THIRD PERSON
"Hey, mom," Alice said, the evening still. "Could you take a picture of me with your Polaroid? Y'know, the one you got for Christmas."
"Sure, honey," Alice's mother replied, leaving to her office. She returned a short while later, clutching a blue Polaroid between her hands. Alice stood in front of the kitchen bench, near the drying dishes. Her mother asked, "Why?"
"Just want to," Alice answered, plastering on a small smile. Her grey scarf fell past her shoulders. Her mom clicked the button on the Polaroid, and a brief flash occurred. Alice heard the Polaroid's engines whirring, and the picture being printed out. Alice's mom held out the picture for her daughter; she grabbed it. Alice smiled. "Thanks mom!" Then she exited the room, her faulty leg slowing her down.
"You are a funny one sometimes, Alice." Alice's mother sighed, shaking her head.
ALICE
Fierce Fox was waving her shiny, blue Lighting Staff item nearby Amelia when I approached her on Home Island.
"Got you a present." I said, as I handed her the photo.
"Who's this?" Fierce Fox asked. She was observing it with wide eyes. "Are those... Thumbs? What's that on her leg?"
"That's me," I answered, with a bit of dry tone. "Yes, those are thumbs. That thing on my leg is what keeps me stable and walking properly. Without it I'd fall over, which I do quite often." I felt my throat grow dry as mocking voices echoed in my head.
"Greetings, Alice and Fierce Fox!" Amelia came over to say hello. "What are you looking at?"
"Nothing." I said, taking the picture out of sight.
"Ah, so I hear you're part of a prophecy," Amelia commented brightly, as if being part of some prophecy where villains constantly try to abduct or kill you is a good thing. "Is it going well?"
"Could be better," I answered. "I mean, I could tell you that I nearly died a few times, but I don't wanna scare you. Oh, wait..." I shook my head, as my friends laughed.
"Have you seen this flyer?" a man with a brown beard asked, handing us a flyer. I gave him a nod, then Fierce Fox and I headed to these rich people's houses. They're these grand, stone buildings, almost like castles. Especially with the thick, brass gates in front.
"Go to that tree over there," I ordered Fierce Fox. "And there'll be five bucks in it. Grab it, go to the grocery store, and buy the Sports Nectar drink. Then, give it to that gardener over there and get his gardening shears. I'll be near the lighthouse area." Fierce Fox nodded, and ran off to do such things. Meanwhile, I exited the rich people's area, went through the town (which is sort of similar to Counterfeit Island, at least in my opinion). I arrived at a grassy area, which leads to a port with a big lighthouse.
"Loch Ness, here I come!" an adventurer in a blimp cried, as he soared into the brilliant blue sky. I passed a few people holding kites, a metal fence and floating chairs. I got to the rocky port, right next to the lighthouse. A lady with a fire-coloured hang glider was standing there. I pushed her off, and somehow, she bobbed up and down and left the scene. I leaped onto a shed's roof, which is connected to the lighthouse. I waited until I saw Fierce Fox.
A hot air balloon rider's rope was attached to the roof. So, using the gardening shears from Fierce Fox, I cut him off, and he flew off into the sky. The rope landed in my inventory; I faintly grinned. I led Fierce Fox past all the people, and didn't stop running until we got to a small shop called Kitty's Kites, which has little, colourful, paper windmills on the roof; large, glass windows; blue, wood, walls. We entered, and I took a moment to gaze at the magnificent kites, from the small to the big.
Finally, to the clerk, I asked, "Is this nylon rope strong enough for the Kitesurfer X250? And also, does it cater for two people?"
I clung onto Fierce Fox's red hair as we leaped over the crashing waves. Fear was making my heart race, and sweat was loosening my grip. But I clutched on anyway, not willing to let go. To be honest, it got kind of fun after a while, soaring over the waves. That was until Gretchen Grimlock showed up, in her shiny, pink speedboat.
