• Just a Fish in the Sea

    Imagine a perfect world. The sun is always shining, the trees are swaying in the wind, and everyone is happy. Imagine yourself there. Run over to the river bank and get yourself a drink of water. The water tastes fresh. Isn’t it amazing? It might feel like it but it’s not.
    Violet De Lunance thought that her world might be the best place on Earth. But it wasn’t. Doors that should have never been opened were. People, who you should avoid, were the ones she had conversations with. She thought that it would all be the best, but she was wrong.
    It all started that one day. Violet was sitting by the river bank when she noticed that there was a mysterious glow in the water. She walked over to the water and looked down. She cupped her hand and dipped it in the water. Violet was only about eleven years old so she didn’t know any better than to take a sip. The water tasted odd. But it was a good kind of odd. Not the kind of odd that scares you but the kind that you want more of.
    She dipped her hand in the water once again. She lowered her head so she could get more of the water before it all drained through the spaces between her fingers. She cupped her hand then lifted it to her mouth, quickly. “That is quite delightful.” she muttered to herself. She laughed at her “properness”. It was something her mother would have said.
    All was going well until a gust of wind somehow pushed her into the water. “Oh!” she shrieked. Her chocolate brown hair turned even darker when it came exposed to the water. Her blue and white bell dress started to get heavier and heavier. She kept sinking lower and lower. “Help!” she tried to yell under the water but the only bubble words came out.
    She opened her eyes. She noticed that she hadn’t even met the ground yet. Violet looked up. She was still sinking. Violet kept sinking for a great amount of minutes. “Shouldn’t I be out of breath?” she wondered out loud. Her eye brows narrowed and she stood up straight, although she was still sinking. The young girl put her hands on her hips.
    She had an eerie feeling. Fish of all sorts of color started surrounding her. The circled her. Violet wasn’t scared until a small blue fish spoke up. “Excuse me, but where are you going?” the fish asked in a quiet voice. All the other fished turned to the on that had spoken. They all left in a hurry. Violet’s eyes widened. She looked at the fish with disbelief. “I-I am Violet. I don’t know where I am going.” she said. And fish sighed in return.
    “What is wrong?” asked Violet, politely. The fish sighed, again. “Follow me.” said the fish. Violet nodded then followed her. She swam behind the fish as it swam quickly in front of her. They swam through a huge amount of seaweed.
    The fish brought Violet to a huge oyster shell. Violet was very confused. “What might this be?” she asked. The fish ignored her and started talking to the shell. “Hello, father.” The oyster shell opened up and a huge fish was sitting inside. “Hello. I am the King of Fish, Who are you?” the King asked.
    The king had blue, green, and silver scales that would cover his whole body, all except for his eyes and mouth. He looked very eerie. Violet looked at him with an odd expression. “I am Violet. Nice to meet you?” she said uneasily. The king nodded. “Hello, Violet. Welcome.” he said as he raised his flippers and moved it along as if he was holding something but instead, he was showing her the world around her.
    Violet nodded. “Hello. What is this place?” she asked as she looked around. Her eyes widened as a bright pink sea horse came up to her and swam around her head. It seemed to giggle. It swam around her head so many times that it made Violet dizzy. Violet waved her away. The King of Fish had a very angry expression on his fish face. “You will not do that here!” he barked.
    The girl’s eyes widened. “Oh, I’m sorry! Please forgive me!” The King of Fish shook his head. “Please leave our kingdom,” he said to Violet. He looked around. “Guards!” he called. Two sword fish, that seemed to be wearing uniforms, came and took Violet by the arm. They some how managed to grab her arms with their flippers.
    “But you never told me about this place!” she called to the King as they sword fishes dragged her away. “This is not the perfect world…yet!” he called after her, still angry. Violet was extremely confused. “If it is not a perfect world yet, that means it will soon get perfect.” she whispered to herself.
    The sword fish dropped her off at a small green door that was only about a few feet high and a few feet wide. They swam off in a hurry. “What might this be?” Violet asked herself. She opened the door, it wasn’t locked. Her eyes widened as she saw the place.
    The Circus Show
    “    Oh my!” she shrieked to herself. Violet scanned the circus. She was inside a big red tent with exciting circus performers all around. She weaved through all of them saying stuff like, “Hello, I’m Violet!” or “Where do I watch the show?” or “This seems exciting!”
    Violet ran about waving to the performers and playing with the animals. She came across a small bunny. “Aww…Hello there!” she smiled to the rabbit.
    One of the circus performers pointed to a huge audience of chairs. “Thank you!” she said as she skipped off to the seats. She sat down in a red plush seat that was all alone in the very front row.
    Violet was very fortunate. She looked around at the people waiting to see the show and noticed that they all looked frightened. She wondered why they were all crammed together towards the back of the tent. Violet shrugged and waited for the show to begin.
    Two odd looking clowns sat down beside Violet. Unfortunately, she was in the middle. “Hello?” she asked. The two clowns smiled their red lips and shook her hand. Both of her hands were crossed over each other as they both shook her hand. Violet decided to be nice about it so all she did was smile.
    They realized that they weren’t scaring the girl so they walked off to another child who was sitting alone. “Huh?” Violet said to herself. She shook her head as if it was a memory that wasn’t even possible.
    The lights dimmed and the circus began. A shape shifter fell down from the top of the tent. Everyone in the audience gasped. But, the shape shifter seemed to float at about ten inches above the ground. Everyone laughed nervously at themselves for acting so foolish.
    The shape shifter got up and turned into a tiger, and that scared everyone. The tiger ran up to an unfortunate family in the audience and sat on their laps. The whole family seemed frightened. Violet giggled as the tiger turned into a bunny and hopped over to her. The bunny hopped on her lap and waited to be petted. Violet petted the rabbit’s head and started to scratch it behind the ears, right as it ran off.
    Violet pouted as the bunny ran off. “Oh, bunny!” she called after it as she ran after it. Before she knew it, Violet was right in the center of the circus tent. Streamers fell from the top and landed on Violet. “Hooray!” said the performers as the joined hands and circled around her. They skipped counter clockwise, merrily.
    Violet couldn’t help but smile. She even did a little dance. After a few minutes of dancing, the girl looked at her imaginary watch. “Oh, I must go.” she said as she walked out of the circle. The performers frowned as she walked out of the tent. “Good bye now!” she called to them. The performers sighed in return.
    The Mermaid and the Squid

