The Magic Pebble | Teen Ink

The Magic Pebble

January 27, 2009
By Alican Mutus BRONZE, Istanbul, Other
Alican Mutus BRONZE, Istanbul, Other
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Frank swam through the kelp forest which was far away from where he lived. As he passed through between the towering kelp, he inspected the ocean floor for his lucky pebble. He was so focused on finding his pebble that he didn't see the sea urchin that was sitting on a rock.

'YEEEOOWW!!!' Frank bellowed as the needles ripped through his tail 'That's what you get when you lose your lucky pebble,' he mumbled to himself and kept on looking.

Frank was a fish who lived on the outskirts of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. He was a black fish with thin vertical yellow stripes on him. His feelings depended on his lucky pebble, if his pebble was near him, he would feel joyful and happy, and if by any chance it wasn't he would be in despair.

Now was a sad time for him because he had lost his pebble. He came to the kelp forest to look for it. Frank had a hunch that the pebble might be there because he had gone there the day before to hide from his landlord, Mr. Blowfish, because he hadn't paid his rent. Frank knew he had seen his pebble there for the last time, because he found a pearl valuable enough to pay his rent money and then he had thanked the pebble for that. And of course there was Joe, a shark that always bullied Frank while he swam around the sea, but he almost always escaped from him thanks to his pebble.
However, no matter how careful he searched the sand beneath him he couldn't find his lucky pebble. In his anger, he slapped a jellyfish nearby with his tail and started his way home.

Freddy, Frank's roommate was home, building a tower using shellfish as building blocks. Freddy had strange hobbies.

'Found your pebble yet Frank?' he asked without paying much attention.

'No, but I better find it soon enough. Thank goodness I didn't see Joe on the way back home. Without my pebble, I am nothing,' he answered in despair.

'Oh come on Frank! Why do you keep letting him push you around? You should confront him. And stop worrying about that pebble. If you believe you can do someth-'

'Yeah yeah, what ever,' said Frank said in a detached way and went to his room to sleep.

The next day, Frank went to the fish market to buy some food. Freddy had forced him to go there to prove that he would be okay out there. Frank reluctantly got out and hoped he'd be as lucky he was as yesterday when he was returning home.

'Well, well, well. Who do we have here? It is the little wimp who always runs away from me,' a voice came behind him. He turned around only to see Joe and his razor sharp teeth winking at him. Frank stood petrified and stuttered,

'Umm' well. H-h-hey Joe!'

'I heard you lost your pebble. Well, I found it for you,' he smirked and showed the pebble in his right fin. 'Aww, but I can't give it to you,' he continued.

'Why?' he enquired, losing the sudden rush of joy that came from seeing his pebble.

'Because you're a wimp!' he hollered and gave a roar of laughter. He tossed the pebble in the air and crushed it with its mighty teeth.

'Why you..!'
he said as he gritted his little teeth. He thought of all the good memories he had with the pebble. How many dangers, how many humiliations had they averted together? He thought about how he couldn't experience those happy moments with the pebble and with the thought of that, his little body started to fill with rage, along with the pent-up hate he had for Joe. His eyes burned like blazing fireballs, even though they were in water.

'And now we're gonna beat you up, right guys?' he said and two more sharks came out behind a rock and swam next to Joe.

'THAT DOES IT!' Frank hollered and zoomed in towards Joe. Because of his anger, he knocked him down in one strong body slam. As the others swam towards Frank, he swerved to the right and this caused the two sharks to crash to each other head on. Naturally, they had a concussion and fell on the ocean floor just like Joe did. When the chaos was over, Frank couldn't believe that he actually took down three sharks all by himself. Later on he also realized that his pebble wasn't there to give him luck. Maybe Freddy was right, maybe he didn't need the pebble after all. He quickly swam home to tell Freddy about it.

He dove into the room and yelled,

'Freddy! You won't believe it! I took down three sharks all by myself including Joe and without my magic pebble! I don't need it anymore!' Freddy lifted his head of the model coral reef he was making out of kelp.

'Good for you Frank! Now, where are the things I asked you to get?' They both laughed hysterically and Frank joined Freddy on his model.


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