Under the sea - The mystery of the Golirophents, a book by Eden Macneil

Under the sea you might think there are just fish and jellyfish and octopuses and sea snails and stuff like that. But no. There are mermaids and merboys and sea serpents and Golirophents. This story is mostly about mermaids but has all of the creatures in them.

Some mermaids help people and some mermaids just live an easy life. They are the ones that are as small as a fairy. Some merpeople are brave enough to go to the Shallow. (That is what the merpeople call it). They help people and sinking boats. Do you know how flying fish fly? Merpeople throw them out of the water into the sky, but only to a certain kind. Small silvery ones. Merpeoples enemies are sharks, Golirophents, sea serpents, and evil mermaids. Mermaids build wonderful houses, made from rock, decorated with pearls, and seaweed, and jewels from sunken ships.

Evil mermaids drown people if they go to deep in the sea. Their hair is always a dark black. Their tails are shaded in the darkest purple. The lovely mermaids have silvery light purpely, bluey, greenish, and goldish tails. Altogether it looks like everything is shading and moving.....................

THE MYSTERY OF THE GOLIROPHENTS.

BY EDEN MICHAYLA MACNEIL.

CHAPTER 1

“Hey, stop that!” cried an eight year old mermaid to her sister, who was her twin. “I was just playing,” muttered Silverina, (for that was her name). “But you know I hate you to tickle me!”Shouted Silverenay, (for that was her name). Now you’re acting like the Mama!” said Silverina crossly. “Silverina, Silverenay! It’s time to go to school!” called their mum, Swift. “Your dad has some good news!” He and his troops have just found an injured sea horse!” (There are two different kinds of sea horses. One that is small and has got a curly tail and one that looks exactly like a horse and has a tail like a mermaids but bigger). “They’ve put her in the stables.”

“Wow,” said Silverenay. “I wonder if we can go to see her.”

“Well, you can, but after school. Go on! Hurry!” They shot off.

“Hey, I bet I can beat you to school!” cried Silverina. “Whatever,” said Silverenay.

CHAPTER 2

As they approached, no one was bustling in. It was so quiet you could have heard a fin drop. “That’s funny,” said Silverina. Silverenay didn’t answer. She swam inside. Silverina followed her. The teacher was lying on the floor. They swam up to her. “Golirophents,” she whispered. “We’ve been attacked by Golirophents.”

(Golirophents are the scariest beasts in the world. They are a bit like sharks. They are as big as a trampoline and their teeth are as big as a big water bottle. The king of the Golirophents is as big as your house, and has teeth the size of a wide sofa).

“They took all of your friends,” whispered the teacher. Then she died. “Oh no!” cried Silverenay. “We need to get some sort of help!”

“Don’t tell mum, because you know she won’t listen.”

“What about dad?” asked Silverenay. “He’s on an expedition, besides............I know who will help!” cried Silverina. “Who?” asked Silverenay. “Shadow,” was the answer.

CHAPTER 3

Shadow was their big sister. She always had an answer to everything. “Do you even know where she is?” asked Silverenay. “Of course I do!” said Silverina. “She’s nursing the poor sea horse.”

“Well, what are you waiting for?” asked Silverenay. “Let’s go!”

When they got to the stables, they couldn’t hear any sound of Shadow’s nursing voice. They slowly swam in. There was Shadow, sleeping next to the sea horse. “Doesn’t she look cute like that?” asked Silverenay. “Shadow or the sea horse?” giggled Silverina. “The sea horse and you know it,” replied Silverina.

“Come on, let’s wake her up,” said Silverenay. “Shadow, Shadow! Come on, wake up!”

“What?” she yawned. “Oh Silverenay, what do you want?”

“We really, really need help,” started Silverina. “Because when we went to school nobody was there........only the teacher and she said that our friends have been taken by Golirophents, and then she died, so we decided to come here to ask you to.................”

