| 19.
Fish Food! |
“Those
guards have no doubt been informed by my traitorous brother of my
temporary confinement, so
trying to breeze by them using the draw bridge is not going to work,” Rosella said to herself. She stood
there with a fast burning sunset at her back, gazing down at the drifting waters of the castle moat. The sound
was a hypnotic lapping at the rocks lining the shore. Taking her red skirt up in her hands, Rosella took
slow and calculated steps down the bank until the water splashed up onto the tips of her black heels.
“Well, I might as well not ruin these,” she said of her shoes, bending one leg back at a time, slipping the
dainty heels off her feet.
trying to breeze by them using the draw bridge is not going to work,” Rosella said to herself. She stood
there with a fast burning sunset at her back, gazing down at the drifting waters of the castle moat. The sound
was a hypnotic lapping at the rocks lining the shore. Taking her red skirt up in her hands, Rosella took
slow and calculated steps down the bank until the water splashed up onto the tips of her black heels.
“Well, I might as well not ruin these,” she said of her shoes, bending one leg back at a time, slipping the
dainty heels off her feet.
She took a
hesitant step into the dark glassy moat and gasped in surprise at how
cold the water turned out to
be, imagining it would have been much warmer. It was impossible to see anything beneath the surface at
present light. The water itself appeared as though it were black, a cold and clean black. Rosella took a
few more steps and quickly found herself waist deep in water on a steep decline. The next step was her
drop off, and she was forced to tread water to keep her head afloat. It was a little awkward trying to kick
her legs in the skirt. While the high slit helped here, her sheer white stockings did little to protect her
slender legs from the chill of the dark waters.
be, imagining it would have been much warmer. It was impossible to see anything beneath the surface at
present light. The water itself appeared as though it were black, a cold and clean black. Rosella took a
few more steps and quickly found herself waist deep in water on a steep decline. The next step was her
drop off, and she was forced to tread water to keep her head afloat. It was a little awkward trying to kick
her legs in the skirt. While the high slit helped here, her sheer white stockings did little to protect her
slender legs from the chill of the dark waters.
After
acclimating herself to her uncharacteristic swimming attire, Rosella
relaxed into a breast stroke
heading across the moat, toward the shadowy outline of an iron grate at the base of the castle wall. Upon
reaching the middle of the moat, she felt a rush of water beneath her that seemed out of place. It was
strange enough that she stopped to tread for a moment quiet as possible, little ears listening for anything at
all. Rosella bobbed in place listening to silence in the calm waters. There was nothing around her, no sign
of life. And then she felt it again; the rush of water beneath her. Only this time is started small, and got
bigger and more powerful. It was getting closer to her, coming from below. The princess didn’t have much
time to be confused before something large and solid bumped into her, and with a large splash, raised her
up out of the water. Rosella was high up on a pedestal, only it wasn’t a pedestal. The girl was sitting on
the snout of a large reptilian creature. She looked down at the moat monster and saw its large red eyes,
feeling the hot steam from its nostrils as it clashed with the cool night air. The head was as large as the
princess with a long neck that disappeared under the black waters.
heading across the moat, toward the shadowy outline of an iron grate at the base of the castle wall. Upon
reaching the middle of the moat, she felt a rush of water beneath her that seemed out of place. It was
strange enough that she stopped to tread for a moment quiet as possible, little ears listening for anything at
all. Rosella bobbed in place listening to silence in the calm waters. There was nothing around her, no sign
of life. And then she felt it again; the rush of water beneath her. Only this time is started small, and got
bigger and more powerful. It was getting closer to her, coming from below. The princess didn’t have much
time to be confused before something large and solid bumped into her, and with a large splash, raised her
up out of the water. Rosella was high up on a pedestal, only it wasn’t a pedestal. The girl was sitting on
the snout of a large reptilian creature. She looked down at the moat monster and saw its large red eyes,
feeling the hot steam from its nostrils as it clashed with the cool night air. The head was as large as the
princess with a long neck that disappeared under the black waters.
The moat monster
looked at the trembling princess sitting on its snout for a few
moments, then flicked its head, tossing Rosella up into the air. The poor princess
came tumbling down to a wide-open mouth, sliding right down the serpent’s throat
and into its belly, screaming all the way. With a satisfied flicker of its tongue and
a tender morsel had, the moat monster sank back beneath the inky waters and
returned to swimming laps around the castle. And that, princess Rosella, was the
end of you! Though it should be mentioned the bed sheet rope leading down from
your bedroom window was found, and your favorite black heels at the edge of the
moat were also found. Heads shook at the foolishness of your actions, and they
even left your shoes there as a reminder with a wooden sign wedged into the
ground that read: “Do not feed the moat monster” as a reminder to the folk of the
kingdom. Way to go, Rosella!
moments, then flicked its head, tossing Rosella up into the air. The poor princess
came tumbling down to a wide-open mouth, sliding right down the serpent’s throat
and into its belly, screaming all the way. With a satisfied flicker of its tongue and
a tender morsel had, the moat monster sank back beneath the inky waters and
returned to swimming laps around the castle. And that, princess Rosella, was the
end of you! Though it should be mentioned the bed sheet rope leading down from
your bedroom window was found, and your favorite black heels at the edge of the
moat were also found. Heads shook at the foolishness of your actions, and they
even left your shoes there as a reminder with a wooden sign wedged into the
ground that read: “Do not feed the moat monster” as a reminder to the folk of the
kingdom. Way to go, Rosella!
-The End
