Telling Greta about John
After getting and cleaned up Carl knew he had to tell Greta about her Uncle Johns’ death. He knew she was going to be really upset since they were related. Standing at the door to the kitchen he dreaded telling her, but he knew someone had too and it might as well be him.
Opening the door he walked in, Minty looked over to him “What took you so long, thought you accidentally went overboard.” Greta and Minty both laughed at her comment. Seeing the solemn look on Carl’s face they both stopped laughing.
Carl stood there frozen, taking a breath in he looked over at Greta, “Come here I need to talk to you.” He said to her.
Greta looked confused; “OK” she said as she walked over towards him.
“
I found you Uncle John dead, I’m so sorry for your loss Greta, I don’t know how he died, why but he was in the holding room when I found him. We had no choice but dispose of him in the sea.” He placed his hands on her shoulders waiting to comfort her.
She looked confused, “Greta, your uncle John is dead.” Carl said again to her.
Okay so he’s dead, I don’t care …. wait he is supposed to be my fake uncle. I need to act like I care.” Greta snapped out of her silence, staring at Carl. She mustered up all she could to cry. Placing her hands over her face to hide it mostly so they wouldn’t be able to tell she didn’t care if he was dead or not. After covering her face with her hands, she started to scream, a little too loudly. Crying sounds, trying really hard to make tears. Sniffing she faked breathing hard, “He’s dead? I’m all alone now Carl.”
Patting her on the shoulder, “There, there why don’t you take the rest of the day off. I know it’s a lot to process.” Carl offered it to Greta.
Shaking her head “Thank you Carl.” Sniffing, she walked out to her room.
“Carl why don’t you take Greta to see the sea sprites, I don’t think she has ever seen any and that might brighten up her day.” Minty said to Carl.
Shaking his head in agreement, “I think I will we arrived at a port this morning. I can take a small boat to the reefs where they live.” Feeling good about helping Greta get over her grief Carl headed for her room.
Knocking on her door, Greta opened it. “Hi Carl, I just got here did you need something.?” Sniffing and whipping her face tears.
“Minty came up with a great suggestion, how would you like to go see the sea sprites today? It might make you feel better after loosing your uncle.” Carl said to her
Gretas face lit up, her hands balled up and she gave a little jump from being excited. “Yes! I would love to go.”
“Alright let’s get to it.” Carl held his hand out for Greta to walk out of the room first.
Carl rented a small boat and navigated to some reefs where the sea sprites are said to live. Sitting in the boat they floated up to the Reefs, “I don’t see anything Carl, maybe they moved, or we were lied to about them being here.”
“No, just wait a few minutes. So, the boat floated and waited a few minutes, sure enough a small two-foot-tall humanoid creature peaked out from under the water between two corrals. The sprite was a female with seaweed-colored hair and large fishlike eyes and round ruby cheeks. The Sprite lifted herself up to sit on top of a corral.
Greta was smiling so wide; carl knew he made a wise decision about bringing her here. Two more sprites came up from under the water and sat on the coral. They were looking at Greta, talking to each other in their own language. They were beautiful to Greta; each one was a different color.
“We can’t touch them or get to close to them.” Carl told Greta.
When all three sprites looked at Greta it seemed like they were trying to communicate with her. One reached out to Greta like she wanted to touch her, but Greta didn’t move since Carl told her not to. She was so excited she squealed like a little schoolgirl. After about 30 minutes Carl mentioned it was time to leave. Pulling the small, rented boat up on the dock, Greta couldn’t help but jump and down with excitement. “Thank you so much Carl!!! This means everything to me.” Walking over to him she reached up and gave him a peck on the cheek. She skipped her way down the boardwalk to the ship.
Carl stood like a statue staring at Greta. Greta reminded Carl of his deceased wife so much during the time with the sprites that all he could do was stand there like a statue and watch her leave. She was skipping with joy just like his wife would do. He just now noticed this about Greta how her actions reminded him so much of his deceased wife.
He misses his wife so much, but why does Greta remind him of her. She doesn’t look like her.
Greta skipped her way back to the boat, forgetting she was supposed to be mourning her uncle’s death. That hateful person wasn’t her uncle anyway, he was a drunk that wanted to rape her and if he hadn’t of died then he might have succeeded. Thinking to herself as she walked back into her room. Going inside she locked the door and fell face first onto her bed. She was so happy, seeing the sprites and thinking about Alexander. Her thought went to the tail, I know it wasn’t a dream now. There is no way I would still remember it like I do if it was. I just remember he was comforting me then I woke up in my bed like 12 hours later.