Which left the Sea Witch without a beautiful mermaid voice to complete her collection. This sent the witch into such a rage that the sea roiled and frothed like a witch’s cauldron.
So now the Sea Witch had to wait for the day when the Little Mermaid’s firstborn daughter would live the story her mother was supposed to have lived—to permanently exchange her voice for legs and life on land.
And wait the Sea Witch did, counting the days until she got Meeshell’s voice.
“You will not be going to Merschool tomorrow because you will be going to a different school,” her mother explained.
“Why?”
“You have been invited to attend Ever After High,” her father said, a proud smile on his handsome face.
Meeshell pondered this news. Ever After High? Her father often spoke of the school he’d attended. He’d loved it. She remembered many bedtime stories about his days fighting dragons in Dragon-Slaying class and climbing towers in Hero Training class. How he’d been co-president of the student body, and captain of the Track and Shield team. The world above the waves was so very different. For Meeshell and her Merfriends, school studies focused on learning about the other creatures that inhabited the sea. There were no class presidents or clubs or teams. Her people considered themselves the guardians of the waters, and thus, taking care of other creatures was of the utmost importance.
“But Ever After High is on land, and I’m not supposed to go onto land until I’m older,” Meeshell said. “My story isn’t supposed to start yet. Is it?”
Her mother swam over and handed Meeshell the message-in-a-bottle. It had been written on waterproof paper.
From the desk of
HEADMASTER GRIMM
Dear Philip and Pearl,
I believe it is in your daughter’s best interest to begin her studies, posthaste, at Ever After High. While Merschool is suitable for those who will live out their lives in the sea, I believe it is not the best choice for a young princess whose destiny is to eventually live on land. Ever After High will provide Meeshell the everyday experiences that will prepare her for her future life as a land-dweller. Fall quarter begins in three days. A dormitory room shall be waiting for her.
Yours ever after,
Headmaster Grimm
PS—I have sent an urgent message to the Sea Witch, asking her to help with Meeshell’s transformation.
“The Sea Witch?” An icy feeling darted up Meeshell’s spine. The scales on her tail shivered.
“Unfortunately, she is the only one who possesses the magic to give you legs,” her mother explained.
“I know but…” This was all so very confusing. When Meeshell woke up that morning, she’d been looking forward to learning stingray songs. But now her life was being turned upside down. “But…”
“Sweetheart, I know you must feel like you’ve been hit by a tidal wave,” her mother said gently. She took Meeshell’s hand. “But this isn’t bad news. It’s good news. This is a wonderful opportunity. When I went onto land, I barely knew anything. I’d only observed people from a distance, so it was very difficult for me. But you’ll get the chance to live with people, to learn directly from them. And when you make that final transition to living permanently on land, it won’t be so shocking.”
That all made sense, but it didn’t change the fact that Meeshell wasn’t ready to leave. “But that means I have to go away.” She tried to bravely hold back her tears.
“Only for a while. You’ll have long weekends and holiday breaks to come home. And there’s summer, of course.” Her dad took her other hand. “You’ll have so much fun, the time will fly by.”
But how could she have fun without her friends? And then another thought struck her.
“What about Finbert?” Meeshell asked. She reached out her hand. A tiny narwhal swam over. She stroked his back. Finbert had been her beloved pet since she was a baby. She couldn’t stand the thought of them being apart for such long periods of time.
“Finbert can join you after you’ve settled in,” her father replied with a smile. “You will see that several of your classmates at Ever After High have pets.”
Well, at least that was something. “Did you hear that, Finbert?” she asked. “You can join me later.” He nodded, then chased after a puffer fish.
Suddenly, the water turned cold. A sharp current shot through the castle, swirling around Meeshell and her parents. The hermit crabs tucked into their shells. The butterfly fish darted into a crevice. Something was coming.
The Sea Witch entered. Her tail differed from most of her fellow Merpeople. Not made of glistening scales, it was built of red armor, like a crab’s shell.
