The Imagination Latibule: The Little Mermaid - Eric

Chapter 4

You hadn't spoken to Sebastian since Triton had destroyed the grotto. As far as you were aware, neither had Ariel. You knew you could forgive him, just not yet. As you sat, watching over the shipwrecks and trying to fool yourself into believing that you could be on land again one day, you noticed Ariel swimming by, led by two nasty looking eels.

"Oh no you don't," you thought, and you swam quickly over to her. "Ariel," you called, and the two eels hissed, crackling electricity in their tails. You stood your ground. "What are you doing?"

"It doesn't matter," she said, and you shook your head.

"Don't lie to me."

Ariel sighed. "I'm going to visit my auntie."

"Ursula? The sea witch?" You cried. "Like hell you are."

"y/n..." she whined but you were having none of it.

"Don't 'y/n' me," you said. "She's dangerous."

"She says she can help."

"Help with what?"

"Getting us what we want," Ariel said. "Father took your legs, right?" she asked, and you felt nauseously sad just thinking about it. "Ursula can get them back."

"She can't be trusted, Ariel," you said. "I'm sorry. Come on." You turned to leave, beckoning for her to come with, and she did, but not without a final word.

"You'll never see him again then," she said, and you froze. "Eric. He'll wonder for the rest of his days who saved him from that ship, and you'll never be able to say it was you."

You turned to her, a scowl on your face and a cheeky grin on hers. "Fine," you said. "I'll go."

"What?"

"If Ursula helps, and whatever she does it safe, then you can come. Until then, you're staying." Ariel sighed unhappily. "I know he's angered you. He's upset me too, but think of your father," you said. "All he wants is not to lose you."

She nodded, and then pulled away from the eels who stared at you angrily. "She'll go," Ariel told them, and they hissed unhappily.

"It's me or no one," you said to the evil creatures. "What do you choose?" You stared at them, and reluctantly they swam off into the darkness. With a certain nod to Ariel, you followed.

Through shipwrecks and shark infested water, into depths of the ocean you'd never reached, you followed the eels, until you reached a lava geyser field. As streams of light flooded the water, you saw mermaid skeletons littering the ground. You gulped and continued, until you were in a large cavern, decorated as a home. The sea witch lair. You hovered at the door, tempted to leave and just tell Ariel it wasn't worth it, but if there was even a small chance you could get your legs back, you were willing to see it through.

"You're not the mermaid I was expecting, y/n," a voice said, echoing through the chamber. You shivered, watching as a slimy black tentacle hung over the side of a giant clam shell.

"Your reputation precedes you," you replied. "I came in Ariel's place, in case of..." you trailed off. "Unpleasantries."

"Unpleasantries?" Ursula replied with a humoured chuckle, as more of her tentacles appeared. She didn't seem in the least bit offended by your apprehension. "Come in, child. We mustn't lurk in passageways. It's rude." You didn't make a move, but one of the eels swam behind you, pushing you forward. You floated over the skeletons of a number of creatures and gulped.

Forgive my haunting garden," Ursula said, referring to the carcasses. "I wouldn't choose to live like this, believe me. Triton's been so unfair to both of us, controlling everything we say and do. In a way, we're the same, you and I." As you frowned, Ursula sat, and you found that despite the stories, she wasn't as scary as you'd been told.