Just 'cause I Played with the Sea

Once upon a time there was this stupid old- who am I kidding? Alright, alright. That was once upon MY time.

I was sunbathing on the beach. Fine. THAT, and feasting my eyes with the girls around. It was all happy day and blue sky and lovely sun until he arrived.

“Cuddle up, beasts!” the human clapped his hands. I yawned. The others scuttled towards him, and I had a feeling that this guy wasn’t just SOME guy. I mean, not that we crabs know much about those human subspecies, but still, our type didn’t really ‘bowed’ to orders

like some chained slaves, which was what my friends were doing right now.

“You all probably know me already, but still…” he clapped once, “Me the Eldest Magician here has a role in line for you species.”

Ah, the Eldest Magician. So this is THE Magician. They were talking about him like mad, but not in a gossipy way.

Once my buddy told me, “He could turn you into a rainbow in a wave of his hands!”

And I was like “COOL!” I mean, rainbows were beautiful, weren’t they?

The Magician didn’t seem to notice me. He continued, “Play at being a crab. That’s all you need to do.”

I laid back on the warm sand, half-hearing the Magician babble on about composing the Earth, giving earthlings a job, and blah, blah,

some stuff magicians would say to intimidate the others, you know.

Then I noticed the little human girl perching next to him. And she was glaring at me. My first expression to her was like, “I don’t date humans. Sorry.” But then I realized I was the only one not in the group paying attention to the stupid Magician so I figured she wasn’t

happy about it.

I smiled up at the sun. She continued to glare.

Really?

I scoffed and scuttled away towards the sea, drifting myself back to my house below the scorching Earth.

*****************************

A few days went by. I had no idea what was going on with the others. Probably busy wiping buckets of tears from their eyes trying to play the role given by the old man Magician.

I scurried out towards the surface of the sea. A little sunbath might-

Something snatched at me and the next thing I knew, I was dangling in a net. The Magician and the probably treacherous little girl were

on the boat, gaping at me. Wait, they were GAPING at me.

The Magician clicked his tongue, “So, I see the little Hermit has grown a bit too much. What, binging all day long down there is it?”

I looked down at my shell. OK, I HAD grown a bit too much, I admit.

The old man narrowed his eyes a bit too fast and hissed, “You don’t even know what disaster you’re bringing in here, don’t you, you big fat lazy vermin? Well let’s see, each time you move your butt outta that cave of yours, the waters of the ocean come swooshing down into Pusat Tasek. AND, each time you get your lazy bones-“

“I don’t think I have bones.”

“EACH TIME, you get back to your dear cave, the ocean rises. And the mud you caused on shore isn’t likeable.”

I.Did. Not. Understand. A. Word. At. All.

But I still managed, “Ha, didn’t realize I was that important.”

“Look, you useless Hermit. I didn’t give you red chunks species a play for no reason! The world HAS to work and you guys have to do your part, or-“

I couldn’t stand it. “Who the HELL you think you humans are? Just bigger eyes than us crabs that’s all. WHAT, you gonna turn me into a rainbow? Why thank you. There’s this sexy dove I’ve wanted to woo for a while now.”

The Magician held his chin high and seemed to be breathing a little harder. I sincerely hope he was having a heart attack.

He aimed his finger at me, “You want to play arrogant and stubborn, worthless Hermit-“

“I’m not a Hermit crab, you twonk.”

The Magician looked grim. Too grim for my liking.

His mouth was now such thin lines I swear for a minute I thought he’d accidentally magic his own mouth away.

I was about to retort again when out of nowhere, yeah exactly that, out of NOWHERE, dark clouds came rolling over. Lightning crackled.

Holy Salty.

The old man held up his hands and muttered incessantly. At first I thought it was just some usual old man mumbling stuff, then I gulped. Was that a spell he was chanting out loud?

No good. No good. A blinding bright green light hit me in the chest and I screamed. Never had I felt such torturing pain. My insides felt like they were coming apart.

I yelled louder when I glanced down at my shell. I had no shell.

I was about to shout “I hope you choke on your denture!” to the old scum when another orange light hit me in my face. IN MY FACE.

That guy was gonna pay for that.

I prayed to Poseidon and looked down at my- No no no no no no. NO. WAY. I looked up at the Magician and the little girl. I was ten times larger than them seconds ago and now I was the rodent and they were the giants. I gaped at my body, if you call small and soft flesh a body.

I truly hate you now, Poseidon.

The human girl gasped and that was when I saw it in her eyes. Pity. Sympathy. God I hate that look. I don’t need sympathy. It was pathetic. But then I myself felt it as well. Look at my….’body’.

I would not cry. I would NOT cry.

The girl bent down and handed me two scissors. So she was guilty now and wanted me to launch some big event? Oh stupid me. That was what I exactly needed to survive. I grabbed the scissors and wielded them in my supposedly hands.

For a moment I imagined myself cutting the beard off the Magician’s face but then he spoke, satisfaction dripping in his voice, “You will have the shell back, no worries. I don’t turn people- or crabs or whatever- into RAINBOWS. I make them remember what I, the Eldest Magician could do. You and your useless generations shall live with that. On the twelfth month of each year, your shells shall grow soft as the reminder…” he spat, “As for the first eleven months, you crabs can have your stupid red armours back. And keep those scissors, they’re a token of pity from us humans.”