"Well well well!" she cackled. "It's that hero everyone's been talking about!" I frowned at her slicked back, rose-pink hair, which has a white dash in it. She wears pink sunglasses, and a half-white, half-pink t-shirt. Gretchen laughed. "Hero or non-hero, you're not going to take my prize money! Have a nice swim!"
"Brace yourself!" I whispered to Fierce Fox. Gretchen Grimlock launched a fireball at our kite; it exploded into flames. We sunk into the sea, though surprisingly I could breath (yet again, I don't understand Poptropican physics). That was until a helicopter showed up. Then everything went black.
For a moment I thought I'd died. Then, logic kicked in and I realized I wasn't dead. Instead, I was lying on a green bed, my head on a fluffy white pillow. Plain wallpaper was near me, as well as a desk with two glasses of water. Fierce Fox was next to me, a sick expression on her face.
"What happened?" Fierce Fox asked, her voice drained.
"Gretchen Grimlock sabotaged us." I answered, feeling oddly drained myself.
"Correct," a voice said nearby us. It belonged to Mr. Mews, a very rich Poptropican. He wears probably what a news reporter mixed with Sherlock Holmes would wear, including a trilby hat and a tie. He has grey hair under his hat, and a grey mustache. "She's a ruthless fortune hunter."
"And she's after the prize money, too." Fierce Fox sighed, barely moving.
"And you," Mr. Mews said, facing me. "Any form of prize she'll be after. She'll cheat, steal and lie to get it."
"Oh, great," I mumbled, with a scowl. "Another villain's going after me."
"We have much to discuss," concluded Mr. Mews, heading to the door. "Please join me in the foyer when you're feeling better." With that, he exited the room.
"Pass me a glass of water, please." I politely asked Fierce Fox. She did such thing, and I drank the cup. I felt a huge rush of energy run through my body, as if I had just had my mom's coffee shots (she worked part time as a barista). Fierce Fox had the same sensation, and then we paraded out the room. We climbed down Mr. Mews' luxurious staircase, in his grand, wooden mansion: really shows off how rich he is. I gazed at the various statues and paintings, including one of a dodo bird. Eventually, we got to the Cryptids museum.
We climbed down more fancy stairs, arriving to a split section- the lab and the museum. We walked into the museum, which is full of separate, small levels, devoted to a particular cryptid. In the middle, there's a tank, containing a giant squid (which creeps me out a little). The first section is Bigfoot.
"Ready to watch some videos?" I asked Fierce Fox. She nodded, and I pressed play on a tab in the Bigfoot section. After watching six or so minutes worth of videos, Mr. Mews arrived at the entrance of the museum. The two of us headed over to him.
"I have been fascinated with the study of cryptids since I was a child," he explained. "The giant squid has given me hope. If that creature exists, then perhaps other legendary beasts do too."
"We'll find the Cryptids for you." I said boldly, passing a wink to Fierce Fox.
"Excellent!" Mr. Mews exclaimed brightly. "If you find any evidence, please bring it back to the lab. The helicopter is outside." We turned to exit, when Mr. Mews grabbed my shoulder. "And do be careful, chosen one. I'm sure Gretchen Grimlock isn't the only one after you."
The helicopter landed on a dock in Loch Ness, Scotland. The sky is stormy and cloudy, and the air smells like the sea. Fierce Fox and I ran across the sand, passing the rocky terrain. A guy was standing next to his mini truck, which was stuck under a bridge. I took the air out of the tires, and in return the guy gave me a 'monster' camera.
We continued along the dirt path, passing some bushes, until we got to the 'Nessie Pub'. It's made of old bricks, with red doors and a flat red roof. Inside smells like Whiskey so strong my mom's coffee shots look like water. There's actual whiskey from the wooden bar. It also has golden taps, and shelves of baked goods. We passed that bar- me picking up some matches on the table- and came to a table at the back, which had two Scottish guys, and another near a darts game.
