Life's a Beach

     I cracked open another coconut on a small rock and drank the vile milk from inside its brown and hairy shell. I threw it across the beach in disgust and wiped my mouth with the back of my paw.

     "I want my mom!" I shrieked.

     My voice echoed around the island disturbingly.

     I started at a slow pace across the beach, kicking my feet through the golden sands.

     "Oh this is useless!" I shouted, flopping onto the sand.

     I hit my head on a plastic bottle. I picked it up and studied it carefully. I could just make out what was inside it. A message! I popped the bottle open quickly and took out the paper.

     "Welcome to my island," I read. "Welcome to my island? What? This makes no sense!"

     I flipped the paper over and on the back there was a very long message on the back.

     It was in extremely small writing so I had to put the message right up to my face and hope no one was watching.

     "This is a bottle. A bottle with a message, this is the message…" I read.

     Then there were loads of funny scribbles, like some sort of picture - or message.

     "WHAT? HOW CAN I READ THIS? ITS IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE!" I screamed.

     I pushed the paper back into the bottle, sealed it and threw it into the ocean.

     I ran and ran and ran. Across the beach, over a rock and across another beach. I didn't know where I was running to or why. My life couldn't get any worse now anyway. It didn't matter what happened to me now. I was never going to see any of my friends again. Or my family. Or…. ANYONE! I stopped running. I collapsed on the sand and looked up.

     "A cave!" I gasped. "SOMEONE must live in there!"

     I pushed myself up off the ground and wiped the sand from my fur.

     Cautiously, I walked into the cave slowly.

     "Hello?" I whispered. My voice echoed around the cave louder than it echoed around the island. I picked up the pace and walked faster. Almost running. Almost sprinting.

     As I got farther into the cave, it became darker and darker. I hummed to myself to keep my mind off the dangers there could be. Blood-sucking Korbats, fire-breathing Skeiths, evil red-eyed Kyrii, angry charging Tonus and poisonous Hissies.

     I suddenly regretted even coming into this cave. The only thing was, I couldn't remember which way was out! So, I just carried on the way I was going.

     I was getting so hungry now - and I would die for one of those VILE coconuts. It was so cold in the cave. My nose was so numb it felt like it was going to fall off.

     "I guess I should just give up," I sighed, sitting down on the slimy floor. "I'm never going to see anyone again. I thought I was popular! But now I'm just a… NOBODY! And NOBODY likes to be a NOBODY!"

     "Hello?"

     "And now I'm even hearing things! I'm going insane!" I sobbed.

     "Hello? Are you okay?"

     "Who's there?" I yelled.

     "I live here. Don't worry, I'll get some light in here somehow," the voice called.

     "Where are you?" I suddenly felt popular again. "Help me!"

     "Stay there. I'll be back in a second!"

     I sat there. And sat there. For what seemed ages. I lost track of time. I waited and waited. I could hear my heart beating through the silence. I couldn't work out whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.

     Then suddenly, when all hope seemed lost - I heard the voice.

     "Hey! I'm sorry I took so long. I got a light, though!" the voice said.

     The light startled me.

     "Whoa!" I grinned, looking around me. "This place is BRILLIANT!"

     "It's pretty cool. My name is Ashley. What might your name be?" Ashley asked.

     "I'm Maria." I smiled.

     I stared at Ashley. She looked…. AMAZING. She was a Xweetok - a very beautiful Xweetok. Her fur was brown, tipped with green. Her eyes were a sparkling blue to match her sparkling wings. She could be none other than a Faerie Xweetok!

     Then, I glanced around the room. The furniture was luxurious. The floor covered in the finest rugs and the walls covered in the most expensive looking pictures.

     "Make yourself at home, Maria." Ashley grinned.

     She must have seen me looking around.

     "Hungry?" she asked.

     "Starving!"