    She walked down a dirt path, still listening to the music that was coming from the circus. Violet gracefully skipped along the path. She came to a grand, new theater. She walked inside and looked at the seats. Violet picked a seat towards the very front; apparently Violet hadn’t learned her lesson from the circus.
    The lights dimmed and the curtains went up. A lady with a mermaid costume appeared to be swimming in the sea. “There is nothing in the world that can let me down! Nothing in the world that can keep me down! Nothing in the world that can take me down! Nothing! Nothing!” the mermaid sang in a pitchy voice.
    Violet giggled. The mermaid came to a lady in a squid costume and said, “No you cannot have my kingdom!” The squid costume was a bright purple. The squid looked at her with dismay. “Why?!” the squid shrieked.
    The musical went on with many arguments, fights, and songs, but it was still exciting. Violet sat in the chair, watching with her eyes wide. She was indeed enjoying the show. The squid and mermaid came off stage and started walking over toward Violet. She watched as the mermaid and the squid took her hand and lead her on stage.
    The Mermaid stayed and did a dance on stage, but the squid took her behind the curtain and gave her directions and a costume. Violet slipped on the itchy costume and ran on stage when she was up. “Oh the princess…” sang the Mermaid, the Squid, and choir. Violet was sitting in an oyster shell, waving and smiling. “…the way she smiles, from her head to her toes…Oh the princess…we can’t let her go!” Violet jumped up and ran off of the stage.
    She thought that it would be her job to run away to make the play more real but she was wrong. The audience and actors yelled “Come back, Princess! You are not supposed to do that!” but Violet was to busy giggling and smiling that she couldn’t hear.
    She ran off down the dirt road, looking for somewhere new. She looked down and noticed that she was still wearing the princess costume. She shed it off; thank goodness she still had her white dress underneath. She set the costume on the ground and she was on her way.
    The Show of Singing Frogs

