Queen for a Day

Ch.5: Pure Fear

(Do I have service? I'm not sure! LeTs FiNd OuT! :))

Techno Reef...I've never seen it with my own eyes. I have only seen the sandy shoreline and the rippling water of the ocean that lied above the reef itself.

Although I had never once stepped foot anywhere near the reef before that day, when we arrived, something felt a bit...strange. I mean, of course it was strange; it was the only troll kingdom that was completely submerged underwater, so we couldn't go down there to see it ourselves.

This was back before we made those major upgrades to all our angler buses to give them the ability to turn into submarines.

But even though we were just stuck on the beach, there was something else in the atmosphere that made this place feel...like it was going to be important. The worst part was that I didn't know if that was a good kind of important or bad.

I shook my head, and quickly brushed this feeling away. I waited with Roxy by the angler bus as mom walked towards the ocean alone. You could tell just by looking at her body posture that Roxy was starting to really test her patience.

"Hey sis?" I asked Roxy, who was now more excited than ever before.

"Yeah, Kat?"

"Do you think maybe you could, I don't know, tone down the energy a bit? Maybe stay in one place for once?"

Roxy just smiled at me. "Why? I'm too excited to stay still!" I sighed.

"Just...please? Mom and I have had to chase you around all day, and she's starting to look a bit exhausted. We'll be going home after this, so just do her a favor and behave until then. Alright?"

Roxy sighed. "Ok, sis..."

That didn't last long though. Once the leader of the techno trolls showed up, Roxy seemed to forget everything I had just told her and dashed forward, ready to ask questions. I just put my head in my hands and followed her.

Mom introduced the two of us to King Marin, and then I started discussing things with him, like I did with the leaders at all the other locations.

Roxy, on the other hand, wandered over to a cluster of rocks and started tracing her fingers along their rough surfaces. She was clearly bored, but at least she had finally decided to listen to what I had said.

Unlike my discussions with the others, which I remember nothing about, there was one thing that I remember from my conversation with the techno king. I don't know why though. It had nothing to do with being a great queen, and was totally out of the blue.

Or maybe it was because those were the string of questions I asked right before Roxy...eh...you'll find out.

What happened was that I looked past him towards the horizon, where the sky met the ocean, and just thought...what's out there?

"Hey, King Marin, can I ask you a quick question that has nothing to do with ruling a kingdom?" I was curious, and wanted to see if he knew the answer.

"Yes? What is it?" He asked while smiling down at me.

So I asked him: "Do you know what's on the other side of the ocean?"

King Marin looked puzzled by my question. He turned around and looked out towards the horizon, deep in thought.

"I'm not entirely sure...none of us techno trolls stray too far from the reef," he responded. "But something is there! It's just that only one troll has seen it with their own eyes...but that was a long time ago."

"Who?" The king turned back around to face me and offered me a small smile.

"My great grandfather. About 100 years ago, there was a virus that plagued our reef and threatened to kill nearly everyone and everything in it. There was no known cure for it here. So, he went searching for the antidote, until he found it in a cluster of caves on an island that is located on the other side of the ocean."

"An island?" I responded.

"Yes, an island. But he didn't find the cure all on his own. If it weren't for the islanders guidance, we wouldn't exist here today."

"Islanders?...Do trolls live there?!" I asked.

"Yes...They call themselves the-"

Click!

King Marin turned his head to look at Roxy, who was now sitting down on one of the rocks nearby. He looked a bit nervous.

"Um, Princess, I wouldn't sit there if I were you," he said. I saw mom roll her eyes a bit as she made her way towards my sister.

"Come on, Roxy. You heard him. Now get back over here." She was really irritated now. But instead of obeying, Roxy crossed her arms and gave mom the pouty lip.

"Why? I came here to listen to different types of music, and so far, I haven't heard anything!" Roxy huffed. "So when you guys are done discussing boring adult stuff, and actually let me do the one thing I came here to do, I'll be waiting for you right here!"

Ding!

Within seconds, Roxy was catapulted into the air, heading straight towards the ocean at high speed. All I could do was watch, my feet practically frozen to the ground, as she splashed head first into the water.

Mom started panicking as she watched Roxy flail around helplessly in the water.

"She doesn't know how to swim!" she screamed.

Of course she doesn't. None of us rock trolls knew how. There was no need to go swimming back in Volcano Rock City. All we had were rocks and lava pools.

As mom ran around frantically trying to find a stick that was long enough to reach her, Roxy disappeared under the surface of the water...

And didn't come back up.

I can still hear mom's blood curdling screams echoing in my brain every time I think about this memory. It was the kind of scream that would make ears bleed. King Marin finally snapped out of his daze and dove into the water to go save her...but he couldn't find her.

She had completely disappeared.

My heart practically stopped beating. I couldn't move. I could hardly breathe! Was this what fear felt like in its purest form?