Chapter Nine

The Return

As dawn's early light seeped into her shelter, Zelly awoke, her sleep shattered by the gnawing pangs of hunger that clawed at her belly. It was a sensation alarmingly akin to the ferocity of the myriad beasts that had threatened her survival in this alien world. Stirring from the unforgiving hardness of her makeshift bed, she groggily traipsed to the kitchen, the harsh chill of the floor beneath her bare feet a stark reminder of her predicament. She sank into a chair at the table, her weary gaze falling onto the sparse spread before her.

"Nuts," she muttered under her breath, her voice laced with a mixture of disbelief and resignation. "Is this my fate now? To subsist on nothing but these damned nuts? They'll drive me mad before they stave off my hunger. I dunno how much more of these I can take, for heaven’s sake!”

With a grimace, she found her mind drifting to an unexpected longing—a yearning for mushrooms, a food she had never particularly cared for in her earthly life. Yet here, in this strange world, even such a simple delicacy seemed a luxury. She realized, with a sinking heart, what she must do, though every fiber of her being rebelled against the idea.

"I need to go back," she declared, her voice echoing in the emptiness of her shelter. "I need to face that horrendous creature guarding the garden of fruits and vegetables. If I don't...I'll either starve or go mad from eating these damn nuts."

A shudder ran down her spine at the thought.

"But death... what if that thing kills me?" She shook her head, forcing herself to dispel the creeping fear. "If I can face a giant, surely I can handle that creature."

With renewed determination, she fetched her binoculars and her newly carved spear. She was ready to brave the journey to the beach. But as she stepped outside, the sky above her darkened ominously as thunder growled in the distance, and a light drizzle began to fall.

"No, not now!" Zelly cried out, her voice barely audible above the mounting storm. "Not another storm!"

The weight of her predicament bore down on her, but she steeled herself for the trials to come. For she was a survivor, and she would not go down without a fight.

***

On the beach, Zelly stood motionless, her gaze riveted to the island beyond the sea. Through the lens of her binoculars, the world seemed deceptively serene, despite the intensifying downpour and the churning waters before her.

"Should I or shouldn't I?" Zelly murmured to herself, her mind having a war with itself. She was torn between the safety of her shelter and the tantalizing promise of food on the island. "God, give me a sign," she pleaded.

Almost on cue, her stomach growled, its protest loud in the quiet of the storm. "Welp, I guess that's my sign," she muttered, a wry smile playing on her lips.

With a newfound determination, Zelly charged towards her canoe, springing into it with a fluid leap. As she began the treacherous journey across the increasingly turbulent sea, the storm raged around her. Thunder echoed through the air, reverberating in her chest as lightning crackled across the sky, lighting her path with its fierce, ephemeral glow.

"Almost there—almost there!" she shouted over the roar of the storm, paddling harder, her oar slicing through the agitated waves. Minutes felt like hours, but finally, she arrived at the island's edge.

"That was easier than I thought!" she exclaimed, relief washing over her as she clambered out of the boat.

With the storm still lashing around her, Zelly quickened her pace towards the garden. The sight of the verdant patch of land brought a flicker of hope, even as her heart pounded in her chest.

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"Ok, looks like the coast is clear," she breathed, scanning her surroundings for any sign of the creature that had guarded the garden before. "There's no sign of that thing, at least for now. I need to grab as many fruits and vegetables as I can, stuff my pockets, and get back to that boat. Then, I can get the hell out of here."

Having limited places to store the fruit, she only could fit one of each into her pockets. Zelly hurriedly began to harvest the fruits and vegetables, plucking one ripe apple, a juicy orange, a few sweet grapes, one plump tomato, and a buttery avocado. She attempted to wedge a potato into her already bulging pockets, but it refused to fit. Just as she was about to leave the garden, a watermelon caught her eye.

"Oh my God! I love watermelon so much! I have to have this!" Zelly exclaimed, unable to resist the tempting green orb. She scooped it up and cradled it under her arm, turning back towards the boat. But as she did, a dark figure materialized behind her - it was Zocketh, the Guardian of the Land of Fruit and Veggies.