At the sight of the witch, Queen Pearl pulled her daughter close. King Philip grabbed his trident and rose into a protective stance. The Sea Witch stopped swimming and waved a hand at him. “Oh, calm down, Philip. I’m not here to stir up the waters. I got a message from Milton Grimm, same as you.”
The king lowered his trident. “You’ll help us?” he asked warily.
“Help you?” She cackled as all witches do, whether on land or in water. “I’m not here to help you! You two and your true love kept me from adding a beautiful mermaid voice to my collection.”
“If you’re not going to help us, then why are you here?” Queen Pearl asked.
“I’m here to help myself, of course!” Her voice was as rough and scratchy as sand. Her long, tangled black hair floated around her head. A few crabs peeked out from among the tangles. She pointed a finger at Meeshell. “If I give you legs, and you go to school, and you make lots of friends, and you meet a dashing prince, blah blah blah, then you will fall in love with living on land and you will embrace your destiny. And I will have your voice!” More cackling.
“You can’t have her voice until she decides to stay on land permanently,” Queen Pearl pointed out. “And that won’t happen until after she’s graduated.”
“Yeah, yeah, details, details. Whatever.” The Sea Witch rolled her black eyes. “I only care about one thing: completing my collection!” Then she hollered, “Coral! Where are you?”
Another mermaid swam into the palace. Coral, daughter of the Sea Witch, was a few years younger than Meeshell. She had dark, blue-black hair and a red tail like her mother.
“Seeing as this is a special request, I’m going to let my daughter cast the spell. She could use the practice.”
Coral smiled nervously. “Yeah, my last spell didn’t go so well.” Meeshell’s parents shared a troubled glance. Coral’s botched spells were well-known in the Merworld.
The Sea Witch chuckled. “Never mind that, darling. That stupid shark seems fine with his new head of hair. We all make mistakes. That’s part of learning.” The Sea Witch patted her daughter’s head.
“Do you think this is a good idea?” King Philip asked the witch. “Shouldn’t you be the one to cast the spell?”
“Of course it’s a good idea!” the Sea Witch bellowed. “Coral is perfectly capable of replacing a Mertail with two human legs. Right, Coral?”
It took Coral a few moments before she nodded, and even then, she didn’t look confident. Meeshell gulped. Her hand flew to her tail, to its soft, blue scales.
The Sea Witch spun around, then swam toward the entry. “Meet us at dawn, on the shore of Turtle Island.” And with another blast of cold current, she was gone. After a little wave good-bye, Coral followed.
“Is this really happening?” Meeshell asked her parents.
“Yes,” they both said. Which was not the answer she’d hoped for.
Chapter 4
Flotation Device
Sand and pebbles crunched beneath Meeshell’s bare feet as she followed the headmaster up the path. “Are you still resolute about hiding your true identity?” he asked.
“Yes.” She’d thought about this during her sea voyage. And she’d discussed it at length with her parents before leaving the Merworld. If her future was to live on land, and to be two-footed, then it was important for her to gain accepta
nce among the students as an equal. To not be treated differently. If the students and teachers knew she’d spent most of her life with a tail, they might not expect as much from her. She didn’t want that. She wanted the true experience. If everyone thought she was a human, they’d treat her as a human.
The trail rounded a corner and the beach disappeared from view. The headmaster folded his arms behind his back as they walked. He didn’t try to force conversation. She couldn’t tell if he agreed or disagreed with her decision to hide her true identity. They continued in silence, up the path and onto a cobbled road.
She’d just been getting used to the sandy terrain, but cobblestones were a totally different sensation. Her ankles twisted as she stepped into the ruts between the stones. How did people do this? Swimming came naturally to Merpeople—they didn’t need to be taught. But walking was so weird! “How long does it take someone to learn to walk?” she asked.
The headmaster turned, glancing at her from beneath his bushy brows. “Some start walking after nine months, but for others it can take more than a year.” More than a year? What had she gotten herself into?
