1Okay, only one more chapter to go after this.
Sally couldn't help but laugh to herself as she started towards town. She'd barely pecked him, just brushed her lips to his, but Lock had turned the color of her hair. One of her obligations met, the future Pumpkin Queen had one more stop to make.
"Hello?", Sally called. She didn't shout. The water amplified her voice enough to be heard. After waiting several minutes with no reply, Sally knelt down by the lake side, placing her basket beside her. She patted the green, liquid surface, causing small ripples. At last, the Fishgal surfaced, somewhat startled.
"Sally? I wouldn't have thought it was you. You're rarely by the lake alone."
"Did you give Dr. Finklestein the heart?", Sally asked. The creature blinked slowly.
"Why would you think such a thing?", she asked.
"The doctor said that the heart was bloated from water. I just thought that maybe..." She fell silent for a moment, then tried again. "Did you?"
"You are a little bit smart, aren't you? I was right about that.", the Fishgal declared.
"Thank you for what you did.", Sally said. She looked down into her lap. "Thank you so much. We didn't know what we were going to - "
The creature stopped her.
"It isn't an impossible thing for me, you know. Such things end up in lakes and rivers, you have no idea. I found a head last November. That was a lucky day. I told everyone about it."
"Thank you.", Sally said again, this time looking up. She moved to touch the Fishgal's transparent hand, but held back, sensing that despite it all, they were not that close just yet. Fishgal spoke again:
"I'll bet you want to ask why I helped you. The witches don't know that I did. They could have helped if they had wanted to. Magic can do a great deal. It would have been less work for them even than it was for me. But...", she lowered her voice and leaned in. Sally pressed forward over her knees. The Fishgal continued:
"There are some who were happy to let the old man take you, just so that Jack would remain alone. I however, want Jack to be happy. He won't ever be happy if he's not with you, so...there you are." Finishing this statement, she pulled back with a firm nod. Sally sat up again.
"I see. You're a good friend to Jack. I'm glad."
"I'm a good friend, yes, but you're much more, and he needs you."
"I love him more than anything. I hope you know that. It isn't about becoming the queen, or living in his house, or any of those things that people say."
"I'm certain that's true.", said the Fishgal, her strange voice matter-of-fact. "I've seen you two here by the lake."
"Ooh.", Sally breathed. She looked down once more, her cheeks growing warm. It would seem that the lakeside was not the best choice for private canoodling.