The Secrets of Pimsim Cove - 12. Chapter 12

Swimming deeper and deeper into the ocean, I glanced up at the surface and suddenly understood why the Tritons would celebrate the longest day of the year. The rest of the year the sun’s rays must struggle to reach down to their watery depths at all.

I was disappointed when we finally reached the bottom and all I saw was gray sand, all around us in every direction.

Rook nudged me with his arm, urging me to continue on along the boring old bottom of the ocean, when suddenly everything changed. The assortment of life amazingly changed in an instant.

Bright red and yellow sea cucumbers gently swayed in the watery breeze. The small schools of boring gray fish had turned bright and colorful and a family of cute little seahorses lazily glided by. As we swam deeper into the unknown, more blades of dark green seagrass sprang up from beneath the sand.

Rosy suddenly picked up her pace and swam a little faster along the bottom of the ocean floor that was now teaming with fresh new life. I stopped and stared at the beautiful display of bloom while she and Stonebrook hurried on ahead of us. They stirred up the sand with each flick of their long, powerful tails, and scared a big fat lobster that scurried out of their way and darted under a group of rocks to hide.

With my grandparents out of earshot, I turned to Rook. “So,” I placed a hand on his arm as we continued swimming at a slower pace. I needed to delay for just a few more minutes. “You said that Grandma had asked you escort me to the Summer Solstice Festival?”

He gave me a curious look, but he simply nodded his head. How did she know that I would get my gills and tail in time for the celebration? Up until about a few hours ago, I was totally sure I wouldn’t get them and was prepared to mope around the McLoughlin’s home today, all alone.

I hate it when Rook smiles at me with that look. It’s so unfair! That’s not his look, that’s Dad’s look and I missed Dad so much my heart constricted inside my chest.

“Ma obviously had more faith in you, than you had in yourself, little one.” He said with a wink. “She even told the ladies at her committee meeting, that ‘a distant niece’ was visiting us from New Zealand and you might be staying for the Festival. You know, giving her a plausible excuse if you don’t attend, all the while explaining your sudden arrival, if you happened to show up.”

I shook my head and laughed to myself. Grandma had really thought of everything. I only wish she could figure out a way to get Dad out of Talbot’s awful dungeon. “Okay, that makes sense, but why the smurf do I have to be from New Zealand? I don’t know anything about--”

“Because she couldn’t tell them the truth, Anna, that’s why! First, there aren’t any Triton Cities in America and second, New Zealand has a small village of ‘Greenies’ so, nobody will be suspicious of your tanned skin. Third,” He smiled sheepishly, “we can’t tell anyone that you’re really Windsong’s kid…not yet, at least.”

Okay, New Zealand it is. I wanted to talk to Grandma and looked around for her, but instead I saw that she and Stonebrook had already disappeared into the watery distance. “Hey, where’d they go?” I shouted at Rook.

He smiled and hurried as he swam into a thick grove of pink coral and motioned for me to follow him. The beautiful growth led right up to the edge of a sharp cliff then dropped off into the deep abyss below.

“Wow!” I stammered. Far below the coral cliffs was Pimsim City. It was as if Dad’s drawing had come to life. It was more beautiful than I had ever imagined! Not some farfetched fantasy fairytale, but a real, honest to goodness City. Everything sparkled and shimmered in the soft rays of light shining down through the deep water.

Tall elegant buildings, short round buildings, and even wacky misshapen buildings were all made out of stone. This had to be Dad’s inspiration to become an Architect. The lines and shapes of every structure were just amazing.

Grandpa had probably mined the rocks used to build the older buildings in the center of the City, but Michael had to be the strength behind the enormous amount of growth since Dad drew this very City all those years ago.

A pulsating energy seemed to radiate from within Pimsim City as if the spirit of the City itself was alive and wanted to join in the celebration with her inhabitants. She was beautiful…she shimmered…and she called to my very soul.

I flicked my tail, rushing forward towards the City, but Rook grabbed my arm stopping my hasty advance. “Slow down,” he told me. “You can’t just rush down there, Anna, it’s rude. We don’t just drop down onto someone’s head from the sky above. That would really make the others believe that we, Greenies, really are the savage heathens that Talbot tells them that we are! This City might be hidden far below the ocean, but there are still rules to follow.”

He pointed to the busy streets below, filled with Tritons, and then glanced upward at the water above the large City. Dark shadows glided through the ocean directly above Pimsim City. With their long bodies and distinctive ominous shape, I immediately knew the dark figures were sharks.

“Rook!” I gasped and scrambled closer to him and away from the evil man-eating monsters trolling the waters. His emerald eyes narrowed in on me and he suddenly got very serious. “Calm down, they aren’t going to hurt you. They’re Talbot’s security guards. He likes to flaunt his abusive display of power.” Rook growled.

He closed his hard green eyes and took a slow calming breath, like I’ve seen him do before. After a few moments he opened his eyes. The soft smiled returned to his handsome face.

