The Lonely Lake Monster

by Suzanne Selfors

  Pearl stepped aside as the lake monster lunged for the mirror. “Well, maybe that’s all true, but I’m going to fix things,” she announced. She walked over to the leprechaun and set the golden pot at his feet. “I brought this present for you,” she told him. “I’m sorry I took your gold.”

  He dabbed his nose with his handkerchief. “This be a present for Cobblestone?”

  “Yes. For Cobblestone’s gold.”

  “But Cobblestone’s gold be across the lake,” he said with a scowl.

  Pearl sidestepped again as the monster tried to grab the mirror. “We’re going to get back across the lake because I brought something special.” She held up the mirror. The monster immediately calmed down and stared, entranced by its green reflection.

  Ben folded his arms and looked from the mirror to the monster and back to the mirror. “I don’t get it.”

  “It’s lonely,” Pearl explained. “That’s why it brought you here. But now it thinks there’s another lake monster on the island, and so it might let us go.”

  “Might?” Ben asked. “Might let us go?”

  “I can’t be sure, but I think it will work.” Pearl started walking down the beach, holding the mirror aloft. The creature paddled alongside, its graceful neck keeping pace with Pearl. Pearl stopped at the trunk of a huge pine tree. “We’ll put it here,” she said.

  Ben and the leprechaun wandered over. “Can we use your hammer?” Pearl asked, pointing to the leprechaun’s apron.

  The leprechaun shook his head. “Human hands never touch Cobblestone’s hammer.”

  “Then will you hang the mirror?” Pearl asked. “It might be our only chance at getting off this island and back to your gold.”

  With a grumble, the leprechaun pulled his hammer from his apron, along with a little nail. “Very well. Cobblestone will oblige.” Ben knelt, and the leprechaun climbed up onto his shoulders. The monster watched as the little guy hammered three times, driving the nail through the pine tree’s bark. Pearl handed up the mirror. As soon as it was in place, the leprechaun scrambled down.

  Green scales undulated as a shudder ran up the monster’s neck. It smiled into the mirror and chirped. The sound was just like the one Lemon Face made when he talked to his reflection.

  “It’s working,” Ben said with surprise.

  “Let’s go,” Pearl whispered.

  Ben was the first to hit the water, Pearl close behind. By the time she’d waded up to her knees, Ben was already halfway across. “Come on, Cobblestone,” she called.

  The leprechaun held tight to the plastic pot. He pushed through a small patch of lily pads, then stopped to sneeze. Pearl cringed. Could swimming make his head cold even worse? She hadn’t considered that. And all his tools looked really heavy. Maybe her plan wasn’t so great after all.

  “Uh, Cobblestone,” she said. “Don’t you think you should take off your apron?”

  He stepped deeper. The water reached to his chest and then…

  … he disappeared.

  Leaving only the plastic pot at the surface.

  17

  Pearl inhaled deeply, then dove into the murky water. Her flip-flops floated away, but she didn’t care. Where was he? Kicking, she pushed forward. Please, please, please, she thought as she reached in front, then to both sides, grasping lilypad stems between her fingers. A fish bumped into her hand, then swam away. Just as she was about to run out of air, she found something solid.

  She pulled with all her might. He was so heavy. Up, up, up she pulled until they burst to the surface. Gasping, Pearl and the leprechaun lay in the shallows next to the island. “Your apron,” she said between deep breaths. “You can’t swim in it. It’s too heavy. You’ll have to leave it here.”

  “Cobblestone will never leave his tools,” he declared. His big, round ears poked out from his drenched hair.

  “But we’re so close to escaping,” she said, wiping a piece of lily pad from her face. “Can’t you buy new tools?”

  “These tools be ancient.” He sneezed and water shot out of his ears. “These tools are the reason why Cobblestone be the best cobbler in all the Imaginary World.”

  Having reached the other side, Ben climbed onto the dock and stood at the edge, his lab coat clinging to his shivering body. “What’s going on? Hurry up!” he called. The lake monster didn’t seem to care one bit that Ben had escaped. It continued to chirp at its reflection.