They traversed a pretty wooden drawbridge, then stood at the entrance to the campus. An elegant archway loomed overhead, its face carved with the words: Welcome to Ever After High.
Meeshell’s skin got all tingly. It was as if she’d just discovered a new world. Certainly she’d seen parts of this world up close. She’d encountered many boats, both those run by fishermen, and huge cruise ships overflowing with land-dwellers. And she’d watched humans walking along the beach, swimming, sunning themselves. But to stand in their world… it felt like a dream.
The school was so much larger than she’d imagined. The stone buildings looked big enough to fit giants. Wide walkways wound between colorful gardens where everything was in bloom. The flowers were all unfamiliar to Meeshell, but they were beautiful. A unicorn fountain stood at the center of a pool, where white swans nibbled on water bugs between lily pads. But what struck her most was that there were mirrors everywhere she looked. On the trees, on the walls; one even hung from a tiny white cloud.
The campus was oddly quiet. She’d expected lots of people and activity. Her father had always described it that way. She looked around.
“The students are gathered in the Charmitorium for a School Spirit assembly,” the headmaster explained. “The cheerhexers are leading the assembly, to show support for our athletic teams.” Right on cue, a loud cheer rose from a nearby building. A dreamy, faraway look filled the headmaster’s eyes. “Back in my day, I played center on the basketball team. I held the record for most baskets of food dunked in a single game. Those wolves could never catch me. Ah, I remember those days as if they were yesterday.”
Meeshell tried to imagine a game like that, but her attention was diverted by a large brown rabbit sitting on a bench. Meeshell had seen rabbits before, hopping about on shore, but this one wore glasses. And was reading a book! And were those horns sprouting from his head? Then she squealed as something bumped into her foot. She stepped aside as three roundish creatures, covered in prickles like sea urchins, waddled past. They made funny snorting noises at her. She shielded her eyes with her hand and looked up at the sky as a large shape passed overhead. “Was that a dragon?” she asked.
“Indeed.”
Her father had told many stories about dragons. They terrified villagers and stole treasure. They reminded her of sharks.
“You have no reason to be concerned,” the headmaster explained. “All the Ever After High dragons are friendly. We don’t allow dangerous dragons here. There’s a protective spell to keep them away.”
That was a relief. It was bad enough encountering a shark, but having to worry about something swooping down from the sky seemed unbearable. Meeshell followed the headmaster up a wide stone stairway. As the headmaster approached, a pair of doors flew open. He and Meeshell stepped into the Administration Building.
A tree grew in the center of the building, its branches reaching into the corners and its trunk disappearing right through the ceiling. Birds nestled in the branches. A pink squirrel scurried around the trunk. There was a mirror on this tree, too.
Up a staircase Meeshell and the headmaster went, spiraling ’round and ’round until they reached the upper floor. They passed through another door and into a room, where a lady sat at a desk. She had extremely large ears and an oversized nose from which long, black hairs sprouted. The sign on her desk read:
NO STUDENT SEEN WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT
The headmaster spoke to her. “Mrs. Trollworth, this is our newest student, Meeshell. Do you have her student file?”
“Does she have an appointment? She can’t be here without an appointment.” She tapped the sign with a stubby finger.
“There’s no need for an appointment. I just met her at the dock and now we need to find her new student file.”
“Yeah, okay, it’s here somewhere.” The troll lady shuffled through a very large stack of papers, tossing some over her shoulder onto another large stack. It was quite messy behind her desk. She found what looked like an old sandwich, took a bite, then tossed it aside. After riffling through another stack of papers she exclaimed, “Got it!” She handed over the file. Then she stared at Meeshell’s bare feet, which had picked up quite a bit of dirt during the walk. “You part troll?” she asked. Meeshell didn’t understand the question, until she noticed that the troll lady’s feet were also bare. Except hers were hairy, with gnarly yellow toenails.
Meeshell shook her head.
