The Disaster - A Maraquan Story by bookyalex |  |
I am Gondwana, but that is not my full name. I am a striped
Shoyru, and I was in Maraqua on the day the whirlpool struck. Many say it was
an accident, a natural disaster, but I know the truth. Many also say that no
one was harmed, which only a lie everyone wishes was a truth. And no one will
believe me. They claim I am insane for thinking these well meaning pirates would
do such a thing. But we know the truth. This is my story.
"Alex, Alex!" Melissa00010 shouted form her
spot - plastered to the window. Alex turned her head to face the red Kougra
"Hmm?" She asked.
"We're nearing the bottom! We're almost there!"
Everyone snapped to attention.
"Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen," the loudspeaker
boomed. "Put on your oxygen helmets and tanks and prepare to depart." We did
as we were told and put on our glass helmets and oxygen tanks, and Alex checked
to make sure that all the Petpets had theirs on properly. Wouldn't want anyone
to get a little water in their helmet. A few minutes later, our water sub touched
the bottom with a bone-rocking thump. We all bustled to the door in our bulky
equipment, wanting to be the first off. Emerging from the door, Alex said, "OK
guys, listen. Meet back here at the Food shop in..." she paused to look at her
watch, "An hour, all right? Here's your allowance, and 250 Neopoints extra,"
Alex said handing each of us 500 Neopoints.
Laurasia2000 and diamondbunny headed for the
games, while Melissa00010 and I headed for the Toy Booth that was selling Usukis.
In case you are wondering, all the Usukis in Maraqua are in waterproof containers,
except for the Maraquan ones which are built waterproof. Alex went into the
food shop, probably to buy Melissa00010's Gruslen more steak - it never stopped
eating.
"Look!" I exclaimed as we neared the Usuki stand.
"It's a Lost Desert Usuki! That's the only thing I need to complete my collection!"
I rushed over to the stand, nearly cart-wheeling in my eagerness to get there.
Arriving, I snapped open my wings as a brake to keep myself from falling. "How
much…Is the….Lost Desert…Usuki?" I asked, panting. I saw Melissa bargaining
with the other koi--a blue one--for a Mermaid Usuki.
"5000 in Maraquan gold, or 1000 Neopoints,"
the yellow Koi replied in a raspy voice. "It's on sale today, we just got a
new shipment, but with 5000 too many! Usukis are going outta style, and we just
can't sell them all!" My face fell. Including the remnants of my birthday money,
I only had 800 Neopoints, which was a well known fact because I kept complaining
about it every time I wanted a Usuki which was 7000 Neopoints or something ridiculous.
"Sorry, sir," I said, disappointment colouring
my voice. "I've only got 800."
"Gondwana," Melissa began, reappearing at my
side. "I can lend you 200 Neopoints if you want."
"Would you?" I exclaimed happily, daring to
believe.
"Of course!" Melissa00010 dug into her fanny
pack and withdrew two 100 Neopoint coins in the palm of her paw and handed them
to me. I took out eight of my own similar coins and gave them to the Koi, who
gave the Ultra-rare Usuki to me. Being careful not to accidentally open the
waterproof casing, I deposited the Usuki in my pack and looked at my watch.
We still had 45 minutes.
"Milkshake?" Melissa asked, rummaging in her
pack to find suitable money.
"Sure!" I said, producing a 25 Neopoint coin.
"Hey! I thought you only had 800 Neopoints!"
"I did, but I found this on the ground when
I was putting away my Usuki," I replied mischievously.
"Race ya!" Melissa exclaimed, her four legs
getting a head start on my two. Knowing I would lose anyway, I continued at
a more leisurely pace.
"What took ya?" Melissa exclaimed impatiently
as we entered the shop and went up to the red Kiko cashier.
"Two vanilla milkshakes, please," I said, ignoring
Melissa's remark and placing the coin on the counter. I handed my sister a milkshake
and she began to drink. It really is rather amusing watching a Kougra drinking
a waterproofed milkshake. They grip it by holding it between their paws and
sitting on their hind legs, while trying to sip through the only opening--a
straw which you much always keep your mouth on lest you get water in your shake.
As we were finishing our refreshments, a blue
Koi floating by the window gasped and shouted, "Twister!"
Indeed a giant twister was heading toward Maraqua,
with a pirate ship following in it's wake. I had no time to contemplate this,
as we had to evacuate now.