  Pearl’s mind raced. There had to be some way to get across the lake with the heavy apron. That’s when she noticed the plastic pot, floating past. She reached out and grabbed it. “Put your apron in here,” she said. “We can push it across.”

  The apron fit inside, along with the leprechaun’s boots. As they swam, he and Pearl took turns pushing the pot. The lake monster paid no mind, smiling, toothy green, at its reflection.

  Once they’d reached the opposite shore, Ben helped them out of the water. The leprechaun put on his boots and apron, and poured his gold coins into the plastic golden pot. “Cobblestone likes his new pot,” he said. Then he started coughing.

  “We need to get back,” Ben urged.

  Pearl couldn’t agree more. Barefoot, she led the way. The leprechaun carried his gold as if it weighed nothing more than a handful of feathers. It seemed silly to Pearl that the leprechaun rated a level three on the danger scale. He hadn’t been one bit dangerous. But maybe that was only because his magic had been clogged by sniffles and snot.

  They slipped into the hospital and rode the conveyor belt back to the Steam Room, where the air was warm and mentholated. The leprechaun sneezed three times in a row. Water dripped from the apron’s soaked leather, and he began to shiver all over. Pearl found a blanket in the closet, but it didn’t warm him up. “He’s really sick,” she said.

  “Yeah,” Ben agreed. “I don’t feel so well, either.” He sneezed, and Pearl couldn’t believe her eyes. Gold dust shot out of Ben’s nose!

  “Wow,” she said. “How’d you do that?”

  “I don’t know.” His nostrils sparkled as if he’d stuck his face into a bowl of glitter. “But that was pretty awesome.”

  “There is nothing awesome about catching a leprechaun cold,” a voice said.

  Pearl turned around and found herself staring at a plaid vest.

  18

  Mr. Tabby looked down at Pearl, his eyes narrowed in a look of pure suspicion. He held tight to a tray. “Why are you soaking wet?”

  Pearl stepped back. “Uh…” She almost slipped on the water that had leaked from her lab coat onto the floor. “Uh…”

  “We fell in the lake,” Ben said, clearing his throat to begin one of his elaborate stories. “We were clipping the sasquatch’s toenails, just as you asked, when I went to look out the window. I opened it to get a better view, and that’s when I dropped the toenail clippers and they landed in the lake. So we went to the lake to get them, and we fell in.”

  Mr. Tabby’s red eyebrows pressed together. “You both fell in?”

  “I started to fall in, and I reached out to grab Pearl’s hand to stop my fall, but I accidentally pulled her in. That’s why we’re both wet.”

  “I see.” Mr. Tabby curled his upper lip. “And why are you in the Steam Room, pray tell?”

  Ben hesitated. He tapped his fingers against the legs of his damp jeans. “Why are we in the Steam Room? Is that what you asked?”

  “Yes, that is precisely what I asked.”

  Pearl’s mind raced. How could they possibly explain why, after falling into the lake, they’d jumped on the conveyor belt and had come to this room? “Well…” Ben shuffled. Then he smiled. “We got lost. Yes, that’s it. We got lost.”

  It was a very good explanation. The hospital was huge, after all. But even though the last thing Pearl wanted was to get into trouble, she knew Cobblestone needed help. “Mr. Tabby,” she said as she stepped aside, revealing the little shivering leprechaun who stood behind her. “I took him outside. He fell in the lake, too.”

  A sof
t growl sounded in Mr. Tabby’s throat. “Why would you take the leprechaun outside?”

  Pearl swallowed hard. “The truth is—”

  “The truth be that Cobblestone asked the girl to take him outside,” the leprechaun interrupted, and then he sneezed so hard, the blanket fell off his shoulders.

  “Why would you go outside with a human?”

  “Cobblestone likes this human,” the leprechaun replied. “She be the only human to take Cobblestone’s gold and then give it back again, with a nice new pot.”

  Pearl couldn’t believe it. Not only had Ben tried to cover for her mistakes, but so had the leprechaun. She might have given each a hug if she hadn’t been so worried. “Mr. Tabby, I think Cobblestone might have a fever. Is he going to be okay?”

  Mr. Tabby set the tray on the counter. It held a steaming saucepan, a ladle, and three bowls. “Lake swimming should be avoided when one has a head cold,” he said. Then he stuck a thermometer into the leprechaun’s round ear. The thermometer beeped. “One hundred and fifty degrees.”

