It was a small cavern of normal mouse objects. There were thousands of normal mouse objects everywhere!
"Olivia, are you okay?" Pudge asked.
Olivia was lying on a rock in the center of the room, frowning, and turning the dinglehopper around in her hands.
"If only I could make him understand." she said sadly, "I just don't see things the way he does."
Timothy covered his mouth to prevent himself from screaming, or maybe from fainting. No, he still felt like fainting. His eyes grew wider every second he listened to the private conversation. He and, well, every other fish in the sea knew about the little mermouse's fascination with normal mice but he didn't expect it to go to this level of obsession.
"I don't see how a world that makes such wonderful things - could be bad." Olivia went on.
Timothy quickly reined in his shock as he peered around a harp ready to give that girl a talking to as she began to sing.
Olivia: Look at this stuff
Isn't it neat?
Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?
She put her dinglehopper in a candlestick holder and began to look around her cave.
Olivia: Wouldn't you think I'm the girl?
The girl who has everything?
Look at this trove
Treasures untold
How many wonders can one cavern hold?
Lookin' around here you'd think
Sure, she's got everything
She swam up a bit to one of the clock pendants and swung them.
Olivia: I've got gadgets and gizmos aplenty
I've got whozits and whatzits galore
Timothy looked through a pair of glasses. He thought they were weird. Olivia got a little box of more treasures and showed them to Pudge.
Olivia: You want thingamabobs?
I got twenty
She set the box aside and put her forehead down on another rock.
Olivia: But who cares?
No big deal
I want more
Timothy looked at her in confusion. What more could she possibly want? Hasn't she had enough this...whatever stuff she has in her cave? Olivia sighed as she looked at a music box of a mouse couple dancing.
Olivia: I wanna be where the critters are
I wanna see
Wanna see 'em dancin'
Walkin' around on those-
Whad'ya call 'em? Oh, feet
Pudge giggled when Minnie tickled the skin on his webbed feet. Timothy just simply rolled his eyes. "Humph! Girls!"
Olivia and Pudge swam around the grotto.
Olivia: Flippin' your fins you don't get too far
Legs are required for jumpin', dancin'
Strollin' along down a-
What's that word again? Street
Olivia and Pudge swam up further north toward the grotto.
Olivia: Up where they walk
Up where they run
Up where they stay all day in the sun
Wanderin' free
Wish I could be
Part of that world
Timothy saw his exaggerated reflection in a glass object. He yelped and jumped into a lantern, shutting him in it.
Olivia: What would I give
If I could live
Out of these waters?
Olivia floated back onto the bottom of the grotto and laid there. So did Pudge.
Olivia: What would I pay
To spend a day
Warm on the sand?
Betcha on land
They understand
Bet they don't reprimand their daughters
Bright young children
Sick of swimmin'
Ready to stand?
Olivia swam up again and came upon one of the shelves, containing her treasures. She pulled out a thick book and flipped through the pages. Timothy panicked as he rolled around in a lantern.
Olivia: And ready to know what the critters know?
Ask 'em my questions
And get some answers
What's a fire and why does it-
What's the word? Burn
Olivia swam up to the top of her grotto. She stretched her hand out as if she was reaching for the sky. Saddened, she slowly sank down to the ground. Pudge looked at her sympathetically. They both looked up toward the top of the grotto.
Olivia: When's it my turn?
Wouldn't I love
Love to explore that shore above?
Out of the sea
Wish I could be
Part of that world
Olivia sighed. If only she could live up there, in the world above!
Meanwhile, Timothy had still been rolling inside the lantern. Off the edge, it shattered, and Timothy flew out and fell on top of a jack-in-the-box. Grabbing vainly for something to stop his fall, his hands caught a sheet, and he pulled it and all the other items stacked on in down. Pudge hid in an old knight's helmet startled at the sudden noise, and Olivia gasped. "Timothy!" she exclaimed.
The circus mouse's scowl somehow got deeper as he was all tangled up in Olivia's mouse junk. There was a teapot on his back, a pipe in his mouth, and he was on top of an accordion and all wrapped up in necklaces. He angrily spat out the pipe and fell off the squeaking instrument, dislodging most of the things from his back.
"Olivia! What, are you mad? How could you - what is all this?" he asked, throwing the normal mouse stuff off him.
"It, err, it's just my - collection." said Olivia.
Timothy smiled warmly. "Oh.mouse I see. Your collection. Hmmm." he said.
Then, he got angry again and tossed two last normal animal objects off his neck, shouting, "IF YOUR FATHER KNEW ABOUT THIS PLACE HE'D -"
"You're not gonna tell him, are you?" Pudge cut him off.
The penguin believed she couldn't take Hiram's yelling anymore!
"Oh, please, Timothy," Olivia begged. "He would never understand."
Timothy calmed down a bit and smiled again.
"Olivia." he said, "You're under a lot of pressure down here. Come with me, I'll take you home and get you something warm to drink."