Chapter Five

The substance later melted away, leaving the ground open to another attack from my shovel. It must surely have been a sign from a greater power; I found not one, but two chests laden with treasure; each one selling for five thousand dollars!


It was such a relief I couldn’t tell you. Thanks to this unexpected surge of income, I was able to not only turn my box into a proper house, but I could even add flooring and pretty wall coverings!

I had learned that some people had taken to breeding their pets and, with Ariel being such a darling, I quickly grew excited at the prospect of her nurturing kittens. I heard that an outdoor pet house was necessary for such a task, and happily I was in the position now to purchase one – and still have plenty left over!

I was so happy to finally study the cookbook in comfort, with a roof over my head. So excited was I at being able to cover the walls, I wasn’t so bothered by the lack of appealing designs at the time; ideally I’d like something that reminded me more of home, but for now this will have to do.

I decided to keep the phone in my room for not only convenience, but also so that I would be able to hear anyone who wanted to call. I also chose to upgrade my bed to a double, under another of Raquel’s suggestions. Well, I’ll admit the extra space is nice, although I’m not quite sure why she was so persuasive about it.

She explained about this weather we experience on dry land, and after I explained my wish to breed Ariel, she was only too happy to point me in the direction of the local pet shop – after making me promise she could own one of the kittens produced. I came home with this little man, who I named Poseidon after an old friend of mine.

Ariel in fact got promoted, adding more to my growing surplus. I decided it was time to buy myself a form of exercise that didn’t require one to freeze in the now icy waters.

Still more training was required for the little lady to progress. This time it was to roll over...

... which, again, she picked up very well – I expected no less by now. She certainly loves to please.

I found myself studying something else a couple of days later; not out of pleasure either, but necessity.

All so I could fix this newfangled contraption, which broke after a mere few uses! I think next time I’ll seek the assistance of someone whose legs don’t turn to fins when they get wet. It didn’t happen, not quite. One scare is one too many though.

Still, the good news is that Ariel has now reached the pinnacle of her career. No more training, unless I wish to of course – there is still the matter of the toilet.

She wasn’t the only one who was going up in the world that day, either. I was being promoted almost daily of late! This particular day though, I was too shattered to feel that delighted – that came later.

After a few days of good fortune, I was feeling brave enough to invite Teddy over. My heart was racing as I reached for his hands, even more so when he clutched mine in return! We merely stood there for a while, a fire inside beginning to burn with enough strength to melt the snow around us. The day really couldn’t get any better.

Or so I thought. He told me he’d hoped our relationship could blossom, saying how much he would love to live by the ocean. The suggestion for him to therefore move in slipped past my lips, and at first I was hoping I could clutch hold of them and force them back into my mouth. I nearly fainted with excitement when he accepted!

I was soon growing tired, however, and had to excuse myself to my bed. How I will sleep with all this happening is beyond me!

If any of you have ever been in the position I’ve been faced with lately, you’ll understand the relief I’m feeling right now! I can understand it must be a steep learning curve for her. The look in her face tells me though, that deep down she’d wanted this as much as I did.

Now I’m able to tell my side of the story, I’d better introduce myself properly. My name’s Teddy Paul and, funnily enough, I’m a Pisces. Co-incidence or fate? Who knows? At any rate it would perhaps explain my love of the ocean, which in turn is partly what drew me to her in the first place. That and I find her childish curiosity adorable, although of course there is more than that to her.

I have to be a little cheeky at this point, as I have a confession to make: although in my current job I, erm, can’t mention as it’s top secret, I’m a designer at heart. I watched her home grow, and couldn’t help but wish to aid its expansion. She has done well in building it up this far, and can only hope she lets me take over the building work. In the meantime though, it’s high time I made some more personal changes...

That’s better; I can see my face properly now! For now though, I must retire myself. Things to do, places to see, cities to sa... erm, build. I know what I’ll be doing tomorrow, that’s for sure.