  “One hundred and fifty degrees?” Ben asked. “How’s that possible?”

  “Leprechaun blood is very hot. This is only a slight fever. Quite curable with Dr. Woo’s special soup.” As he removed the lid from the saucepan, a salty scent drifted out, making Pearl’s stomach growl. After ladling the soup, Mr. Tabby handed a bowl to the leprechaun. “But without the soup, the fever might rise to a deadly level.”

  “Deadly?” Pearl gulped. Then she sneezed. Gold dust filled the air around her.

  “It appears you have both caught the leprechaun’s cold. I anticipated as much when I saw the three sets of wet footprints in the lobby. Leprechaun colds are highly contagious.” He ladled soup into two more bowls and handed them to Pearl and Ben.

  “It smells like my mom’s matzo ball soup,” Ben said. “Is it matzo ball soup?”

  “It is Dr. Woo’s special soup. A secret recipe. Drink.”

  Steam coated Pearl’s face as she sipped. The taste was salty and sweet at the same time. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was. Sneaking out of the hospital, running to the Dollar Store, and rescuing Ben and the leprechaun from the lake monster must have burned a lot of energy. She drank three whole bowls. The broth instantly warmed her insides and somehow dried all her clothes, too. “Hey,” she said, “my nose is clear.”

  “Mine, too,” said Ben as he finished his second bowl.

  “The sniffles and snot be gone,” the leprechaun said with a smile.

  “Wow, that’s amazing. It usually takes a few days for my colds to go away,” Pearl said. Another brilliant idea popped into her head. “If we sold this soup at the Dollar Store, we’d be rich.”

  “Impossible,” Mr. Tabby said. “Dr. Woo’s soup is not for sale.” He pulled out his pocket watch. “Now that everyone is cured, it is time for you two to get back to work. Did you finish with the sasquatch?”

  “No,” Pearl and Ben replied.

  “Then you had best complete your task before Dr. Woo returns.”

  “You’re not going to fire us?” Pearl asked.

  “Dr. Woo is in charge of this hospital. Whether you stay or whether you go is her decision alone.” Mr. Tabby picked up the tray. “Come along.”

  “Good-bye,” Ben said as he reached out to shake the leprechaun’s hand. “It was nice meeting you. I’m sorry we caused you some trouble.” Cobblestone frowned, looking none too pleased about shaking with a human.

  When it was Pearl’s turn to say good-bye, she also frowned, but only because she didn’t want the visit to end. “Can I have your address?” she asked. “That way we can be pen pals.”

  The leprechaun reached into an apron pocket and took out a pair of shoes. “These be for you, Pearl, the regular girl, who pulled Cobblestone and his cobbling tools from the bottom of the lake.”

  “For me?” Pearl took the shoes. They were pink and soft, almost like ballet slippers. She slid them onto her bare feet. “They fit perfectly.” Then she leaned close and whispered, “Are they princess shoes?”

  “No,” he said. “They be better. They be made by Cobblestone’s own hand. You will discover what they do when the time be right.”

  19

  Pearl and Ben followed Mr. Tabby down the hall. “Can we talk to Cobblestone again later?” Pearl asked. “I have so many questions. Like, why do leprechauns make shoes? Do they make anything else, like hats or raincoats? And how come they’re so small? And is there a king of the leprechauns? Are they related to gnomes? ’Cause he looks just like the garden gnomes in Mrs. Froot’s garden. And do they really hide their gold at the end of a rainbow?”

  “I’d like to know how to find the end of a rainbow,” Ben said.

  Mr. Tabby growled. “If you do not wish to test my patience, then I advise you to stop asking bothersome questions.”

  “But—”

  Mr. Tabby spun around. “Consider yourself lucky, Pearl Petal, for today you stole a leprechaun’s gold and lived to tell the tale. If the leprechaun’s magic had not been clogged with sniffles and snot, then you would surely not be standing before me at this moment.”

  “Level three on the danger scale,” Ben whispered to Pearl.

  “I’m sorry,” Pearl said. And she was. The last thing she’d wanted was to make a mess of things. “I won’t go near a level-three creature again until you tell me I’m ready.”

