful, charismatic being he was.
And I suddenly hatedthat I was sitting on his head. Able to feel him, but not able toseehim. Not able to make eye contact.
When I talked to people, I made eye contact.
Alistair should be treated the same way.
I rose to my feet.
“Pippi?” Alistair prodded.
“How cold is the water?”
A questioning ripple squiggled through him.
“I don’t like that I’m always talking over you.” I wiped at my nose. “I want to talktoyou. On level…well, I can’t saylevel ground.But y’know what I mean…do you?”
“I…think.” Alistair’s dry tone implied he didn’t understand one bit but was trying to humor me. “Are you sure you wish to be inthe water?”
“It seems c-calm,” this lie said, as I watched three janky waves break themselves over Alistair’s hide.
“It is. Calm,” Alistair said.
“Good. Yeah, I want to be in the water then. With you. Unless…” I peered over at the small, white-capped mounds of waves. “There’s nothing down there, right?”
“I’ve heard there’s a sea beast.”
His drizzling sarcasm teased a laugh out of me. “You don’t say?”
“He’s fuh-frrr-friendly.”
“Well, I hope so.”
“But he likes women. With red hair.”
“Oh, gee. Guess I’m toast, huh?”
We both burst out laughing.
“I should’ve clarified,” I said. “There’s nothingelsedown there, right? Besides your snarky tush? Niverwick isn’t, I dunno, hiding its next star attraction under the sea. Right?”
