Chapter 21: The Creature:
Pearl's POV:
We were all listening to Old Fish Gilbert's story of the Gillman.
"A Gillman is a creature that looks like a fish, but walks like a human," says Old Fish Gillbert, "they go after beautiful girls and take them for themselves."
"And what do they do with these beautiful girls," I asked.
"You don't want to know," says Old Fish Gillbert, "so beware of the Gillman..."
"Do you know any other story," asks Slippery.
"UUUUUUUUUhhhhhhhhh... there once was a fish from the Atlantic..."
. . .
We'd rather you didn't read that story.
"That Gillman sure sounds scary," says Slippery, "good thing I'm not a beautiful girl. But wait, you are!"
"Awe, that's sweet," I said.
"I meant what if the Gillman comes after you?"
"Please, kappas, sirens, demons, and ghosts are real, but not gillmen. Now, come on."
. . .
We were playing a prank on the General. We made dummies of the Kappas.
"Here he comes," says Slippery.
The General then comes and sees the dummies. He thinks they're real kappas and is prepared to fight, but he's fighting dummies.
Slippery and I were then laughing, but...
"Very amusing," says the General as he catches us.
"UUUUUUUUUhhhhhhhhh... hi," I said nervously.
"This was very amusing," says the General, "but sometimes, you have to be careful with how far a joke can go."
"Are pranks bad," asks Slippery.
"There's nothing wrong with a harmless prank," says the General, "but if it goes too far, who knows what could happen." The General then swims away.
"Do you think he's right," asks Slippery.
"Come on," I said, "it's just a joke." We then started swimming.
Pearl: You're feeling nervous, aren't you, boy?
With your quiet voice and impeccable style
Don't ever let them steal your joy
And your gentle ways
To keep 'em from running wild
They can kick dirt in your face
Dress you down, and tell you that your place
Is in the middle, when they hate the way you shine
I see you tugging on your shirt
Trying to hide inside of it
And hide how much it hurts
Let 'em laugh while they can
Let 'em spin, let 'em scatter in the wind
I have been to the movies, I've seen how it ends
And the joke's on them
You get discouraged, don't you, girl?
It's your brother's world for a while longer
We gotta dance with the devil on a river
To beat the stream
Call it living the dream, call it kicking the ladder
They come to kick dirt in your face
To call you weak and then displace you
After carrying your baby on your back across the desert
I saw your eyes behind your hair
And you're looking tired, but you don't look scared
Let 'em laugh while they can
Let 'em spin, let 'em scatter in the wind
I have been to the movies, I've seen how it ends
And the joke's on them
Let 'em laugh while they can
Let 'em spin, let 'em scatter in the wind
I have been to the movies, I've seen how it ends
And the joke's on them
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh!
. . .
When we were swimming, I heard something.
"You okay," asks Slippery.
"I thought I..." Then something that looks like a fish with legs appeared.
"Is... is... is that the..."
"No," I said, "it's just the General...trying to get back at us."
"Really," asks Slippery.
"Of course," I said, "I got this." I then swam to him. "Oh, no, a Gillman! Oh, please, don't take me! I'm not ready for a relationship... at least that's what my Father says, but it works out, because no one's really piqued my interest... wait, what are we talking about? Oh, right, I was taunting you..."
He then tried to grab me, and the joke was going too far... but then the General came and tackled him.
"Swim away," says the General, "get out of here!"
"He's real," I said.
Slippery and I then swam away.
. . .
Slippery and I managed to get away.
"A Gillman," says Slippery, "a real Gillman!"
"I know," I said, "we have to make sure the General's okay."
"What," asks Slippery.
"He's always helped us," I said.
"He can turn to a shark," says Slippery.
"Let's go," I said.
. . .
We arrived and saw the General still fighting the Gillman.
"Okay, let's go," says Slippery, but I stopped him.
"Hey, Gillman, come and get me," I said.
The Gillman then stops fighting the General and swam towards me.
"Now what," asks Slippery.
"I don't know," I said, "I didn't think this through!"
We then swam and the Gillman chased after us, but then the General knocked him out from behind.
. . .
My Father then banished the Gillman. "I'm sending him to some black lagoon," says my Father, "that should go well."
"I feel like there's a lack of logic," says Porcus, "but I except it."
"Were you scared," asks the General.
"No, I'm not afraid of what that thing would've done to me," I said.
"He's behind you," says the General.
I got scared, but it was a prank. I think I'm done with them... for a while.
In the next chapter, Pearl has to save some sailors from the Sirens.