“Oh. Too bad for you.” She plopped onto her chair and began to eat noisily from a bag of salted cockroach crisps.
“Right this way.” Headmaster Grimm escorted Meeshell into his office. A massive carved desk sat in the center of the room. The walls were covered with framed photos of various members of the Grimm family. But what really caught Meeshell’s attention was the elderly woman who was sitting on a cushion and floating about four feet off the ground. She looked very comfortable. Meeshell suddenly missed the sensation of floating—missed the way the water held and cradled her.
“Hello,” the woman said. Her voice was craggy with age, but kind. Snarled gray hair peeked out from a scarf she wore over her head. A pair of golden bangles hung from her earlobes.
“Meeshell, this is Professor Baba Yaga. She is the department head for Spells, Hexes, and General Witchery classes. Because you are not a witch, you will not likely find yourself in one of her classrooms. However, she volunteered to keep an eye on you during your stay here.”
“I have a keen interest in you. I was your father’s advisor when he attended this school. I remember him well.” She floated closer. “You have his eyes.”
Meeshell gulped. This professor knew her identity? She looked questioningly at the headmaster.
“You can’t hide the truth from Professor Yaga,” he said. “And she feels it is very important to monitor your health.”
“My health?”
“Yes,” Professor Yaga said. “Please, sit.” She motioned toward a chair. Meeshell sat. She went to tuck her tail beneath the chair, but then remembered the new legs. She crossed them at the ankles, imagining that they’d once again become a tail.
The headmaster walked behind his desk and sat in a chair so large, it looked like a throne. Professor Yaga pressed her fingertips together and floated a bit higher, looking down at Meeshell. “Your health is of my utmost concern. Leaving the water is not a simple feat. Your body is not used to gravity.”
“Oh.” Meeshell thought about this for a moment. “Is that why I feel heavier?”
“Exactly. You are used to the buoyancy of water. I noticed that when you walked in, you were a bit wobbly on your legs. I wouldn’t worry about that. You’re young and strong; you should adapt quickly.”
“Coral, the Sea Witch’s daughter, cast the spell, and she said that when she tried it on an eel, the eel’s new legs fell off. Do you think that might happen to me?”
“Let us hope not!” Professor Yaga gave Meeshell a very lengthy stare. “I’m wondering about your voice. Is that as loud as you can speak?”
“Yes, I’m having trouble. My voice feels… weak.”
“Ah, another effect of being out of water. Your vocal cords are used to both air and water, but not to air one hundred percent of the time. It’s having a negative effect on them.”
“Could the air damage my voice?” Meeshell asked, her brow furrowed.
Professor Yaga narrowed her eyes. “It is a possibility.” Then she gave the headmaster an odd look. Meeshell uncrossed her legs and sat up straight. Was it possible her voice wouldn’t be fine? This could be a very big deal because her story centered on her voice!
“I can see that you’re concerned.” Professor Yaga floated closer again, then patted Meeshell’s shoulder. “Let’s not panic. Perhaps all your voice needs is time to adjust. I will keep a close eye on you and check in with you often. But if anything changes, let me know right away.” And off she floated.
Once again, Meeshell’s hand flew to her throat. If this trip to Ever After High ruined her voice, the Sea Witch would be furious! And without a voice to trade, Meeshell’s story line would be ruined.
“I have the highest confidence in Professor Yaga,” Headmaster Grimm told her. “You are in extremely capable hands. When Faybelle Thorn cast an evil spell and it backfired, taking away Faybelle’s ability to fly, Professor Yaga guided her through the recovery process. And recover she did. That young fairy ignores the campus flying speed limit every chance she gets.” He cleared his throat, then opened Meeshell’s file. “Now, there is some business we must attend to. Because you wish to keep your identity a secret while you’re here, we think it would be best to give you a single room.”
Meeshell agreed that things might be easier if she had total privacy, but it felt like special treatment. “Do other students have single rooms?”
“No.”
Ever After High Page 2