Everyone ran out of the shop screaming at the
top of their lungs. The blue Koi rang a large bell situated outside the food
shop which signaled danger.
"Twister, run for your lives!" he shouted, warning
the people who were not looking outside. We had only a few moments before the
twister struck. Wind tore at buildings, ripping entire roofs off. Usukis and
bottles and toys were everywhere, and I saw the gruesome end of the blue Koi
as he was whacked in the head with a chair and then sucked into the twister.
Neopets and people were flying everywhere. Underwater grasses and bushes and
buildings were being torn right out of the ground, and debris was flying everywhere.
I felt my oxygen helmet cracking as Melissa and I ran--or tried to--to the subs.
I could hardly see and water was filling up my helmet. The bright yellow submarines
were already leaving, and by the time we got there, only a few remained. A mob
of people were rushing onto the crafts, and it was impossible for us to get
near.
"We better swim for it!" I shouted, hoping I
could be heard over the howling wind - like a malicious, evil, laugh. I flapped
my wings frantically, trying to reach the surface. A whirlpool was starting
to form, and I knew if we didn't hurry, we would be caught in it. On top of
that, I only had about half of my air left. I finally decided to ditch the tank,
as it was slowing me down and I was going to be sucked into the whirlpool. Taking
a deep breath, I threw of the helmet and my only supply of air. I was swimming
faster now, but I wasn't going to make it. I looked around at the terror, the
death, the horrible scene around me; at the place I would spend my final minutes,
and prayed that my family would live this out. My last thought before I passed
out was the blue Koi getting sucked into the whirlpool.
***
I woke up in a tent. Was this heaven? Then I felt the rhythmic throbbing of
my head, and the pain of my arm. I'm alive! What?! I was lying on a cot
in a brown tent which let the light but not the heat in, and a bandage was wrapped
my head. I sat up--barely--and, propping myself up on the wall, looked around.
There were dozens of other pets around me, and I was in pretty good condition
compared to a red Aisha lying next to me. He had his right foreleg bandaged,
and stitches up his left side where someone had patched him up. Then I remembered
Melissa. And Laurasia, and Alex, and diamondbunny. I scanned the room frantically,
hoping to see someone I knew. I spotted Laurasia at the far end of the room
and breathed a sigh of relief until I saw her condition. I winced. She had casts
on all her legs except her right foreleg and bandages around her stomach. The
Kau was breathing shallowly and was still asleep. Looks like I was lucky.
Just then, an old man, wrinkled with age, entered
the tent and scanned the room. Noticing the Aisha next to me, he sighed deeply,
and crossed the room to stroke his head affectionately. He sighed, and muttered,
"Thank god for the Flotsams and Jetsams." Then he left the tent so his pet could
rest. From those words, I knew I would have died if I hadn't been rescued by
Mystery Island's Marines. They drilled at the Training School, and went out
as rescue parties. I got off my cot and wobbled toward the tent flap, trying
to ignore the pain that shot up my arm and made my head throb even harder. I
knew I had to find my family.
When I got outside, I found I was, indeed, on
Mystery Island. There were five or six other tents like mine, and the one across
from me had a sign on the top reading, "HUMANS" in bold black. I wobbled over
to it, and pushed aside the flap. Even that took a lot of energy from me. I
looked around for Alex. At first I though she wasn't there, but then I saw she
was drinking something in the back of the room, her left arm in a sling. She
spotted me a moment later and shouted, "Gondwana!" which woke the few who were
still sleeping. I hobbled over to her, and jumped into her lap, glad to be off
my poor feet.
"What about the others?" I asked my mom. "Laurasia
is alive, but what about Melissa and diamondbunny?" Alex didn't answer immediately.
"I don't know."
After sitting there in a moment of silence, I
got up, much to the protest of my body.
"Then let's go see," I spoke, my voice cracking
on the last note.
We went to all the other tents, and found only
diamondbunny. She had a broken paw and a nasty gouge on her back from when a
piece of roof had hit her. She joined us, and together, we went to the beach
and sat on a fallen log, staring out at the sea as it crashed against the shore,
occasionally washing up debris. Melissa was gone.
We had a ceremony for the pets and people who
were lost at sea. Melissa's Gruslen was no longer--gosh, how I hated those words--too.
We all still had all our Petpets, who were mourning the Gruslen along with the
other few survivors. Just before we went back inside the tents to get some much
need rest, I saw a Mermaid Usuki wash up with Melissa's fanny pack.
The End |