    Violet skipped down the path until she came to a swamp. The sound of frogs filled her head—until the sun went down. “Welcome to the Show of the Singing Frogs!” said a voice. Violet walked through the trees and tried to find the source of the ‘Singing Frogs’. The came to a miniature stage made out of leaves. Violet sat beside it, waiting for the show to begin.
    The floor of the stage was so larger then a lily pad. Violet seemed like a giant compared to the stage. The choir was in the center of the stage and the orchestra was pushed over to the sides. Violins were on the right. Cellos were on the left and the conductor was in the front of the center.
    Suddenly then small orchestra of frogs began to play. Violet was dazing off but the sudden noise awoke her completely. The fingers of the frogs were moving so fast that you could barely see them moving. Then the choir began:
    “Oh la la, Oh la la, Oh la la…” said a frog in a high pitch. He kept going on but after the first verse another frog joined in. “Bum bum bum, bum bum bum, bum bum bum…” bellowed another frog. The singing went on for a few hours, full of different tunes and singers. Then rhythms seemed to over-lap each other.
    After a few hours, one frog hopped off of the leafy stage and took Violet by the hand and started to sing. Violet had become so shocked. She hit and shook the frog off of her hand and ran off. “Ew.” she shrieked. “Get off of me you slimy animal!”
    Violet ran out of the swamp. As she ran she wiped her hand on her dress. “What was he thinking?” she whispered to herself.
    Violet skipped along the dirt road path. She turned around and looked at all the places that she had been: The Circus, The Theater and The Swamp. She turned back around and looked at what lays ahead.
    Not Every Question Comes With an Answer

    Violet kept skipping down the road, merrily. She still had no idea what was really going on. She hadn’t been really talking to anybody. She looked around at the world. It all seemed perfect.
    The girl came to a small shack. Her stomach grew hungry. Violet knocked on the door. “Hello? Hello?” she called. A lady with wild hair, a pair of black sunglasses, a slouchy back, and a cane opened the door. “Hello? Hello?” she looked around. Violet waved her hand. “I’m right here.” she said. She lady still looked around. “Where?” Violet sighed. She held onto the ladies hand. Violet smiled. “Right here.” said Violet in a nice, clear tone.
    The lady nodded. “Yes, yes. Do come inside. Aren’t you hungry? I have a fresh batch of cookies, fresh out of the oven! Yes, yes. They are indeed glorious. Come, come, my Dear…” said the lady as she walked through her house. It was odd that she could walk through her small house but she couldn’t find Violet.
    Violet nodded. “I’m right behind you.” she called out to the lady. The lady turned around. “I’m Gloria. I’m a physic.” she said grinning. Violet raised both of her eye brows. “I’m Violet.” Violet said. Gloria nodded.
    “Hello, Violet. Allow me to tell you your fortune.” said Gloria as they sat down beside her rickety, wooden table. There was a crystal ball in the center, on top of a purple table cloth, with blue crescent moons, and yellow stars.
    Violet nodded. “Okay.” she said, smiling. Gloria shifted in her chair. “Give me your hand, Violet.” Gloria said. Violet held out her hand across the table, and Gloria neatly took it. She scanned over it and felt around on her palm.
    “Ah I see, yes…yes…Oh, oh my…No, no! It can’t be!” shrieked Gloria. At first her words came out as mumbles, but when she came to the words ‘oh my…’ she started getting pitchy. Violet’s eyes widened. “Wha-What is wrong?” Violet asked, as she took her hand back. Gloria shook her head. Violet took another cookie. She kept eating uncontrollably, what she does often when she gets nervous.
    Gloria took Violet’s hand once again and sighed. “Be careful, darling. This world is full of wonders. It may seem perfect but it is not. I think that we’re done. Good luck, my darling.” Gloria got up from the table.
    “Wait! What? I need answers.” Violet said as she followed Gloria as she walked around the kitchen, cleaning. Gloria turned around and sighed. “Not every question comes with an answer. I’m sorry, dear.” Gloria looked at her watch, even though she was blind. “You must be getting home. Good bye!” Gloria said as she ran to her room and slammed the door shut.
    Violet sighed and walked out of the house. She slammed the door behind her and began speaking to herself, “What could this mean? Why did she make me go so early? ‘Not every question comes with an answer’? What could that mean?” Violet snapped her mouth shut when she came to the swamp. “Maybe I should go and apologize for being so rude. Yes, that might make things better.” Violet smiled and ran to the swamp.
    Back to the Swamp