“Whoa! Slow down,” said Shadow. “So you want me to go to the Land of Golirophents?” Silverina and Silverenay nodded. “Well, I have to look after Spyver here,” she said. “Who’s Spyver?” asked Silverina. “It’s the sea horse that is right in front of you!” cried Shadow happily.

CHAPTER 4

Silverina and Silverenay swam out, disgusted. “Well, I suppose Shadow just doesn’t take it seriously, hey?” Silverenay said. “No, she doesn’t,” replied Silverenay unhappily. “Come on, we have to think of something,” said Silverenay. “I know exactly what to do,” said Silverina. “Let’s get Jumble to take us to the Land of Golirophents.” Jumble was a friendly shark that Silverina and Silverenay had been given for Christmas. He could not only talk, but was extremely intelligent.

“Wow, that’s one amazing idea,” said Silverina. “But we have to go all the way back to the stables.”

CHAPTER 5

Silverina opened the door of the stables which words were engraved: JUMBLE. “Jumble, you can come..............” BANG!!!!! BOOF!!!!! Jumble burst open the door before Silverenay could say “out now. “What do you want?” he asked. “Well,” said Silverenay. “We want you to take us to Golirophent – Land.”

“If your mother knew you were doing this, she would never let you go,” said Jumble as Silverina and Silverenay swam onto his back.

“To Golirophent land!” chorused Silverina and Silverenay.

CHAPTER 6

“You know,” said Jumble, sleepily. “I’m getting tired. Can we stop for a rest?”

“I really think we should,” said Silverenay. “It’s getting dark.”

“I think we’re only a quarter of the way there,” yawned Silverina. Just as Jumble was slowing down, Silverina saw something coming at them in the darkness. “I see something ahead of as,” she said, shivering. “And it’s coming closer!” A dolphin swam past. “Quickly!” he cried. “The Evil mermaids are coming!”

“Oh no,” said Silverina. “What are we going to do!?”

“Don’t you worry,” soothed Jumble. “You’ve got me.”

“But they’ve got Marsimmlar!” argued Silverenay. (A strong piece of seaweed that Merpeople use as rope. It can only come from strong seas). “I must say, I probably couldn’t bite through that,” sighed Jumble, unhappily. “I got you out of that one,” grinned Silverenay. Jumble just growled, and Silverenay realized he was getting ready for the battle.

CHAPTER 7

A thick piece of Marsimmlar tightened around Silverenay, and an even thicker one tightened around Jumble. Jumble started trying to chew through the Marsimmlar. But what about Silverina? Well, she had quickly swum behind a rock before the Evil mermaids could catch a glimpse of her. Jumble just couldn’t bite through that Marsimmlar. While Jumble was trying, Silverenay was struggling. Silverina swam quickly from out behind her rock and pulled Silverenay behind it and started untying the Marsimmlar.

Are you okay?” asked Silverina. “I’m a bit shaken, but otherwise, fine,” replied Silverenay. They both peeked over the rocks. Jumble was still trying to get the Marsimmlar off. “What shall we do about that?” cried Silverina. “Look, they’re trying to drag him away!” She cried softly. “I know!” cried Silverenay. “Shhhh!” hissed Silverina, softly. “Be quieter, or they’ll hear you!

What was it anyway?”

“Oh, I thought we could dig under this rock, and then dig until we came to the place where he was being dragged, and the then pull him under, and go back the way we dug with him!” Silverenay said hopefully and hurriedly. “Well, we could try, but I don’t think it will work,” said Silverina, unhopefully.

“Come on!” cried Silverenay. “Let’s do it!”

CHAPTER 8

Merpeople are amazing at swimming and amazing at building houses and really, really good at digging. Digging was the thing that Silverina and Silverenay were learning at school. They weren’t fully good at it, but good enough. Silverenay started digging, and Silverina followed after her.