"I warned you to never return here! Hand over the sacred fruit and vegetables now, or you will be cursed!" Zocketh bellowed, his voice echoing menacingly through the garden. But Zelly didn't heed his words. She hopped into the boat and began to row away as fast as she could.

In response, Zocketh lifted his arms towards the stormy sky. Lightning struck the water in response, the waves rebelling against her small canoe, tossing it around like a rag doll. Zelly shrieked as the dark gray clouds turned even darker, becoming as black as tar.

Then, with a tremendous force, a wave flipped her boat, sending Zelly, the watermelon, and her carefully gathered fruits and veggies into the frothing sea.

As she sank deeper, bubbles escaped from her mouth in a silent scream.

"Please, someone, anyone, help," she thought desperately. But instead of a savior, a monstrous creature emerged from the depths. Its mouth opened wide, displaying rows of jagged and bloodstained teeth snapping furiously like a piranha's. It was a chilling mix of a shark, whale, and dinosaur, it’s skin slick and black. It had black eyes, black teeth, and a black tongue. Then, it began to swim towards Zelly, its intent clear, and fear gripped her heart.

Zelly's heart pounded in her chest like a war drum, her body frozen in terror. Just as the monstrous creature was about to close its jaw on her, a flurry of color rushed toward it. A school of mermaids, their bodies shimmering in the dim light, darted towards the sea monster. They began punching the creature, their strikes swift and powerful. With a thunderous roar, the sea monster turned its tail and disappeared into the gloomy depths.

The mermaids were a sight to behold. Their skin was a soft lavender, setting off the vibrant pink of their long hair that flowed around them like ethereal clouds. Their eyes gleamed silver, intelligent and full of life. What set them apart, however, were the golden wings on their backs, an unusual yet striking feature that added to their otherworldly beauty.

Swiftly, they scooped up Zelly, their strong arms cradling her securely. They swam at a remarkable speed, and in no time, Zelly was back on the shore as she crawled onto the sand, gasping for breath.

"You're safe now," one of the mermaids said, her silver eyes meeting Zelly's.

"Thank you," Zelly managed to say between breaths, "Who are you? Are you mermaids?"

"We are Blue Aquas: Fairies of The Sea! We'll meet again, Zelly," one of them said, her voice as melodious as a lullaby. With a flick of their golden wings, the mermaids dipped back into the water and were gone, leaving a trail of vibrant glows.

"But how do you know my name?" Zelly called out, but the mermaids had already disappeared. She looked around, and her heart sank. "Oh no, my food!"

Her precious harvest was nowhere to be found, and even worse, her boat was gone too. All her hard work was for nothing.

Overwhelmed, Zelly sat on the sandy shore and sobbed, her tears falling like rain for what felt like an eternity.

Eventually, she pushed herself to her feet, her body heavy with exhaustion and defeat. She trudged back to her treehouse, hunger gnawing at her stomach. She entered her bedroom and collapsed onto her bed. As her eyes grew heavy, she surrendered to the comforting embrace of sleep.

***

The morning sun was streaming through the window, nudging Zelly awake from her slumber.

As she stirred, a familiar sight greeted her. The same squirrel she had found in her kitchen was now perched on her windowsill, happily munching on a nut, the early sunlight accentuating its glossy coat.

"Hey there, Mister Squirrel! We meet again, eh?" Zelly greeted with a sleepy smile.

She reached for the handfuls of nuts on her nightstand and held them out. The squirrel, seemingly recognizing her gesture, hopped off the windowsill and onto her bed, its tiny paws reaching for the nuts. Together, they sat, each enjoying their own handful of nuts in the comfortable silence of the morning.

"Want to be my pet? I'll call you—Mister Nuts!" Zelly declared, chuckling at her own joke. The squirrel, though not understanding her words, seemed to respond to her laughter with a twitch of its fluffy tail. Zelly had never been one to have pets, but given her current loneliness, it was nice to have some form of company.

Suddenly, a loud noise echoed from outside, startling both Zelly and Mister Nuts. She looked towards the window, her heart pounding in her chest as she wondered what could be causing such a ruckus. She moved towards the window, dread filling her as she prepared herself for what she might see...