Glancing over at the bright purple scales covering my arms, neck, and forehead, he gently asked, “uhmmm, Anna, could you maybe do something about that?” He pointed to the very distinctive display that shouted, ‘hey everybody…look at me…I’m different!’

I thought about the warm glow of fresh suntanned skin and they suddenly changed from purple to a flesh color to match my freckled, sun-kissed skin. “Better?” I asked him. Holding out his arm in a very formal, gentlemanly gesture he said, “Yes, after you, my lady.”

We continued to descend down through the water outside the City limits. The lower we got, the more I could feel the changes in the water. It felt as if the pressure had changed, I could feel the water pressing my skin. It wasn’t uncomfortable, it was just different.

Rook moved a little faster towards the large stone entrance. Tritons smiled and greeted each other inside the City walls. Lamp posts lined the walkways, but instead of electric bulbs the glass globes were filled with dozens of glowing jellyfish. “We can swim along with the crowd after we officially enter the City.”

A guard stood in front of the large stone entrance, patrolling access to Pimsim City. As we got closer, I noticed that most of the buildings within the City limits were businesses and when I turned around to ask him where all the homes where, I saw it.

The outer cliffs, that formed a protective barrier around the massive City, were filled with sparkly lights and large, round windows, giving a glimpse inside the homes. Charming little apartments were carved into the steep stone cliffs. They tunneled back through the rock, like the narrow tubes inside of an ant farm.

“We still have a small home over there.” Rook pointed towards the far right side of the cliffs. “Da thought that it was a good idea to keep the place just in case W.S., Michael or I ever wanted to return to live in the City someday.” He smiled at me, but I couldn’t imagine Rook ever wanting to live anywhere, but in the warm sunshine. “Ma and Da always spend the night down here when they are out late, after a night on the town. So, I’m sure you’ll be staying there tonight. ”

It sounded so cute, my grandparents out on the town, kind of like an old fashioned date. With a quick flick of his powerful tail, Rook swooshed forward through the water and I had to quickly chase after him to catch up.

The guard at the entrance looked to Rook for all of his answers as if I wasn’t even there, which was kind of ironic, since all of his questions were about me. But heck that’s okay, if the guy didn’t look too close at me then maybe he won’t notice the skin colored scales that I was trying to hide.

“Rook McLoughlin,” the much shorter man snorted, “who is this ‘Greenie’ that you bring into Pimsim City on such a special night of the Summer Solstice Celebration?” The guy’s pale white skin almost glowed as his short blond hair waved about his head in the ocean’s breeze.

“Come on Collin,” Rook swam a little closer to the man. Uncle Rook was enjoying intimidating the smaller guy. “I know that your mother told you all about my cousin, Anna, coming to visit from New Zealand. So…stop pretending that you don’t know who she is and just let us in.”

“Yeah,” the guard stammered, “but I thought she was going back home before the celebration.”

“Well, it looks like she decided to stay here for a few more days after all.” When he didn’t move aside to let us pass by, Rook added with a sharp growl, “step out of my way, Collin, or you’re gonna lose more than just a fin!”

Collin balked and actually looked like he was going to cry. He quickly moved away from the entrance that he was blocking and granted us entry into the City.

***

People were everywhere. I thought everyone was out in the streets, heading to the Palace like we were, but instead they were scurrying off to enjoy their own private festivities with family and friends.

The Grand Celebration was reserved for only the rich and famous. The McLoughlin family snagged a prestigious invitation each year since Rosy was one of the head chairwomen on the Solstice Committee and no matter what Talbot thought about the ‘Greenies’ he was unable to squash her role bestowed by his father, the former King Finnegan.

***

The Palace sprang from the sands of the ocean floor and stood with majestic turrets that loomed overhead. Ancient carvings were chiseled into the stone walls and the thick glass that filled every window sparkled with brilliant blues, purples, and gold. It was breathtaking!

Glancing over the City, I noticed the most awesome sight that I’d ever seen. Prominently displayed high above the top of the tallest building was the largest hourglass in the history of time. It was huge!

The glass orbs were filled with shimmering blue sand that squeezed between the narrow glass neck, passing from the glass top, spilling down into the round glass bottom. The entire hourglass was encased in a twisted metal that had patina of a lovely burnt brown.

It was enormous and could be seen from anywhere in the large City. Dark blue lines announced the time as the sand told the hour of the day. Looking up at the simple clock I noticed that it was already after 6 p.m. and we were already late for the party.

Rook looked up and also noticed the time and motioned for me to hurry up as we rushed through the City streets that led to Talbot’s Palace.

***

I giggled when I noticed the pearly white steps leading up to the front of the Royal Palace. How odd it was to have stairs when Tritons don’t have feet. Rook glanced over at me and frowned.

“Sorry,” I quickly told him, “I usually giggle or puke when I’m really, really nervous.”

His eyebrows shot up at my bold admission. “Well, if those are my only two choices, then I choose the giggles.”

I rolled my eyes at him, but I couldn’t blame him. I would draw the line at puke too.

Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait to enter the Palace since most of the guests had already arrived and the fast, frantic pace helped to take my mind off my flittering nerves.