"What do you know about the Loch Ness monster?" I asked the guy near the darts. He has orange hair like Amelia, and unlike Amelia, a beard and glasses.
"I know loads about Nessie!" he cried. Then he examined me closer. "Huh, your face looks familiar... I've seen it somewhere. Perhaps we can discuss it o'er a game of darts."
"Alright, but you have to give us your rowboat ticket." I said, furrowing my brow.
"How do you know I have a boat ticket, lass?" the Scottish guy questioned. "Oh well. You're on!" Of course, the screen went to Fierce Fox. I helped her aim the crappy darts we received at the dartboard, although it was not simple. Admittedly we lost a few times, but that didn't surprise me since I'm no professional at darts. Thank Poptropican logic, because we could play over and over again, and when we finally won, the Scottish guy acted like we bet him the first time round.
We got some new darts, as the Scottish dude exasperated, "Bah! It's these no good darts. They couldn't hit the side of a barn from ten centimeters." He stormed off after giving us the rowboat ticket.
"Go on the rowboat," I instructed Fierce Fox, handing her the ticket. "On there, take a photo with the 'monster' camera, then return to Mews mansion, talk to Mr. Mews and come back. I've got some more darts to play." Fierce Fox nodded. I faced the two other Scottish guys, who were conversing Nessie.
"I saw the beastie as clearly as I'm looking at you!" the first Scottish guy, who has a blue cap and a grey, wispy beard cried, staring at me. "I was scuba-diving in the locks."
"Ha! You're just as daft as all those tourists." the second one retorted, who has a cap and pale skin.
"It's true! I was diving near Cherry Island." the first one said, with desperation.
"Prove it!" the second guy snorted.
"I can prove it," I spoke up, facing the second guy. "But I'll need that sub ticket."
"How do you know 'bout the ticket?" the second one asked, studying my face. "Hmm… lass, you ring a bell. But if you want to win my ticket, you first need to win a game." A darts board popped in front of my face. Very terribly, I chucked a dart, getting a five. The guy got a fifty. My next try, I got twenty, and he got two. On my last go, I got lucky and earned thirty, while he got two yet again.
The Scottish dude nodded, handing me the ticket. "Enjoy yourself, but you're wasting your time. There's nothing out there but minnows." I walked past him to the door, where I found Fierce Fox.
"Hello," I said, holding out the ticket. "You get to go on more Nessie hunts. Go on this submarine thing. Search until you find 'Nessie', and take a picture. Then come back here, and show the pub guys your picture." Fierce Fox gave me a salute and headed off. I returned to the pub's interior and hung around the Scottish guys for a bit, until Fierce Fox returned.
"I've got a photo of Nessie!" Fierce Fox called, racing over to us. She faced Scottish guy #2. "Just where your friend says he spotted it."
"That's a movie prop that sunk to the bottom of the lake." I said, before I could stop myself.
"This girl knows everything!" the second dude laughed. "True. She's right," He gestured to a newspaper clipping on a wall. "Here, take these darts as a souvenir for no hard feelin's, kid."
"Let's go." I sighed melodramatically, with a wink at my partner. We headed towards the door, when the orange-bearded Scottish guy stopped us.
"Hold it right there," he growled. "I want a rematch."
"No thanks." replied Fierce Fox.
"I'll make it worth your while. If you beat me again, I'll give you something that will help you find Nessie- guaranteed!" the bearded guy cried, with a grin. Fierce Fox took the bait, naturally. And so, we played another stupid darts game (it was far easier than the others, thanks to the darts) and we won on the second round. The Scottish dude accused us of cheating (which failed) so he stormed off. The barman, feeling sympathetic, handed us a penny whistle.
We headed to the docks, stopping at a little, wooden rowboat named 'Lil' Ness'. The guy there had tricked Fierce Fox, so she threatened to call the cops on him. He didn't like the sound of that, so he fled. Fierce Fox and I took his place in the boat, and sailed across the pale, blue water. We came to a swamp-like area, surrounded by trees and rocks. Carefully, I took the penny whistle out and played a tune, even though I can't play any instruments.
