'What If...' No. 1

Chapter 7 - Beffica

"Can't believe my bestie's gone back to that creepy murder island, and with Floofty of all Grumpuses! I mean, they could have at least taken me instead of that cannibalistic scientist. What even do they need on that island? There's nothing there other than yummy killer creatures and a lot of land too."

I thought to myself, as the others spoke to each other, some sounding worried. "Did they leave something?" I shook my head after that, "Did I leave something? I'm sure I took everything with me... Oh my gosh! Maybe they went back to find my diary! My bestie did steal my fake one, but they obviously don't know that I have more than one fake one." I smirked whilst thinking, knowing all the dirt in my diary would stay only for my eyes to read and my hand to write in.

"Filbo," Eggabell said, "As much as going to Snaktooth Island is a good idea, it's also... not a good idea. We don't have a ship, and even if we did, it's too dangerous!" Filbo rubbed the back of his head. "Well, we can't just leave them both there! We have to get them! I... We can't leave our friends behind."

"Friend?" said Snorpy, crossing his arms, "My sibling is inferior and utterly unimportant to me and that journalist is only ever useful to me when I need them to complete tasks for me that involve going... outside." I quickly spoke pointing in Snorpy's face. "Oh please." I said, with a slight glare, "Without my bestie's ship, we never would have got off that island." Snorpy moved my arm away from his face before speaking again. "Well some of us Grumpuses are intelligent or strong enough to build a ship. We would have done just fine without that journalist."

Filbo carefully separated Snorpy and I so we wouldn't argue. "Look- we're going to save our friends, even if you don't like them. They still don't deserve to die." Filbo looked back and forth between me and Snorpy whilst he spoke. "Filbo, we can't really save them." Eggabell said, putting a hand on Filbo's shoulder, "None of us own a ship!" Filbo's small smile was replaced with a frown.

In the background, Cromdo was very slowly and sneakily walking away, but I noticed him clearly. I smirked as I spoke loudly, "I think the con man has a ship." Everyone turned to Cromdo, who stopped walking. He glared at me before he began talking, "I may or may not know where to get a ship, but it's gonna cost ya." I groaned. "Just lead us to the ship." Cromdo put his hands up as he took a few steps back, "Fine. But I'm getting paid for this."

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We all followed Cromdo for what seemed like ages. In the back, Gramble was practically running to try and keep with everyone else, which was funny to see. "So... Cromdo..." Filbo began, "How far away is this ship of yours?" Filbo walked behind him and Cromdo rolled his eyes. "We'll get there soon enough- I got a boat parked at a dock up ahead."

"But.. I thought it was... a ship..." Gramble spoke between breaths, he clearly was tired of running. "A boat an' a ship are the same thing." Cromdo kept on walking until we all reached a large wooden dock, lit up by lampposts along the sides. Several boats were parked up- speedboats, yachts, canoes, and even a couple of lifeboats too. Cromdo began to walk down the middle, whilst we all followed. "Right," he said, pointing up ahead at a boat. "There she is."

The boat Cromdo was pointing at was a large fancy white boat, with several plush blue seats and a couple of stairs leading up to the steering wheel and a singular grey seat. The others stared at it in awe, but I was more suspicious of it. "Did you steal that ship or something?" I said, pointing at the white boat with an eyebrow raised. "Oh no!" Cromdo chuckled while he spoke, "That boat's not mine. It's the one next to it."

Cromdo then walked onto a wooden boat which was much smaller than the large fancy white boat. It had a cooler which stored drinks and food and a few benches with some beige cushions on them. There was a steering wheel and a red leather office chair with a large 'C' embroidered terribly on the back in white and another plush black chair beside it. Everyone's excitement quickly faded, but they still had smiles on their faces.

"You guys gettin on?" Cromdo said, sounding annoyed. As everyone was getting on, I quickly ran shouting, "I call dibs on the front!" I sat in the plush black chair. "Jeez Beffica, you're like a child." Cromdo grumbled as he slumped into the red chair.

Cromdo put the keys into the boat and turned them, the engine starting with a rumble and a splutter. "Wait!" Snorpy quickly spoke, "Do we know where we're going? Do we have a map? We will not get far without a map so we can't go-" Lizbert took a map of Snaktooth out and showed it to Snorpy, with a smile. "There we go Snorpy, problem solved."

Snorpy sunk down a bit with Chandlo putting a hand on his shoulder and smiling at him. Lizbert gave the map to Cromdo before sitting down beside Eggabell. Cromdo seemed grumpy, probably because I was next to him. As the boat set sail, everyone began to chat to one another, and since I had no one else to talk to, I spoke to Cromdo, "Got to admit, Snorpy really was trying to not come on to Snaktooth huh?" Cromdo rolled his eyes, "He believes in that Grumpati thing. Or Grumpita, I don't know." I turned to him whilst he steered the boat, "It's the Grumpinati-"

"I weren't askin for a correction." He said, not even looking at me, "And don't sit there tryin to talk to me like we're friends, cause we ain't. You just want me to spill some dirt for ya and that ain't happening." I crossed my arms, feeling annoyed with Cromdo. The two of us sat in silence as the boat slowly led us to Snaktooth.