  “Very wise, indeed.”

  They all climbed onto the conveyor belt, and Mr. Tabby pushed the button. He looked a bit silly sitting cross-legged in his crisply pleated pants. As they entered the tunnel, Pearl couldn’t hold back her next question. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just walk between rooms instead of riding on this thing?”

  “We are taking this mode of transport because there are parts of the hospital that you are not allowed to see,” Mr. Tabby explained. “The conveyor belt is a leftover from the factory days when it was part of the button factory’s assembly line. Dr. Woo finds it most efficient for transporting sick creatures, especially if the creature is rather large and heavy.”

  He led them back to the lobby, then made a tsk, tsk sound as he looked at the front door. “Ben Silverstein,” he said.

  “Yes?”

  “Do you remember what happened when you did not bolt the front door during your last visit?”

  “Yeah, I remember,” Ben said. “The sasquatch got loose.” Ben’s cheeks turned bright red. “Oh no, did it get loose again?”

  “Fortunately, it did not,” Mr. Tabby said as he slid the bolt into place. “But you must never leave the door unlocked again. There is someone who wants in—a very dangerous someone who would stop at nothing to get inside this hospital.”

  “Do you mean Mrs. Mulberry?” Pearl asked. “She’s the snoopiest person in Buttonville.”

  “I am not referring to Mrs. Mulberry,” Mr. Tabby said. “However, we will be installing a new front door security system. It is being shipped from Iceland.” He strode over to the elevator and pushed the button. The doors swished open. “You will cease asking questions and resume your duties on the third floor.”

  Pearl and Ben stepped into the elevator.

  “Who do you think he’s talking about?” Pearl asked as the elevator rose.

  “I don’t know,” Ben said. “And I don’t want to find out.”

  Perhaps now was not the time, but at some point, Pearl definitely wanted to learn all about the mysterious, dangerous person who’d stop at nothing to get inside the hospital.

  Up in the Forest Suite, the sasquatch lay on its back, snoring. “He sounds like my grandfather,” Ben said. It took a while to find the clippers amid the thick undergrowth. Pearl carefully picked the chewed gum from the sasquatch’s fur while Ben clipped. The sharp yellow shards flew through the air, embedding themselves in trees. Soon, all ten toes had tidy, short nails. The sasquatch twitched a few times but stayed asleep.

  “What do you think it’s dreaming about?” Pearl asked.

  “Maybe its home or
its family.”

  “I was just thinking we should stop calling the sasquatch an ‘it.’ Shouldn’t we call it a he or a she?”

  “I guess so. But which is it?”

  They both shrugged and decided to ask Mr. Tabby some other time.

  “What do we do now?” Pearl whispered, not wanting to wake the sleeping giant.

  “We can go downstairs and get our next assignment,” Ben replied. “But we’d better do it without breaking any rules. I don’t want to get fired.”

  They stepped back into the elevator. Ben reached out to push the first-floor button when a nasal voice sounded from a speaker in the elevator’s control panel. “Apprentices to Dr. Woo’s office, immediately.”

  “Uh-oh,” Pearl and Ben said at the same time.

  Only one person could fire them. And that person had returned.

  20

  This was Pearl’s and Ben’s second visit to Dr. Woo’s office. The room was as cluttered and messy as before, but some new items had been unpacked and now sat on the shelves, including a jar of dried beetles, a box labeled TROLL TEETH, and a glass orb that occasionally glowed. The afternoon sun streamed through the office windows, illuminating a bleached bird skeleton that hung in the corner.

  “Come in.” Dr. Woo was seated at her desk. Her black medical bag sat on the floor, a sprinkling of yellow glitter around its base. She was screwing the top onto a jar that appeared to be filled with fog. “Have a seat,” she said.

  Once again, Ben and Pearl settled on boxes. They shared a nervous look as Dr. Woo set the jar aside. She ran her four-fingered hand over her hair, pushing stray locks from her face. Then she folded her hands on the desk and looked at Ben and Pearl, her lips pursed. Silence filled the room. Pearl fidgeted. Was Dr. Woo waiting for her to confess her crimes?