The water bubbled in a little circle. A dragon-like head popped out, followed by a slimy green neck, and a broad, dinosaur-like body. It was none other than Nessie, the magnificent cryptid. A little bit stunned, I took out the camera and snapped a photo, earning the perfect evidence for Mr. Mews.
I would've loved to split up to complete the island faster, but all the 'don't split up' warnings kept resurfacing in my mind, so we stuck together (we did split up before, but not for too long). Our next destination was the Himalayas, which I'd learned about in school. They're rocky slopes covered with snow, like slices of cake. Icy clouds fill the background, as well as pale skies. Fierce Fox and I climbed up a few slopes. A Sherpa dude was there, and led us to the top of the mountain.
We arrived at a temple, which has huge, red, decorated doors. We pushed through those and headed into what appears to be taken from old Japan. There are dragon statues; literally hundreds of candles; flower tapestries on the crumbling walls; a section at the front, where the Yeti skull is kept. Unfortunately, the monks wouldn't let us have it, but they did give us a lantern.
We completed a little game with a monk, and scaled further up the mountain, until we arrived at a 'Yeti track'. I snapped a picture, then we climbed down the mountain to the helicopter. We flew back to Mews mansion. We confirmed the Loch Ness monster's existence, and also discovered that the Yeti Track was a hoax and we shouldn't go back to the Himalayas (didn't surprise me for obvious reasons).
As it was Winter in my world, going to a sunny place like Puerto Rico (and since we'd just visited the icy Himalayas) was going to be most enjoyable. Except for the Chupacabra. That wasn't so enjoyable. Anyway, we landed in the bushy, humid land of Puerto Rico. There are small, wooden houses, surrounded by Summery bushland, and lots of farms.
"All these fortune hunters are scaring away our goats!" a Mexican guy exasperated to us. "If they wander into the open country, the Chupacabra will get them." We passed him, and padded over the dirt road. My body temperature didn't feel any hotter, despite me wearing a scarf. A guy, who'd 'crash-landed' in a tree was sticking around, as well as another Mexican guy.
"We're not afraid to find the Chupacabra." I said (not very courageously) to the Mexican dude, who's called Mucho.
"I guess I can't stop you," Mucho replied, his bushy, brown mustache twitching. "You can borrow my jeep if you want." He gestured to his jeep. "While you're out there, can you deliver some seed to my brother? His farm is north of here." I gave him a nod, and Fierce Fox and I climbed into the jeep, and drove- no, scratch that- skidded all over the place to the farm. Basically, it felt like driving an out-of-control dodgem car in the middle of the Amazon. Really fun.
After that treacherous journey, we got to Mucho's brother's farm, which is a little farm with a few animals and a wire fence. However, it looks a little vandalized; some of the wires have holes, and the hen house looks like it has seen better days.
"My brother Mucho is nice. Thank you for delivering the seeds to me." Mucho's brother said favorably. He has the same structured face and skin colour as his brother, but lacks the facial hair. I gave him a nod, while grabbing a piece of unidentified fur from a fence. Fierce Fox and I returned to the 'Jeep of Death', and drove back to Mucho's place.
In order for the plot to move along, we had to revisit Mews' Mansion to do some lab testing, despite me knowing that the fur we found was nothing but simple coyote fur. Yet again, I wasn't surprised with the results, and we were easily able to return to Puerto Rico. Mucho was ticked off when we arrived.
"I've had enough of that no-good Chupacabra! I'm going to trap it!" he exasperated, with finality. It was pretty bad idea in my opinion (and it wouldn't prevail anyway), because the Chupacabra looks like something that crawled out of my nightmares, as well as the Jersey Devil. Regardless of that vacuous idea, we progressed with the plan. The plan involved forcing three innocent goats into a rock formation, triggering my sympathy.