     "I have Grapefruit Neocola, Chocolate Covered Pears, Nacho Cheese Stuffed Hot Dogs, Jacket Potatoes, Cheese Omelettes, Chocolate Candy Canes, Kyrii Pops, White Chocolate Lupes, Black Cherry Pastry Wraps and White Chocolate Cookies! Oh and look at all these smoothies! Lemon Blitz, Original Kiwi, Lemon Grape, Wild Chocomato and my favourite SALMON SHERBET!" Ashley cried.

     "I think I'll just have a Nacho Cheese Stuffed Hot Dog, please." I laughed.

     "I think I'll have a Chocolate Covered Pear, a Jacket Potato, a Kyrii Pop, a White Chocolate Lupe…" I stopped Ashley before she fainted.

     "Okay, you have that!" I giggled, flopping down onto the sofa.

     Then I noticed something. I remembered the funny scribbles from the weird message in a bottle. They matched up PERFECTLY.

     "Hey Ashley," I called. "What do those scribbles say on the wall?"

     "Oh! I have no idea. I thought they looked pretty. So I put them on my wall. I send out lots of prank messages in bottles with those silly scribbles on. It confuses people!" Ashley laughed.

     "You can say that again," I moaned. "You shouldn't do that you know. It made me so frustrated! I ran and ran and ran until I ended up here!"

     Ashley stopped munching on her Chocolate Covered Pear and looked up at me. "Aren't you happy that you ended up here?"

     "Yes… I mean… Yes. I guess," I shrugged.

     "I send those things out because it annoys most people - and they do exactly what you did. They run right into my cave. Which means I have company. When I'm on my own it's tragic!" Ashley sighed, sitting on the sofa slowly.

     "Oh. Well, that's a good idea! I understand! How about we get some more of those messages written?"

     I finished the fifteenth letter and sealed it into a bottle.

     "That's the last one!" I smiled.

     Ashley sealed her last bottle and smiled back. "Let's get these things into the ocean!"

     "You bet!"

     Ashley and I trekked through the darkness to the mouth of the cave then threw the bottles one by one into the sea. They sailed off, the wind taking each of them in different direction.

     "What now?" I asked, turning on my heels and walking back through into Ashley's home.

     "Well, we wait. It usually takes a couple of days. It only took you one day though!" Ashley explained. "So - let's have a feast!"

     "Rock on!" I yelled, raiding the fridge.

     Ashley cleared the coffee table and loaded it with snacks and drinks. I started off with a few Cheese and Salsa Pretzels. Then I shared a huge Strawberry Jelly Acara with Ashley, washed down with a Lemon Grape Smoothie. To finish off I had about seven Black Cherry Pastry Wraps.

     "Don't stop now!" Ashley shouted. "I can smell the coconuts on you - they aren't the best thing to live on!"

     "You're right, I might as well make the best of this while I can!" I grinned.

     "That's the spirit! Get a Strawberry Kau Cream Cake down you!" Ashley said, stuffing a White Chocolate Cookie in her mouth.

     After a Kau Cream Cake, two Rainbow Doughnuts and a White Chocolate Lupe I definitely couldn't carry on - but Ashley was halfway through a enormous Salmon Sherbet Smoothie.

     "You really like those, don't you?" I stared.

     "Yes! This is my sixth one today!" Ashley slurped.

     I nodded and put my feet up on the sofa with my head on the sofa arm. I couldn't eat another thing. How could she EAT so much. And even more important, where did she get all this stuff from? I didn't dare ask her. It didn't really matter anyway - the point was - I was being pampered IN A CAVE. And it was great!

     "Hey, Maria, it's time to get up!" Ashley whispered, pushing me off my bed.

     "Ouch!" I shouted. "Next time - just tap me on the shoulder."

     "Sorry!" Ashley said, pulling me onto my feet. "What would you like for breakfast?"

     "Toast?" I asked.

     That's what I usually have. When I'm back home. Not stranded on a island.

     "I don't have toast. Doughnut? Jam Pastry? Even better - CHOCOLATE COVERED PEARS! YUM!"

