by S R Edwards
Chapter 2
It has been a year since their last ordeal and Eric, Ariel and Melody plan to return to Atlantica for Melody’s fourteenth birthday.
Eric decides that he will stay on the ship so that he can keep order between the crew. Ariel sends Sebastian down to tell her father that they are ready. King Triton comes up and Ariel and Melody stand on the edge of the ship holding hands. With one wave of his trident, King Triton turns Ariel and Melody into mermaids.
They go down to Atlantica and Ariel asks King Triton if she can show Melody the garden. He says yes. Ariel takes Melody to the garden and tells her about her mother. Just as Ariel finishes her story a fishing net coils around them. Ariel tells Melody not to worry. Two sting rays come from behind the statue of King Triton and his wife. They drag the two mermaids away and leave two flowers in their place. The rays take them to a cave in a cliff. They put Ariel and Melody in a cell and shortly after arriving; Marina turns up and tells them that she is honoured to have them with her. She goes out of the room and shouts Benjamin. “Benjamin, have you got those tablets!”
“Mmm…yep.”
“Good. Go and give one to Ariel and one to the squirt.” Marina shouts.
“Why? What for?” Benjamin questions.
“Just do it!” she points to the door.”
“Okay” he goes into the room where Ariel and Melody are locked away.
“Benjamin what’s going on?” Ariel asks as he comes in.
“I don’t know. Marina has told me to give you each one of these but I don’t want to.” He replies, showing Ariel the sweet like pills. “You don’t have to you know Benjamin” “I’m so sorry Ariel.” He pegs Melody’s nose and shoves the first pill down her throat. She falls to the floor and then Benjamin turns to Ariel and shoves a pill down her throat she too falls to the floor. He swims out of the room and tells Marina that both the mermaids are out cold. Marina takes a bottle and three shells out of the cupboard. She tells Benjamin to stay where he is. Then she goes into the other room and puts a drop of the potion, in the bottle, on each of the mermaids’ tails. They turn human. She then takes their voices and brings them round. She tells Ariel that in about twenty minutes the water level will rise above the cell filling it and drowning them. She also says that she has a meeting with someone on the surface. Ariel tries to shout at her but she has no voice. Marina clicks her fingers and the water starts to slowly rise around them. Marina laughs and leaves the room.
Benjamin watches her prepare a harpoon with a potion. She tells him to give her the key to the cell. He gives her the key and she leaves for the surface.
She finds a rock and slips behind it. She turns herself human. She then readies the harpoon and waits. Mean while the water is still rising in the cave and Ariel is banging on the cell door. Benjamin comes in and unlocks it. He tells them that Marina is going to do something to Eric.
On the ship Eric is getting worried and leans over the side of the ship. He looks for any sign that Ariel or Melody are at the surface. He sees a flash of light next to a rock, he looks in that direction but doesn’t see anything so he looks away. A few seconds later something hits him and he falls to the floor. Two crew members pick him up by the arms and dreg him into a bedroom and put him on the bed. They get the doctor on board and he says that Eric is just in a state of shock and to leave him to come round on his own. They all leave the room and marina climbs through a window, she walks up to him and gives him the antidote to the potion. He wakes up and she takes his voice from him. She then shoves a pill down his throat. So that when he breaths in the air turns to water in his lungs and he slowly drowns. She leaves him and returns to the cave to see how Ariel and Melody were getting on. But when she gets there they are gone.
Ariel and Melody reach the surface and start to swim towards the ship and towards Eric who is slowly dying in the bed. When they reach it Ariel pushes Melody up onto the cargo net and into a port hole, she then starts to climb but she is dragged down by the sting rays. Melody turns around and sees that her mother has disappeared. She runs up onto the deck and starts to wave her arms about. She gets a piece of paper and writes a note for the crew man who is watching her. He reads it and points to the room where Eric is lying down. She runs into it and sees him lying still. She runs up to him and grabs his hand. Eric turns his head and gives her a weak smile. Melody kisses him and jumps out of the window into the sea.
King Triton is told by Sebastian that two rays were seen swimming away from the ship with Ariel wrapped up in their tails. He sets off in the direction of the rays and soon comes across the entrance to the cave. He swims in to find Marina dancing around. She stops when she sees him and says “king triton what a pleasant surprise.”