“He’s here,” said Silverenay. She started digging upwards. “Silverina, make the hole wider and deeper,” Silverenay called. In a few more minutes, she was dragging Jumble down. The hole was big enough for Jumble to be squeezed through now. “Wow, we actually made it,” said Silverenay, breathlessly. “Yeah, that was really good!” replied Silverina.

CHAPTER 9

The evil Mermaids had been forced to let go of the Marsimmlar when that sudden tug had pulled out from nowhere, and the shark had been pulled underground by some force. The Evil Mermaids didn’t half think that someone was pulling Jumble from under the ground. One of the Evil Mermaids said to another Mermaid, “You pushed him under the sand!” Just to fool us! What a cheat!”

“NO I DID NOT!!!! You were holding him, so it must have been you!!”

“Ok, so if isn’t you, maybe she did it!”

“I’M NOT EVEN HOLDING IT!!!!!!!!!!”

“So it was YOU!!”

“STOP BLAMIN’ MEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’M AT THE BACKKK!!!!!!!!!!!”

This caused a fight, and they all sadly died.

CHAPTER 10

Silverina and Silverenay came back with Jumble, and were behind the rock whispering and arguing.

“The Evil Mermaids are dead, and now what do we do?” whispered Silverina hurriedly. “I vote we sleep,” said Jumble, yawning. “Good idea,” said Silverenay. “But we know that there are lots of dangers around,” argued Silverina, “So where?”

“We’ll have to squeeze behind this rock,” said Silverenay sighing. Silverina leaned back onto the rock. Creak! “Huh?” said a startled Silverina.

“Look, there is a little tunnel!” cried Silverenay, excitedly. “This must be a secret tunnel, said Silverina.

“Look!” cried Silverenay. It’s not a little hole, it goes on for ages!”

CHAPTER 11

“It’s big enough for Jumble,” said Silverina. “He never usually fits into anything!” said Silverenay, excited. She giggled. “Well, let’s get inside!” cried Silverina impatiently.

“Wow, its dark in here,” said Silverenay in a hollow voice. “Help! Sea bats!” cried Silverina. “Its okay, these ones don’t bite,” said Silverenay.

“Are you sure?” asked Silverina. “They’re everywhere!”

They swam on and on. “When is this hole going to stop?” asked Silverenay. “We’ve been swimming for ages!”

“I’m going to sleep right NOW!” said Jumble crossly. “Yeah, we all should,” said Silverina. Silverenay slumped down onto the floor. So did Jumble and Silverina.

CHAPTER 12

Silverenay woke up first. There was light bathing the cave and a crowd of fish were looking at her.

“Who are you?” asked Silverenay. “The question is,” started the biggest of the fish with groovy sunglasses, “Who is you?”

“I’m a Mermaid,” replied Silverenay. “And we are fish,” chorused the fish.

“I know you’re fish,” started Silverenay, “But what are your names? Where do you come from? Why are you here?”

“I am Shifty, this is Plock-co, and this fat one is Bishy-sop, and this is Carbish.

We live in a tropical sea. Very warm, I must say.”

“Yes,” started Bishy-sop, “But we got bored and we all decided to go on a holiday............ somewhere.”

“I wouldn’t like to move when it’s so warm,” said Silverenay, curiously. “But it got boring,” started Plock-co, “And you would of wanted to move if you were us.”

“You know, I think you might want to wake your friends up,” said Shifty.

“Wake up!” shouted Silverenay. “Wake up! Wake up!!!”

They woke up with a start. Jumble looked straight at the fish and licked his lips.

“No!” cried Silverenay. “Stop!”

Jumble paused, his mouth wide open. “What?” asked Jumble. “What’s wrong?”

“Those are our friends!” cried Silverenay. “They were just about to tell us a story about themselves!”

“Oh, sorry,” said Jumble. “l was just hungry.”

Shifty glared at him. “Now l will begin the story,” he declared.

CHAPTER 13

THE STORY OF THE FOUR FISH:

“It was funny, but we all wanted to go on a summer holiday, so l decided that we should all go on a holiday together.”