     "Do you have ANYTHING that isn't packed full of sugar?" I moaned.

     "Jacket Potatoes - but I smother them in butter!"

     "Mmm…" I said, putting on a fake smile. "I'll just have a jam pastry please."

     I smoothed down my fur and brushed my hair with a comb.

     "It's not easy being an Usul," I sighed.

     "Try being a Xweetok!" Ashley cried, patting me on the shoulder.

     "What have you to worry about? You're beautiful!"

     "Thanks, but life isn't all about looks. It gets lonely here," Ashley mumbled. "I don't like to talk about it though, it gets me upset. So - let's go get some breakfast!"

     "Sure!" I smiled, putting my arm around Ashley.

     I suddenly saw past her stunning looks and amazing house. She was a typical girl who needed to be understood and loved. She seemed to be getting by just fine - but inside was lonely and underappreciated.

     Ashley handed me a jam pastry and took one for herself.

     "Hey, if someone found that message they may be here today!" I smiled, breaking the silence.

     "I hope so - then we can have a party!" Ashley grinned.

     "Good idea!"

     The cave suddenly fell silent again. All I could hear was the munching of the Jam Pastries. I looked at Ashley. She was taking extremely tiny bites out of her Pastry. She was staring at it like it was a bomb, then putting it to her mouth and hardly brushing her teeth against it - then staring at it again. I didn't want to ask her what was wrong, but I couldn't help but be concerned.

     I finished my Jam Pastry and wiped my mouth on the back of my hand.

     "Nice pastries, huh?" I smiled at Ashley.

     She nodded, putting hers on the coffee table.

     At that moment I heard a voice.

     "Hello?"

     Ashley and I turned our heads immediately to the mouth of the cave.

     "Hello? Who's there?" I shouted.

     "SHOW YOURSELF!" the voice shouted.

     I ran down to the mouth of the cave, Ashley following.

     "Hello! Welcome to Ashley's house!" I smiled.

     "Yes, welcome," Ashley said, waving.

     "I'm Cameron. Don't ask me how I got here - I have no idea."

     Cameron was a blue Pteri. Not quite as pretty as Ashley - but not everyone has stunning good looks.

     "Come in!" Ashley smiled. She seemed a lot happier now. Maybe she just wanted some extra company.

     "I'm starved. Got anything to eat?" Cameron asked, flopping onto the sofa.

     I was amazed at how quickly he was making himself at home.

     "Of course!" Ashley started going through the list of what food she had just like she did with me.

     "I'll have a Original Kiwi smoothie, a Kyrii Pop…"

     "I'll just put everything on the table, yes?" Ashley laughed.

     "Cool," Cameron smiled.

     He tucked in straight away, eating just like Ashley had yesterday. I took a Wild Chocomato Smoothie which was surprisingly good. We were all talking about something that I didn't understand, when I heard another voice.

     "Help!" someone called. "Help me!"

     "I'll see to it." I laughed.

     I ran out to the mouth of the cave.

     "Hey!" I giggled. "Calm down!"

     "Who are you?" the Yurble asked, backing off.

     "I'm Maria. I sort of live here. Want to come in?" I smiled.

     "I don't know… I'm not supposed to go into stranger's houses." The Yurble frowned.

     "Hey, don't be so scared - we're all friendly in the house," I said, putting my hand on the Yurble's shoulder. "And we have food!"

     "FOOD? Well why didn't you say?" the Yurble cried, rushing into the house.

     I ran after her.

     "HI EVERYBODY, MY NAME IS JASMINE! OH! FOOD! DON'T MIND IF I DO!" Jasmine shouted, grabbing a handful of White Chocolate Cookies.

     That was the last neopet that came to our cave. We stopped sending the prank message in a bottle messages out, but we got by fine - because we all stayed together in the cave house. Loneliness never became a priority. We all got to know each other better and had great fun. Our new life is our only life - I guess you could say 'LIFE'S A BEACH!'

The End