    Violet ran through the swamp’s trees and mud. “Hello? Frogs?” she called. Nothing replied. Violet came to where the stage was. Instead of lily pads and fresh leaves, the stage was made of dead leaves, and dust.
    The orchestra instruments were replaced with organs and pianos. But the scariest thing that was there, were the choir and orchestra. Instead of jolly, green frogs, they had the skeletons. “Oh, no!” Violet shrieked.
    The skeletons were just sitting in their chairs. Violet quieted down when she noticed that they weren’t alive. She was wrong. The skeletons turned their heads and looked at Violet. “Oh goodness!” she shrieked once again.
    The skeletons got up and started walking toward the girl. The conductor walked up to Violet and said, “Welcome to our Show. Care to be our special guest?” he said as he grinned.
    Violet shook her head. “No thank you. I better be on my way…” she said as she turned around. “Not so fast!” yelled the Conductor.
    “Why not?” asked Violet.
    “Because. You mistreated us. Do you know how hard we work on this?” said the Conductor.
    “I’m sorry.”
    “No, you are not. You are scared of us. Why?!” the Conductor screamed.
    Violet had tripped and she was lying down on her back with the Conductor standing on her, and yelling.
    “Because you are! I am sorry that I mistreated you all! I dislike frogs! They are slimy!” Violet yelled back.
    “Attack her!” yelled the Conductor to the frogs. The frogs nodded and jumped on top of Violet. “Let me go!” she screamed. She hit all the frogs that surrounded her. “Please!” Violet begged. “I will do anything!” The frogs shook their heads then looked at the Conductor who was still standing on her. “No. You treated us like this. You hurt Fredrick!” Conductor pointed to Fredrick.
    He was the frog that Violet hit when he sang to her. Violet began to cry. “Oh, I’m sorry, Fredrick! I’m so, very sorry! I will never do that again!” she yelled. Fredrick sat beside a tree with his arms in a cast made of leaves. He shook his head. “Look what you did to me, you monster!” he yelled.
    Violet’s face turned red as a tomato. She was sitting up on her elbows. “You think I am the monster?” she said between gasps of air. “Look what you frogs are doing to me! Get off!” she screamed.
    The frogs hung on in protest as Violet got up from the ground. “Look at my dress! It’s soiled! It is covered in mud! I hate you all!” she screamed as she shook them all off. Frogs started flying all over the place.
    Violet stormed off and the Conductor shook his fist at her. “Never come back, you beast!” he yelled at her. Violet ran through the swamp. Her eyes were red as red as her face. “Those animals!” she yelled. “I hate them!” she growled.
    When Violet came out of the swamp, she came back to the dirt road. Violet looked at the costume that she had worn when she was at the Theater. “Might as well return this…” she whispered to herself. She walked over to the Theater, frowning.
    The Phantom of the Theater

    Violet walked inside the Theater. It was empty. “Is anyone here?” she asked. No one replied. Violet huffed and walked in and sat down. Violet looked at the dress that she had in her hand. “Well, who ever is here, I am putting the dress on the stage. A shadow followed her. Violet turned around quickly. “Who was that?” she asked herself. “Hello?” she asked.
    “Hello, Violet. Welcome. I see that you have brought the dress back.” said a voice.
    Violet turned around. No one was there.
    “Hello?” she called.
    “Yes.” said the voice in a sleepy tone.
    Violet gulped.
    “Where are you?” she asked, scared.
    “Look up.”
    Violet did as she was told. She looked up slowly. There, right before her very own eyes was a phantom. He was hanging from a rope by his feet. “Hello, darling. I have been waiting for you.” he said. Violet gasped. She started running toward the door. The Phantom swung from the rope and shut the door and locked it.
    “Quite impressive, you know.” Violet said, rolling her eyes. The phantom grinned. “Why thank you, love.” he said. Violet rolled her eyes. “So, um, what do you want?” she asked, tapping her foot impatiently. The phantom turned around, his back facing her. “Do you want to know?” he asked.
    “Yes.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Yes, I’m sure.”
    “How sure are you?”
    “Pretty sure…”
    “Okay.”
    “So tell me. What do you want?”

    The phantom turned around with a knife in his hand, “Your soul...” he murmured. There was a shrieking scream, then darkness—All so fast.