Before we went ahead with the 'capturing the Chupacabra plan', we had to make a stop at a farm to pick up some bolt cutters. After that was completed, we drove to the area nearby the poor goats, and parked. Mucho was waiting near the goats, which were part of a box trap with large chains.
"My brother told me you were headed this way," Mucho said, nearing a bush. "I've come to help."
"Thanks." Fierce Fox replied, though I wasn't looking forward to seeing the Chupacabra.
"I've got the trap all set. Now, let's hide behind these bushes." Mucho finished, leaping behind a bush. I raced after him, Fierce Fox on my heels. We crouched down. After a few suspenseful seconds, we heard a loud 'THUMP'!
"You go check," I said to Fierce Fox, shivering. "Better me than you." Fierce Fox gave me a look, but went to see the Chupacabra anyway. I heard what sounded like an explosion, and something horrifying and blue passed me. I slipped out the bush and crept up to Fierce Fox, who was knocked out. In front of her was a Chupacabra tooth, which I picked up. I shook Fierce Fox's shoulders; she immediately got to her feet. "Let's scram," I sighed. "We've been here long enough."
After proving the Chupacabra's existence, we flew over to New Jersey. New Jersey's sky is cool and black, shining over the motorway we landed nearby, as well as a gas station. New Jersey is probably the least appealing place we visited (especially the gas station bathroom), and also the most frightening, due to the Jersey Devil (whom I really didn't want to see). But for the sake of the island, we had to.
We dug through a dumpster, until we found a bathroom door. It flew into Fierce Fox's inventory. It matched the door in the gas station bathroom, and created a message, which Fierce Fox wrote down. Then, after rescuing my friend the hang-glider girl from a tree, we climbed onto a motorbike, that was just waiting for us. (Don't ask me why someone would leave a motorbike out like that, but yet again, this is Poptropica.) We headed into the deep, dark forest.
I clung onto Fierce Fox, as the motorbike drove past the thick trees, the only light coming from the bike. I shouted directions, as we passed over a cleft, then a river, the breeze flowing through my hair. We ended up getting a bit lost (oops), but eventually we found the right area to search for the Jersey Devil. Fierce Fox parked the bike, and I brought out the lantern from the Himalayas. Ahead of us is a stone gate which has metal bars and a lock, with the face of the Jersey Devil.
We passed through the gate and some creepy trees, sending shivers down my spine. An abandoned cobblestone and wooden house is ahead; naturally we entered it. Inside, the walls are peeling with dirty grey stains. They're not much better than the windows, which have torn curtains; the creaky floor; gazillions of cobwebs. We climbed the wooden, dusty stairs, getting to a drawer, when we heard a thump above.
"It's just a raccoon," I said reassuringly. "I'll deal with it, and you can deal with the Jersey Devil. Wait here for now." Fierce Fox shivered, but it was like I wanted to deal with that nightmare-fuel cryptid. I shoved the drawer to the back wall, then leaped up to the attic. I took slow steps through the ancient attic. The thumping noise continued. I approached it; it was coming from a barrel. Something with glowing red eyes popped out; thankfully it was just the raccoon. Behind it was a grappling hook, so I grabbed that. I exited the attic, still carrying the lantern, and handed it to Fierce Fox.
She led us back down the stairs, though my eyes were shut tight. I heard her screams as we passed the Jersey Devil in the window, and kept them shut outside, hearing the Jersey Devil's flapping wings. I opened my eyes after a few 'safety' seconds, before bringing out my grappling hook. In front of me is a tall, lean tree. I handed the grappling hook to Fierce Fox, and explained what to do. She nodded, and accurately chucked the grappling hook to the top. She'd have no problem winning the Poptropolis games, I thought.