“Ummmm........... l do hate to interrupt,” said Jumble, “But where did you live in the first place?”

Silverenay, “You only told me that when they were asleep.”

“Oh, silly me, l forgot all about that!” realized Shifty.

“Well, we lived in a tropical sea...............”

“Then why did you move in the first place when it was so warm,” wondered Silverina.

“I think it’s going to be hard to explain everything,” started Shifty, “So we’ll just tell you about the mysterious bit,” went on Carbish.

“Well, when we were halfway through the journey, we saw a Golirophent pack behind us. We quickly swam behind the biggest rock we could find. We peeked over the rock and saw the Golirophent pack swim past. They had something in their mouths.........but we couldn’t exactly see what they were in the darkness.”

“Our friends!” cried Silverenay. “What?” asked Plock-co. “Our friends!” repeated Silverenay.

CHAPTER 14

“What do you mean?” asked Shifty. Silverenay told him the story.

“So our friends have been taken by Golirophents,” started Silverenay, “And our friends must have been those weird shapes you saw inside their mouths.”

“Were the shapes moving or were they flopped?” asked Silverina. “They were struggling madly,” said Carbish. “That means that they were alive!” cried Silverenay happily. “But they might have been eaten by now,” sighed Silverina, nearly in tears for her best friend, Swiley. “Don’t give up hope,” said Silverenay, nearly in tears for her best friend too. “You know they’ll still be alive.”

“No they won’t,” cried Silverina hopelessly. “Remember the news,” said Silverenay, “The Golirophent feast was only going to be in two more days. Now there’s only one more day until the feast. They can’t be dead.”

“Oh yes,” realized Silverina. “Come on! Let’s get going!”

“Shifty, are you coming?” asked Silverenay.

“Corse l’m coming!” cried Shifty.

CHAPTER 15

Jumble, Silverenay, Silverina, Shifty, Plock-co, Bishy-sop, and Carbish darted through the cave with great speed. “Must keep going,” panted Bishy-sop.

“Keep up, chubby!” breathed Plock-co. “Can we stop for a rest?” asked Jumble breathlessly. “I’m starving!”

“Only for a minute, Jumble,” started Silverina, “But where are you going to find food?”

“They’re everywhere!” cried Jumble. Silverina stopped. So did the others. “Sea bats?” asked Shifty. “Exactly,” said Jumble.

“Eat all you want,” grinned Bishy-sop. Jumble caught one instantly and gulped it down. He stuffed another into his huge gaping mouth. Then he stuffed three more and zoomed off. While the others caught up to him Jumble said, “I feel much better now!”

“Greedy!” shouted Bishy-sop. “Greedy yourself,” called Plock-co.

For one whole hour they were swimming through the passages. It was terribly tiring. Then Jumble suddenly started swimming really fast. He went so fast Silverina and the others couldn’t see him. They panicked. Why had he gone so fast? Was he showing off? He probably was. They sped after him as quickly as they could. Bishy-sop braced himself and zoomed off.

Silverenay shut her eyes tight and when she opened them, she found herself in a room with only a candle and a picture of a strong Golirophent on the wall. The room was plain white and she heard voices. The voices were very close, and they were the scariest voices she had ever heard. They were terrifying, gnarled, gurgly and scratchy. Silverenay saw a huge door at the end of the room. It was a tiny bit open. Silverenay silently swam to the end of the room and peeked out of the crack in the door. There was Silverina and the others in chains, not Marsimmlar. Silverenay gasped. She had seen the king of the Golirophents! He was huge! Silverenay had never seen the king of the Golirophents before. His teeth were as big as a sofa. His body was as big as a house. There were two mean looking Golirophents around him. The king of the Golirophents was talking to Jumble. This is what Silverenay heard. “Is there any more of you, you scavengers?”

“No,” Jumble replied to the king.

“No?” said the king. “No? No?

“Guards! Search the castle right now!”

