The realization

-Henry: "Oww, everything hurts, what happened last night? Did I pass out? Well, whatever happened was sure awesome, a bit strange but still awesome. Oh, I should probably keep it down, grandpa is still asleep? Maybe I should wake him up. Huh?? That's weird, I can't feel my toes or fingers anymore. Come to think of it, I can't feel my legs either. Grandpa!! Something weird is going on!!"

I reached over to touch his shoulder, but when I did, I saw a giant tentacle on his shoulder. I screamed out in fear then suddenly the entire floor became covered in some weird black liquid. I tried my best to scream for grandpa, but he didn't move a muscle. I continued to scream for help but the more I did, the more frantic the tentacles flailed around me. The commotion began to rock the boat, until finally I heard grandpa waking up.

I started to yell at him to save me from this giant squid on our boat. He raised his head and rubbed his eyes then he looked at me with the utmost face of terror. He slowly began to reach back for his harpoon gun, then he pointed it at me. Then for the first time in my life, I heard him speak. He said the words:

-Grandpa: "You damned abomination, what have you done to my sweet boy?!! What have you done to my Henry?!!!!"

His eyes began to well up with tears and his body trembled in fear. Suddenly, all my questioning thoughts just froze. They were all stunned by what I saw before me. My grandfather— the emotionless quiet and strong old man I knew for years, became a frail sobbing mess.

In my confusion, I asked him why he was pointing the gun at me? I told him that I was right here, but he just kept on crying. I tried to inch closer to him, but when I did, he shot his harpoon gun. Out of reflex, I threw my hands up to block the spear.

I felt the spear pierce through my leg, but I couldn't understand why it hurt. Grandpa didn't shoot me; it was the squid's tentacle that he had shot with the spear. So why was I feeling the pain? Hold on, but I can't feel my legs, so how does this hurt? I slowly looked down at the ground to see my legs, but all I saw was spiked blue and gray tentacles covered in ink.

Then at that moment, it finally hit me, the realization that made everything make sense. The squid on the boat wasn't just any old sea monster. No, that horrible monster making my grandpa cry, was me all along. 

-Henry: "Oh man, this is so awesome!!! Finally, something interesting happened in this dead fish town. I'm a squid now!! I wonder if I could breathe underwater? Only one way to find out."

I took a giant leap that almost sank the boat with grandpa in it. As I was in the air, I saw the beautiful reef below me, and I was so excited to dive into it, but just before I could hit the water, my cool new squid bod turned back into a tiny 10-year-old boy. Well, this was fun for a good 3 minutes. I guess all good things eventually come to an end. Too bad I'm gonna shatter on the reef floor. Man, I wish I hadn't jumped this high.

What's wrong with me? Now I'm gonna sink to the bottom of this reef and drown. Well, I guess we all gotta go at some point, it's just life. Ohh man, I wish I had the kind of resolve to think like that, but I can't help screaming like a little girl right now. Don't judge me, I'm plummeting to my imminent doom. This looks like the end for me. Man, I really wished I had done more with my life. This really sucks.

-Henry: "GRANDPA SAVE ME PLEASE!!!! Ahhhhhh!!....Wait....I'm not dead?"

It feels like someone is holding me, but who? No way it's grandpa, he's way too old to catch me from so high up. Then again, that horrible odor smells familiar. Wait, could it actually be you, grandpa? I looked up slowly to see who my hero was, only to see a very angry old man glaring at me with murder in his eyes. That day, I received a spanking my behind could never forget.

Weirdly, grandpa thought he dreamt the whole thing up. He also thought that I was just trying to give him a heart attack by jumping off the roof on the boat. I know that's what he said but that doesn't fool me one bit, no, not at all. I know he knows what happened was real, but for some reason he wants to deny it. I'm beginning to feel suspicious. He's hiding something and I'm gonna find out what.

For the next few days, I watched him from afar but he's not doing anything out of the ordinary. Day in and day out, he does the same old routine: Wake up, fish, drink fish stew and sleep. I think he might know that I'm watching him. It's kinda weird because it's like every-time I turn around, I feel him staring a hole through the back of head. I could hear his breathing and heart rate increase every time I'm nearby, even if he doesn't see me. It's almost like he's sensing my presence. Well, if he knows I'm watching him, I guess there's no point in spying on him. What a waste of time.