Lisa looked across Ramsgate harbour. “I’m sure that wasn’t there before”, she thought. “Surely I would have seen it? I walk this route every single day of the week and I’m positive it wasn’t there before”. She stopped at the metal-railings and leaned over for a closer look.

“I mean, does anyone else see it?”. She looked around at her fellow commuters. They were happily going about their business, not looking, eyes down at their feet. Not one of them noticed the 12-foot whale currently performing a remarkable impression of the hip-swinging Vegas showman himself. It was Elvis Presley.

She rubbed her eyes and pinched her arm. Ouch. Yup, it was still there.

“Hello Lisa, hu-hu-huh”, the Whale said.

She sat down, slumped next to the railings. It just spoke to her. Not only did it just speak to her, but it knew her name. She looked over her shoulder, fearful of what she was going to see next. Perhaps a Dolphin recital of Riverdance? Maybe a school of Can-Can Kicking Cod? Thankfully, the undersea kingdom didn’t appear to share this particular whale’s fondness for Rock ‘n’ Roll. The whale was now swinging his fin in helicopter fashion and he was curling his lip. He seemed to be singing ‘Blue Whale Shoes’, his sparkley outfit reflecting the shimmering water. He looked liked a disco-ball if truth be told.

She slowly stood up, memorized by the big-band antics of the water-bound mammal. It wasn’t in the water, it was STOOD on the bank. Stood on it’s two strong hind-flippers and holding a microphone. And swinging it’s hips.

“What are you?”, she asked.

“I’m Elvis. Hu-hu-huh”, the whale replied.

“No, not WHO. I can see WHO you are. I asked WHAT are you?”

“Ah, that is the question is it not? Hu-hu-huh. I’m Elvis and I’m on holiday”, he said quite matter-of-factly.

“But you’re a whale”, she said incredulously.

“Yes, I know. How cool is that? Hu-hu-huh”, he said while finishing off an intricate little dance number. “Huoar!”

Again, she looked around. People were just walking by, without even a second-glance at the dancing silvery-whale which was now singing ”Viva Las Whales’. “Why can’t anyone see this?”, she shouted to no-one in particular. She got one or two glances from the passing throng, but nothing to suggest they’d seen what she’d seen.

“Are you real?”, she said.

“Hu-hu-huh, of course I am. I’m as real as that paper dress your wearing.”, he said while doing a pirouette. “Don’t you think you ought to wear some shoes? I like suede ones, hu-hu-huh.”

Lisa looked down at her bare feet. When had she taken her shoes off? When had she changed into this horrible paper dress? What had happened to her perfectly co-ordinated business suit? “I don’t understand. What’s happening to me?”

“Well, if you want Elvis’s opinion, I’d say you were going Rock ‘n’ Roll baby hu-hu-huh”. The whale curled his lip again.

“I need to sit down”, Lisa said. And she did. She sat down with the sounds of ‘I’ll Be Loneswim Tonight’ ringing in her ears and tears in her eyes.

Through the mistiness of her tears, she noticed a man approaching her.  He looked to be wearing what appeared to be a Safari Hunter outfit and was carrying a large net.  He had a nametag on the breast pocket of his beige-coloured jacket that proudly announced his name in big green letters.  “Hi, My Name Is Justin”, it read.

“Hello Lisa”, said the man who’s name was Justin.  “How are you today?”

“I can see a whale doing an Elvis impersonation, he’s wearing a silver jump suit and he’s singing sea-orientated puns of Elvis songs”, she said, not quite believing herself.

“Yes, we know Lisa. And we’re here to help. You walked out this morning didn’t you? You walked out without taking your medicine. I think it would be a good idea if you came with us and you won’t see, erm, Elvis again.”, said Justin.

Lisa looked at the name-tag more intently.  At the top of the coloured piece of card was an emblem that looked like a locked-gate.  Underneath this, in red letters, were the words “Seaview Psychiatric Unit”.

She slowly nodded her agreement. “Yes, I think that would be a good idea”.

As the man helped her to her feet and guided her towards a waiting van, she took one last glimpse of the whale. But it had gone, a small ripple on the surface of the water the only sign anything or anyone was there.