Silverenay saw a guard swim for the huge door. She was frozen to the spot. She tried moving, but it was impossible. The guard whipped open the door. He stared at Silverenay and shouted out, “There’s another mermaid here! Shall we put all of them in a cage so they don’t make a break for it?”

next room. The room was huge! It was crowded with Evil Mermaids. “Put them in a cage,” bellowed the king. The Evil Mermaids pulled Jumble into a huge cage and squeezed Silverenay and Silverina into a cage each. The four fishes were squashed into a tiny cage together. “Put them into the cage room,” bellowed the terrifying king. The Evil Mermaids tugged at Jumble’s cage and opened another huge door. Inside there were loads and loads of cages stacked together some cages contained nothing but rotting skin, and some contained fishes and jellyfish and octopuses and Mermaids and Mermen. Some contained dolphins and crabs. The Evil Mermaids shoved the fish cage into the smelly room. Then Silverenay. Lastly there was Silverina. The Evil Mermaids pulled her small cage up and swam to the cage room with it. Silverina noticed something dangling down from the Evil Mermaid on her right. Silverina looked more closely and she saw that it was a key!

CHAPTER 16

Silverina reached out and slowly tugged at the key. She did it so carefully that the Evil Mermaid didn’t realize. Silverina took the key in her hand and clicked the key in her lock. Silverina swung the door open and quickly swam outside and the Evil Mermaid screamed, “The skinny one is getting away!!!!!!!!!” Guards swam quickly after Silverina. She darted through the hole as quickly as she could. The Golirophents couldn’t get through the hole so Silverina was safe. For hours Silverina sped through the cave not noticing that she had a terrible stitch.

Back at the Golirophent castle Silverenay rubbed her eyes and looked around her. The place was stacked with cages. Silverenay couldn’t see Jumble for he was covered with the cages. She couldn’t see Silverina and the fish either. Silverenay peeked out of her cage and heard a few whispers. “Silverenay!” someone called out. The voice sounded familiar. “Silverenay! It’s me, Swiley!”

“Oh, Swiley,” Silverenay breathed. “Silverenay, it’s me!”

“Shifly, you’re alive!”

“Hey Silverenay, I’m down here! Its Shwaly!” called a Merboy.

“Can you see Jumble?” asked Silverenay.

“Yip, he’s under me!”

“The fish?” Silverenay asked.

“What fish?” Silverenay told them the story.

“There’s a little cage beside me,” called a Merboy. “There’s four fish inside it.”

“Good. Any sign of Silverina?” A whisper went round the room.

“I asked the dolphin, but she said she couldn’t see anything,” called Swiley across the room. “I asked the fat crab, but he said he hadn’t seen anyone,” called Scrammily. “I am not FAT!!!” shouted the crab. A giggle went around the smelly room.

“I asked the colourful fish, but he said he didn’t see anything.”

“But where is she?” wondered Silverenay. “The Golirophents could have eaten her.”

Swiley started crying. “Don’t feel bad,” comforted Silverenay. “She’s probably okay.” Silverenay felt sad herself.

CHAPTER 17

Back at the hole, Silverina was resting. She was exhausted. All that swimming had been too much for her. She wished she was back home and safe in bed. Why did these things have to happen? If she wasn’t in that cave right then she would of been at school at break time eating fried seaweed and prawn pudding. It was just not fair. She was going to tell dad about the Golirophents and Evil Mermaids and how mean they had been and she would tell him to call out his troops and save the day. That would teach the silly Golirophents and the E.Ms. (Evil Mermaids). Silverina felt better. Much better. But then she remembered the Golirophent feast! It was tonight! Silverina started swimming as fast as she could. She had forgotten everything! How silly of her.

Silverina came to a dead end and pushed the hard rock. It swung open like a door. The sunlight was blinding her........until she got used to it and started swimming as fast as her body could go.

