Dear Diary:
� � � � � � � This morning, I went to the beach again, as usual. After all these years, I still can't believe that no one goes there... I'm glad... glad that I can go there and be tranquil. But still, sometimes I wish I had some company. I miss Gwyn... and wish that she would return someday; even if for a visit! I mean, why would anyone leave Riamahn??? Ok, I take that back, but still, who wouldn't return???
� � � � � � �� Sometimes I can swear I see her out there, floating in the waves.... I can see her red hair... her pink dress... But she's not there! If I see her then I'm seeing a ghost! And if I'm seeing a ghost, then that means she's dead! But she can't be dead... Just because we don't write each other anymore doesn't mean she's dead! It's just... well, we agreed to go our separate ways, anyways... But let it be noted that I've heard some of the Ladies in the capital talk about Lord Von Howell's success in Shurrah and his four daughters, not three, four! So... she has got be alive!
� � � � � � � �� But that's not important on today's log, and besides, I think I scribble already to much about Gwyneth! I need to write this down with as much detail before I forget! The most bizarre thing happened to me today! For the first time since Gwyneth, there was actually signs of human life, presence, and intervention! ...besides myself...
� � � � � � � � � The first thing I saw was a long wooden staff buried slightly in the sand, and standing straight upright! But that was it! I wondered how it had gotten there when I heard someone shouting from the water, "Don't you touch it, boy!!! You touch that staff and you die!!!". It sounded like the voice of a man. And, indeed it was. Soon, the man swam back to shore, and walked up to me, "Now, skedaddle, boy! Get outta here!"
� � � � � � � � �� "Why should I leave? This isn't your beach!", I replied, "Don't worry. I won't touch your precious staff". "Like hell you won't. 'Cause I said I'd kill ya!", said the man. He was very strange, much taller than me... He was old (a little)... His face was... crooked... and wrinkled. He had bushy gray eyebrows and... green hair!!! He spoke with a quick and raspy tone from his thick lips, and his blue eyes squinted at me the whole time! He was very cranky. "And what makes you say this isn't my beach?", he asked.
"Well, I've been coming here for as long as I can remember, and I don't remember ever seeing you before!", I said.
"I've been coming here longer than you remember! In fact, I remember much further back than you!"
"I'm sure you could. But not on this beach!"
"Oh gnome droppings! That's preposterous! Why, this is the very beach I visited yesterday!"
"I didn't... see you yesterday..."
"And you won't see me tomorrow! But, I've made an appointment to myself to come here tomorrow, so you might as well say -on the day after tomorrow- that I visited tomorrow!"
"Look... you can do as you please... This isn't my beach..."
"Well then! May I have it?"
"The beach???"
"No, the Gatliek Coral Reef... YES of course, the beach!!!!!"
"But it's not mine to give..."
"Exactly! Why would you give it to me if it was yours???"
"Look... I don't believe the beach needs to be yours... for you to come here... Just, visit when you like!"
"Good! I shall do that! You may too, of course! Only, don't touch my staff... You'll screw me up"
"You're already screwed up...", I mumbled.
"What? I am???", he said, almost with panic in his voice; and he looked out to the waters. Then, he looked back at his staff, then back to the waters. "I'm not screwed up", he said, "I'm in the right coordinates"
"What are you talking about?"
"I use my trusty staff to determine my place in the water!", the strange man said, smiling proudly.
"How do you do that?"
"Easy! When I'm out in the ocean, I look back ashore, and if I'm lined up with my staff, I'm in the right spot!"
"What is the right spot?"
"Where it's safe!"
"How do you know where it's safe?"
"Oh gnome droppings! Do you have to ask so many questions?"
"I'm sorry. You don't have to answer anything. I'll be leaving you alone now..."
"No, no, no! You can't leave now! You can't leave questions unanswered! Otherwise, we'd never stop asking questions! And, if we stop asking questions, we'd never have any answers! And, without answers... well, we'd all just go straight to bubbling hell, now wouldn't we?"
"That doesn't make sense... You just said-"
"That's why we ask questions! So that things can make sense! Of course, now that things make sense, I'm going to answer your question. Thus, I'll probably confuse you again..."
"It doesn't matter... Really! It's okay."
"The right spot... is where it's warm! That's where you oughta be, if you're swimming in the ocean! And, I found it! Then, I went out to the sand and marked the spot with my staff. The spot in the ocean, that's lined up with my staff, is the safest spot!"
"How do you know that you didn't lose the spot as you left the waters to plant the staff in the sand???"
"More questions!!! I have certainly confused you. I will not answer any more, so that things can remain understood... now that everything makes sense"
"Right... Well, have a good day, then!"
"Would you like my staff?"
"Excuse me?"
"My staff. You don't see anything wrong with it, do you? It's to your liking isn't it?"
"It's a fine a staff. But, I don't want it. Thanks"
"Oh, no problem! If you ever need it, it's right here for the taking! You may have it."
"Thanks..."
� � � � � � � � And, I began to turn away... away from his crooked, freaky smile... a grin. He was weird! Suddenly, he reached for his hair and pulled the glob of algae from his head, and threw it on the sand. The man was bald!
"How rude, kid!!!", he told me, "All this time... How come you didn't tell me I had algae on my head??!!??"� � � � ��