Zhinv and Niulang. Pt. 04-08

The rain was warm, and golden, and tasted salty. And the rain got worse, and worse, until it had become a torrential down-pour!

Just then, the fish, still awe-struck, looking up through the golden rain, his mouth open in astonishment, had the fright of his life, as he saw the dark, wrinkly, blinking hole at the back, open wide, and let out a gigantic blast of wind, followed by an ear-shattering clap of thunder, that almost deafened him. The rain lessened then stopped, and all was quiet again, then another hurricane force gust of wind, and more thunder boomed above him. It was coming from the hole at the back...the dark, quivering hole, at the back of Zhinv's split full moon!

The little fish was shaking with fear, but the worse was about to come. The rain started again, and the thunder rolled above him, then all of a sudden, the rain and the thunder stopped, but in the silence, the fish could hear Zhinv grunting, and whimpering, kind of like a little kitten, after someone has stood on its tail by accident. She sounded like, "Argh, argh...Oh, oh, meow, meow...meow, argh, argh...ohhh, ohhhh. Meow meow...meow!"

Suddenly, the dark, wrinkly, puckered round ring, opened wide, and it hissed, and plumes of thick, steam funneled out of it. The little fish was so, so afraid, and then, as Zhinv meowed, and grunted, the little fish, froze with utter terror, as he looked up and saw, the head a gigantic steaming snake, slowly start to slither, menacingly out of the dark, red and blue veined hole.

It was huge!

Zhinv was grunting like a hog, and screaming, "Arrrgh, argghhhh, Oh-hhh... Ohhh –hhh, Meow...Meoooow...mew, mew...mew _ ARRRRGH! ARGGHH...! Mew, meow ...meow!"

The little fish was scared stiff as the slimy, steaming, monster crept closer and closer toward him. Then, without warning, the torrential hot, golden rain started again, and a blast of cyclone force wind shot out of the tremendous dark, red hole at the back of Zhinv, and thunder boomed as never before! The dark ring convulsed, and Zhinv screamed profanity at the very Gods themselves, as she wriggled her full moon on the blue seat, dislodging the gargantuan Python. The dark ring slammed shut, squeaking, and hissing, as the titanic monster dropped, and attacked the little fish trapped at the bottom of the porcelain bowl, hitting him on the head, and almost knocking him out!

The little fish was stunned, and in his dazed state, he heard Zhinv sigh a sigh of relief, as sheet after sheet, of tissue, floated down over the little fishes head, as Zhinv wiped her under-carriage, and before the little fish could say anything, Zhinv raised her full moon off of the blue oval seat, and pressed the leaver.

Torrents of cold water flooded into the bowl, and the little fish began to spin around and around, along with the tissues, and the enormous snake. They wrestled, and the brave little fish bit the snake many times, before they both were sucked around the bend, and blasted down into the larger pipe, and down, all the way down, into the pond, just under the waterfall.

Kontoose, the little fish, limped, over to the rock. The toad was still there, rolling around laughing, and croaking madly.

The little fish looked up out of the water, a sheet of stained tissue covering half his head. He said to the toad, "What's so funny?"

The toad, holding his belly, with laughter, said, "You went up the wrong pipe, didn't you...?"

The fish said, with a frown, "I guess, so."

The toad rolled about laughing so much that he fell into the pond with a splash.

The toad, swam over to the fish, and said, "Here, let me help you get cleaned up." And the toad pulled the toilet tissue off the fish's head.

Kontoose, the fish, said,"...I guess I have a few things to learn about being a fish, ay...?"

The toad said, "Yes, I guess you do..."

The toad took Kontoose, the fish, home with him. The toad had set up his house under a large rock in the middle of the pond. He cooked dinner, for himself and for the little fish – boiled fly larvae, and steamed reeds – they exchanged stories, and Kontoose, told the toad, of his brush with death, up at the castle.

They went to bed early, and tomorrow, the little fish would try again, to see Zhinv, but this time, see her in the garden pool, and not in the porcelain bowl of horrors.

(To be continued...)

(What will happen next...? Such a mystery and a puzzle for you...)