Silverina swam until she saw the stables. She was finally there! Silverina swam the opposite way until she was facing her wonderful house. She knocked on the door twice and her mum opened it. “Silverina!” her mum cried. Your father has sent out his troops out looking for you! Where are the others?” Silverina told her the story. “Oh, Silverina, what are we going to do? You are a terribly naughty child. Why didn’t you tell me?”

CHAPTER 18

Back at the Golirophent castle the Evil Mermaids were getting the feast ready. They had already roasted the prawns and the fat crab and one of the baby dolphins in a pie. The Merpeople were next. The king of the Golirophents had decided to eat them alive on a plate. How disgusting. In a few more hours the Evil Mermaids came into the smelly room and took out Jumble’s cage with a heave and they slammed the door behind them. “Oh no,” said Silverenay. “They’re going to eat Jumble!”

“We’ll never see him again!” cried Swiley. “Wait a minute,” said Silverenay. “We’re going to be eaten too, so we won’t see each other anymore either.”

“Oh,” sighed Swifterella unhappily. The Evil Mermaids opened the huge doors again and picked up Swifterella’s cage and swam to the door and slammed it shut. Next there was Shosily and Swichero. Then Silverenay. The Evil Mermaids opened the door and slammed it shut and swam through a crowd of Golirophents and out again and in and out and in until they came to a huge door and the Evil Mermaids opened it. Inside the room there was a disgusting smell of roasting stuff. One of the Evil Mermaids holding Silverenay’s cage inhaled the yucky smell. “Ooooh, lovely,” she cracked. “l can’t wait until the feast.”

The Evil Mermaids came to another huge door and quickly opened it. Silverenay breathed in the fresh air. At the end of the room there sat the king of the Golirophents. In front of him on a table was a white plate as big as a table. One of the Evil Mermaids opened Silverenay’s cage with a long silver key. Before Silverenay could dart out the Evil Mermaid grabbed her by the arm and said, “You’re not going anywhere, you little blighter.”

Jumble was on another plate beside the king. He was tied down. So were Silverenay’s friends. Silverenay was tied down with the Marsimmlar. There were a few more trips from the Evil Mermaids. Shiflycococ was next. The king of the Golirophents bent down to eat the first Merperson, which was Slovakedow. The shining teeth flashed out. Let’s just leave them like that for a moment, for I’m going to ask you something. Imagine if you were Slovakedow. How scared would you have been? Imagine if you were inches close to those flashing white teeth as big as your biggest sofa in the house.

Let’s go back to the flashing white teeth. The wide mouth gaped open and........ “Stop right there!” said a familiar voice. (Slovakedow practically fainted with fear). “Dad!” cried Silverenay. “You’re here! But how?”

“I’ll tell you at home,” said her dad. “Where’s Silverina?” asked Silverenay. “At home,” said dad, “Eating her fill.”

“I’m much more starving than her,” insisted Silverenay. “Sure you are,” said dad. He untied her and Silverenay flew into his arms. “You saved me!” she cried. “I didn’t,” he said. “Silverina did.”

CHAPTER 19

The Golirophents were put in huge firm cages and the cages were thrown into the dungeons. Nothing could get those fat Golirophents out. But the king had escaped from the castle and nobody knew where he was. But that didn’t matter. Everyone was still safe. At their house, Silverenay and Silverina were both lying down in bed drinking hot seaweed and prawn soup. Silverina was asleep, but Silverenay was wide awake, wondering about where the king of the Golirophents had escaped to. Soon that was out of her brain and she was also asleep. Jumble was in the stables, happily munching on roasted sea bats. The four fish had been rescued, and were swimming happily away, back to the sea they were born from. The Evil Mermaids had been stuffed into the cold dungeon too, and everything was peaceful. Silverina woke up in the night and remembered her poor teacher, which had suffered painfully and died soon after. She knew there was going to be a funeral for her, and a new teacher would be replaced. But everything would be okay, and the normal life was going to carry on................or was it?