A Monstrous Mistake

Chapter 2: One Door Closes...

"What was that?" Giulia sprung awake, accidentally knocking down the fort she'd built. While the boys had been okay sleeping in the rain, Giulia had made herself a tent out of a tarp and Massimo's old harpoons. Luca, having also been awoken by the screaming, shot up. Alberto, the world's heaviest sleeper, had to be elbowed in the ribs before he realized what was going on. 

The three practically jumped out of the tree and ran into the street, where a few neighbors had gathered. The rain had stopped, causing Luca and Alberto to turn human again. Giulia led the way to the front of the crowd. Luca, after apologizing for Giulia and Alberto nudging people out of the way, finally saw who'd been screaming.

A little girl with curly black hair (who he recognized from last summer), was sobbing on the porch, being comforted by her mother. She was trying to speak, but was so sad (or scared?) that she couldn't get her words out. 

"Signora Farfalla," Alberto said, apparently knowing the little girl's mother, "what happened?"

"I don't know," the woman admitted. "I was asleep, then suddenly Francesca was screaming and running outside." 

"It was so scary," the little girl, Francesca, said. 

"Francesca," Alberto asked gently, "what did you see?"

Her eyes went wide, and she tried to whisper. But everyone heard her answer. "A monster."

"A monster?" Giulia asked, trying not to sound as defensive as she clearly felt. "Do you mean a sea monster? They wouldn't scare you."

"Of course you would say that." The three turned at the sound of a irritatingly familiar voice. Ercole, the town's bully, was among the crowd. He sneered as he continued. "Everyone knows that you were desperate enough for friends that you became friends with sea monsters. Why else would you defend them when they've obviously been terrifying this poor little girl?" Ercole turned to the crowd, as if trying to get them on his side. He didn't realize that half of the adults in the crowd were sea monsters visiting the town, and that the other half knew that he was little more than a pathetic bully. 

Francesca, having recovered her voice, spoke up. "No, it wasn't a monster like Alberto. It was tall, pink, no fins, no tail, and...and...it looked like this!" She picked up a twig on the ground and drew in the mud. The figure she drew looked like a brick with long arms and legs. And very unlike a sea monster. 

As relieved as he was that a local sea monster hadn't been scaring children, Luca had to admit that Francesca had scared him. Who, or what, would do this? 

A fisherman near the back of the crowd, who'd just returned from a late night at sea, started to laugh, and asked the other adults if they were truly going to let a little girl's nightmare scare them. The other adults, some uncomfortably, began to either laugh or make their way back home. Soon it was only the Farfallas, Luca, Alberto, Giulia, and Ercole.

"No one wants to say it," Ercole grinned maliciously, "but we all know that you two had something to do with this. I'll prove it, and when I do, you two will never set foot in Portorosso again." He pointed at Luca and Alberto. Alberto, who'd been punched in an alley by Ercole's (former) goons the summer before, had to be physically held back by Luca.

Ercole walked away, cackling. Francesca stuck her tongue out at him. "Santa mozzerella," Giulia muttered, wearing an expression of disgust, "that jerk hasn't changed." Luca nodded. 

"Please believe me," Francesca begged the three teenagers, "I didn't mean a monster like you. He was big and scary."

"Francesca," Luca said, getting down on one knee, "we're not going to let that monster scare you again. Are we?" He turned to Alberto and Giulia. They looked equally determined. 

"Thank you!" She gave Luca a kiss on the cheek. He blushed and backed up, embarrassed. Her mother laughed and took her back into the house. The three were alone. 

"So, Luca." Giulia spoke up, watching Luca's skin turn green and scaly as the rain picked up again. "How are we going to help Francesca?"

"I....have no idea."

"Good," Alberto said, "because I do."

--- 

The next night, Francesca slept at a friend's house while Luca, Alberto, and Giulia sat in her bedroom, hiding under the bed and drinking from a thermos of espresso to stay awake. They were armed with flashlights, loaded water pistols that Luca had brought home from Genoa, and possibly Alberto's most ridiculous plan yet.

The plan was for Giulia, when the closet door opened, to spray Luca and Alberto with the water pistols. Then, while in their sea monster forms, the boys would scare whoever (or whatever) had scared Francesca the night before. The monster would then get tangled in the tripwire they'd set up and allow them to catch it. Alberto called it foolproof; Giulia had called it half-baked. But, no one could think of anything better. 

Luca found himself watching Alberto closely as the night wore on. His best friend seemed so relaxed. He felt a touch of guilt. He'd been away for so long. He'd promised that he'd never leave Alberto alone again, and then he left him alone in Portorosso just so he could go to school. 

A creaking noise interrupted his train of thought. Giulia's head shot up, and she aimed her pistols at Alberto and Luca. Alberto killed his flashlight and waited. Luca could only stare.

A long, pink arm emerged from the closet, followed by a being that almost perfectly matched Francesca's description. It was tall, pink, and greatly resembled a brick with long limbs. It was most definitely not a sea monster. 

Luca felt water running down his back. He looked at Giulia, who'd just finished spraying him and Alberto with the water pistols. Alberto signaled for Luca to follow him. Before he even knew what he was doing, the boys had sprung into the center of the room. 

"RRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Alberto roared, with Luca echoing him. The monster screamed, and fell over, becoming entangled in the wire. He turned around and fumbled with the door knob. The wire had become wrapped around his foot. As Alberto ran over to try and stop him from leaving, his tail got entangled in it as well. Luca ran over to help just as the monster (what was that thing?) got the door knob to work.

The closet door opened, bathing the three in such a bright light that for a moment Luca thought that it was already morning. The monster ran forward, with the wire accidentally pulling the two boys through.

"Alberto! Lu-!" Giula's shouting was cut off as the closet door was slammed shut. With the boys on the wrong side of it. 

Luca, mostly out of instinct, grabbed Alberto and jumped behind a cart full of large yellow cylinders before anyone saw them. The two peered out from over the cans. And could barely believe what they saw.