Day Twenty-Eight: The Mysterious Stone (Part Two)

The little octopus kept trying to escape, its suction cups clinging tightly to my palm, tickling me. To prevent it from getting away, I had to dispatch it first, and a jet of inky black liquid spread across my hand. If I wanted to savor the delicious grilled octopus for dinner, I needed to hurry; these small octopuses could be eaten in a single bite.

Such opportunities were far too rare, so I resolved to gather as much food as possible. Suddenly, I realized a problem—something so simple that I hadn’t noticed before! I must have a counterfeit brain, I couldn’t help but mock myself.

Dried goods! All these things could be dried and stored as provisions. Whether it was kelp, oysters, clams, fish, or these little octopuses—anything I couldn't eat immediately, I could dry. How foolish I’d been, not to have thought of this sooner.

Without delay, I started collecting the kelp around me, piling it up until it formed a small mountain. The plump oysters and little clams I knocked loose also formed a heap on the beach. Today was destined to be a day of harvest. Thinking of how I’d be able to enjoy them at any time in the future, the corners of my lips lifted into a smile.

Little octopuses were not uncommon; wherever there were rocks, they could be found. But I also discovered a few different species—these octopuses were covered in round spots. They were more alert than the ones I’d caught before; as soon as I uncovered the rocks, their spots turned a vivid blue. Fierce, they waved their tentacles at me, resembling the terrifying aliens from movies. When I approached gently with my wrench, they showed no fear, rushing forward to bite the tool.

I didn’t tangle with them further—primarily because their skin was so unsettling it triggered my fear of clusters. The writhing, furious movement of their bodies gave me goosebumps. Besides, experience taught me that the more colorful something is, the likelier it is to be poisonous; the brighter the color, the deadlier the toxin.

So, with food assured, I had no desire to experiment. I cherished my life.

In about twenty minutes, I easily caught over thirty little octopuses and needed to hurry to find other food.

Fish were my next target. Just now, I made an exciting discovery among the rocks—a handful of fish, unable to keep pace with the retreating tide, were trapped in the rocky pools. When I approached, they struggled desperately, darting in all directions.

The water was actually quite shallow, barely the depth of a palm, with most of their bodies exposed to the air. They were waiting—waiting for the tide to return, so they could use their preserved energy to rejoin the embrace of the sea. Unfortunately, upon seeing me, instinctive fear drove them to struggle and attempt escape—all in vain.

I caught them easily. These plump fish would soon become dried fish.

Little Black was still patiently watching from nearby, head lowered, quietly observing. This was unusual for him—hardly his nature. Intrigued, I strode over to see what had so captivated him.

Beside Little Black was a small water pit, only half the size of a table, but the scene unfolding before me drew my attention as well. I finally understood why Little Black was so patiently watching.

A bloody battle was underway in the pit—a long struggle between an eel and a little octopus. I counted, and the octopus had only four tentacles left—it was clearly on the verge of defeat. Retreating, it was being tightly pursued by the eel, whose jaws were wide open in attack.

Close by, under a small rock, a tentacle with ringed markings protruded—a clear sign that it belonged to the fierce spotted octopus I’d seen earlier.

The octopus being chased by the eel darted under the rock, possibly bumping into the fierce ringed octopus. I saw the rings turn a brilliant blue. The eel, relentless, charged toward the rock, and as I anticipated, the fierce blue octopus emerged, wrapping its tentacles around the eel.

The eel shuddered violently a few times, then dropped straight to the bottom of the pit. The blue octopus swam away leisurely.

Dead! In an instant, the eel was dead. I prodded it with my wrench—it was truly lifeless.

My scalp tingled, and even under the sun, chills ran through me. Heaven help me—just moments ago, I’d tried to catch it! I even provoked it with my wrench!

I wasn’t foolish; it was obvious this blue octopus was extremely poisonous. I realized I’d just skirted death’s edge once again.

Only after a long while did I recover. Little Black was feasting on the beach, stealing my hard-earned harvest.

Time passed quickly. The midday sun was scorching, and the food I gathered far exceeded my expectations. I planned to dry some of it now, lest it spoil.

Little Black only stole a few oyster meats, possibly not his favorite, and then went off to hunt sand crabs, which he loved.

I spread the kelp evenly across the beach. I kept just a few oysters and octopuses for immediate use; the rest I laid out on the rocks.

But near the rocks, I unexpectedly found a stone that looked as if it had been cut—a rectangle, now clearly fractured. It caught my attention, and I bent down to pick it up.

Letters! “***er!sta***”—just five English letters and an exclamation mark! The rest was missing, and below the letters was a thick horizontal line. The nonsensical inscription didn’t interest me at all. I was about to toss the little stone slab away, but then reconsidered.

It couldn’t have drifted here—perhaps it was left by someone else, or by Little Black’s previous owner? Maybe it contained important information...

I’d never given up hope of leaving, so seeing the marks of civilization opened my mind to new possibilities. I even wondered if this clue might lead me to a hidden boat.

I kept the mysterious tablet, bringing it back to my cottage.

Tonight’s feast even surpassed the last seafood banquet—tender, juicy oysters, fragrant and chewy grilled octopus, and a delectable soup made from clams, mussels, and kelp. All mine to enjoy alone.

Little Black’s favorite, as always, was the fish soup. He must be a fake dog!