Once Fierce Fox grabbed some egg shells from the tree, we returned to the helicopter and flew back to Mews Mansion. We proved the existence of the Jersey Devil, and Mr. Mews exclaimed,
"I just received a report of a Bigfoot sighting in the Pacific Northwest! The location has been added to the helicopter computer."
We climbed back into the helicopter, and flew over to the Pacific Northwest. Immediately we spotted Bigfoot, hiding in a grassland with many bushes. We had to follow him, watching him run around, until eventually he went to his cave. Fierce Fox was about to tell Mr. Mews where he was, but I stopped her.
"Gretchen Grimlock is listening." I explained cautiously.
"How do you know?!" Gretchen Grimlock demanded, her face appearing on the helicopter's screen. Then she took a closer look at me. "Ah, it's you. Excellent."
"Begone, Gretchen Grimlock!" Mr. Mews growled, with a frown. "You won't have the prophesied hero or Bigfoot!"
"You idiot!" Gretchen Grimlock cackled. "I'll have both! Immorality and millions! HA HA HA!"
"'Immortality'?" I questioned, raising my brow. "What do you mean, 'immortality'?"
"Like I'd tell you!" Gretchen Grimlock sneered, with a sly grin. Her helicopter appeared in the distance, shimmering pink, with whirring blades. "Now, it's time to claim my prizes!"
"You must save Bigfoot!" Mr. Mews persisted. "And yourself, hero!"
"TOO LATE!" Gretchen Grimlock cackled, dropping spies onto our helicopter, who were coming to get me. Meanwhile, her helicopter went to capture Bigfoot.
"Go and save Bigfoot, and take the fuel out of Gretchen's helicopter," I said to Fierce Fox, handing her the gardening shears. "I'll deal with these guys… if I can," While Fierce Fox leaped out the helicopter, the guards broke in, and cornered me. I turned to the driver in the driver's cabin. "Help!"
"Never," he replied, through a speaker. "I'm not on your side. I called Gretchen here, and I was watching you the whole time. Gretchen agreed to split the prize with me, so sorry, I'm not helping you."
"You've gotta be kidding me…" I grumbled, as the guards reached out to grab me. The driver entered the room, and handed the guards a taser each. I gulped. They held their tasers up, and pressed the triggers. Thank Poptropican physics, because somehow I managed to dodge them. I headed to the helicopter's open door, realizing I either jump out or get shot by tasers.
"You're coming with us." one guard said gruffly, stepping towards me.
"Sorry to jump out of your plans." I replied. Then I leaped out.
I closed my eyes, pretty much internally screaming and getting the feeling that I was going to die, as the wind rushed around me, capturing me in a ball. I was so terrified I couldn't even scold myself for being so foolish. Then, strangely, I landed on something that felt like nylon. I slipped off it; my butt smashed onto something hard and metal.
"Alice!" Fierce Fox exclaimed, helping me up. "You're alive!"
"CURSE YOU, PROPHESIED HERO!" Gretchen Grimlock yelled, as her helicopter slowed down, and began to malfunction. "I WILL HAVE REVENGE ONE DAY!"
"Great," I mumbled. "Another villain that wants vengeance on me." That's when I realized I was standing on a floating cage, which contained Bigfoot.
"At least you didn't die." Fierce Fox said, with a grin.
"Right!" I cried. "That was the luckiest fall I've ever had. Explain physics to me again." Fierce Fox and I laughed after that comment.
"I don't need the million bucks," Fierce Fox said to Mr. Mews. "Use it to help Bigfoot instead."
"What a generous person you are!" Mr. Mews cried gleefully at Fierce Fox. He turned to me. "And I'm glad you escaped too. Goodness knows what would've happened if Gretchen caught you."
"I'm not sure I want to know," I replied, shivering. "She said something about immortality. What does that mean?"
"I'm not the right person to ask, unfortunately," Mr. Mews answered, shaking his head. "I guess you'll have to find out for yourself." I nodded, getting that angsty feeling again, as Fierce Fox received her medallion.