Ikana Canyon is a dry, barren, empty gorge nestled at the heart of a once vibrant and flourishing empire. It became the home of lingering spirits consumed with guilt and hatred after a terrible war turned Ikana Kingdom into a “land where only the dead roam.” Being here fills a person with dread, and you might find yourself with a distinct feeling of being watched by someone or something. Suffice to say, most passersby do not wish to linger here very long, because in Ikana, the restless ghosts and bloodthirsty ninjas far outnumber the people.
Pamela and her father are the lone human occupants of Ikana Canyon, disregarding the shady bandit Sakon who occupies a hideout across the river. Pamela’s father is a scientist, and the subjects of his research are the terrifying mummy-like Gibdos overrunning the canyon, so the two have moved from Clock Town to set up research operations in Ikana. His greatest breakthrough is the discovery that a certain song is an effective tool for driving away the creatures. Therefore, Pamela’s house was modeled into a giant music box, complete with a speaker, to ward off wandering Gibdos.
After returning from an excursion beneath Ikana’s Well (the single most unsettling location in Termina), Pamela’s father becomes afflicted by a horrifying curse that is slowly turning him into a Gibdo. The Gibdos outside now believe Pamela’s father is one of them and are creepily enticing him to join their flock. So the tiny but brave Pamela decides to barricade the two of them inside the Music Box House, locking her father in a large wardrobe in the basement to protect him from the horde of Gibdos relentlessly encircling the house.
Though small in size, this young girl possesses a great deal of courage and quick thinking beyond her years. I can only imagine the amount of sheer stress this poor child must be shouldering as a result of her father’s terrifying curse. It must be heartbreaking for Pamela to see her father in such a grotesque state while also maintaining responsibility for the safety of their home. Gibdos surround the house day and night, which makes it impossible for Pamela to leave. And to make matters worse, Ikana Canyon is also experiencing a drought inflicted by our ghost friend Sharp, who dwells in the Spring Water Cave. This drought has caused the Music Box House to be out of order, as it relies on the river to power its waterwheel. Therefore, Pamela is left with no choice but to sit and wait for help.
After our hero Link has broken Sharp’s curse and dispensed with the Gibdos, Pamela is finally free to exit her home. She will leave to inspect the well only after carefully checking the area around her front door. Pamela is quick and catches on very easily, so the player has a tight window of time in which to gain access to the basement and rid Pamela’s father of his curse by playing the Song of Healing taught to us by the Happy Mask Salesman.
The result is an extremely emotional scene between father and daughter, with Pamela embracing her now fully-human dad and the latter expressing his confusion over his daughter’s distress. Pamela’s father suffers from total amnesia and will not remember any of the events leading up to his recovery. Pamela chooses not to inform him of the curse, assuring him that it was all a bad dream and telling him not to worry. Miraculously, the remains of the curse fuse into the Gibdo Mask, which will allow the player to understand the Gibdo language when worn. If Link speaks to Pamela while wearing the mask, she will be scandalized and immediately kick him out of the house. Clearly the sight of anything even resembling a Gibdo continues to be traumatizing for her.
Pamela’s maturity is astounding, and she remains fiercely protective of her father (and a little paranoid), even after the resolution of the curse. She is reluctant to allow Link to speak to her father due to her fear that the scientist will become a little too interested in researching Link’s supernatural healing powers. The memories of the curse still linger over her, and her sole concern is ensuring her father stays out of harm’s way. Pamela is selfless, dutiful, and possesses an iron will that allows her to survive in a wasteland overrun by the undead. I only hope that after the events of Majora’s Mask are over, both father and daughter are able to relocate to a more peaceful location, far away from any lingering spirits.