“Where is my daughter marina?” he bellows at her.
She chuckles “Oh, I have much more of yours than you think.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, one I have Ariel’s voice” she holds up a shell. “Two; I have Melody’s voice, three I have Eric’s voice too.” She holds up two more shells. “But wait I have more. Four Eric is close to death and he can’t tell you why. Oh and here’s number five.” The two rays drop Ariel’s limp body in front of King Triton. He looks at his daughter and then at Marina “What have you done to her?” he points his trident at her.
“Now, now all she needs is one of these. But I want something in return.” Marina holds a pill between her finger and thumb. “What do you want I’ll give you anything. Please just don’t harm her give me the pill.” She goes to grab him but he pulls away. “I want power!”
“I’ll give you a top job at the palace just give me the pill”
“Good ok.” She gives him the pill and he slips it into Ariel’s mouth. He swims to the surface with her in his arms. She wakes up and he tells her to go back to the ship. He goes back down to the cave and starts to go through Marina’s things. She laughs and holds out the three shells containing the voices of his family. He grabs them and smashes them against the wall. Ariel is the first to get her voice, then Melody and finally Eric. Ariel climbs up to the deck and asks where Eric is. Every one points to the door. Ariel walks in to see him laying there with water dribbling out of his mouth. He looks at her and says “Ariel your ok.” She looks at him and says “Of course I am. I’m so sorry. I love you.” She runs out of the room and jumps off the edge of the ship and starts to swim down to Atlantica. She grabs Sebastian and takes him to the surface. “Ariel just what do you think you are doing.”
“Sebastian I need help. Eric is dying and I don’t know what to do.” She babbles at him. “Mmm… wait here a minuet.” He disappears and returns with flounder.
“Tell me what he looks like.” Flounder says. “Well he… he is pale and tired and has water dribbling out of his mouth.” She sniffs.
“Oh urm. It sounds like he is drowning. But how oh no, no it can’t be.”
“WHAT!” Ariel and Sebastian shout. Flounder turns to Ariel and says. “Ariel could you take us where you were taken?” he has a little courage in his voice.
“Mmm hum. Follow me.” They set off towards the cave. When they get there Benjamin is sat on his own chanting “I’m so sorry” over and over again. He sees Ariel and says “Ariel, hi what are you doing here.” Flounder answers for her. He says “Where does Marina keep all the pills.” Benjamin points over to a cupboard labelled ‘Marina’s stuff’. Ariel swims over and opens the cupboard. “That’s it” flounder says “the big box, grab one of the pills and let’s get out of here.” Ariel grabs one and starts to swim for the surface. When they get to the ship Ariel climbs up the cargo net and runs into the room where Eric is laying. He is now blue and has more water coming out of his mouth. Melody is sat on the bed next to him. Ariel walks up to them slowly. She whispers “Eric are you ok.” Melody looks up tears streaming down her face. “He won’t wake up.” Ariel runs over and hugs him. She gives him the pill. Then they hear Marina’s voice “you’re too late Ariel.” Then
she appears at the window and laughs “he’s gone.” “NO!” Ariel shouts at her. “Eric honey, wake up please.” Melody suddenly launches herself off the bed, grabs a fork and jumps out of the window onto Marina. They both fall into the sea. Ariel runs to the window. “MELODY!!” she runs out of the room and starts to climb down the cargo net. King Triton appears with Melody in his arms. He smiles at Ariel and says “your mother caught her safe and sound.” Ariel smiles back and climbs back up the cargo net. When she reaches the deck King Triton gives her Melody. Melody opens her eyes, looks at Ariel and says “I got her mom.” King Triton clears his throat and says “Marina landed on a spike she is dead.” Then everyone starts to shout. “He’s awake he’s awake.” Ariel puts Melody down and they both run into the room. Eric turns his head and smiles “Ariel, thank you.” Melody hugs him and Ariel joins in. “It wasn’t me it was flounder he is the real hero.” Ariel and Melody help Eric to the window. Ariel shouts “daddy.” King Triton comes to the window and says “yes Ariel.” She smiles and replies. “Could you bring flounder up here please?” he disappears out of sight then reappears with flounder. Ariel kisses his head, hugs him, looks at Eric and says “thank you flounder.”