Shimmer Tail

Chapter Six

~CHAPTER SIX~

The five chipmunks watched haplessly as Sherri swam to and fro, pulling bottles off of shelves and pouring various things into a cauldron. How she could do this underwater, they didn’t know. According to the green-haired mermaid, they had 45 minutes of air left. It didn’t help that they were all close to hyperventilating in the small space. Brittany had spent quite a while throwing insults at the mermaid, until the creature snapped.

“Will you SHUT UP!? I don’t care what you call me, but I can’t make a potion in all this noise!”

“LET THEM GO, SHERRI!”

The green-haired mermaid turned in shock, but her expression quickly turned into a sneer.

“Well, well, well. Look who’s come to play the hero. And just in time, too.”

The captive chipmunks turned to see three mermaids, one in pink, one in blue, and one in purple, but with long, brunette hair. If Simon had not seen the comb in her scarf, he might not have recognized her.

“Jeanette!”

Everyone did a double-take at the brunette mermaid.

“Jeanette…oh my gosh!” Brittany said in awe.

“You’re…you’re a mermaid!” Eleanor stuttered. Jeanette swam over, delighted to see her sisters again. But her joy was short-lived.

“Gotcha!”

Jeanette yelped as Sherri grabbed her hair and pulled her away. Her friends cried in outrage.

“Let her go!”

“Get your slimy hands off my sister!”

Sherri paid no attention to them. She grabbed a knife from the shelf. Everyone’s hearts seemed to stop with fear. Sherri raised the knife, and nicked Jeanette’s arm. She screamed in pain, and was thrown aside by Sherri, but luckily caught by Annalise. Sherri let a drop of Jeanette’s blood fall into the cauldron, then ran the knife over her own skin. Her blood fell in as well, and the cauldron’s contents bubbled violently.

“Yes, yes, yes!” She exclaimed gleefully. Then she turned back to Jeanette. The mer-Chipette was being fussed over by her friends.

“Jeanette, are you okay?”

“We were so worried!”

“We’ve gotta get out of here!”

Jeanette felt overwhelmed. Before she could reply to anyone, Sherri grabbed her arm.

“Give me the comb!”

“What!?”

“The comb! Give it to me!”

Jeanette winced as Sherri’s grip on her arm tightened.

“L-let me go!”

Sherri tugged at her again, then yelped as she was rammed into the wall by Ripple. With a yelp of rage, she and the blue-haired mermaid began to fight. Jeanette and Annalise were frantically searching the shelves for something to cut the enchanted net, as the remaining Chipmunks and Chipettes were running out of air quickly. Annalise found a small orange vial, and nodded in satisfaction when she read the label. Jeanette found a nail file, and started on the net. Before she cut all the way through, however, Annalise stopped her.

“You guys, this is mortlase. One drop will help you breathe underwater. Here,” she said, pushing through the net. The five chipmunks looked at Annalise uncertainly, but Jeanette urged them to hurry. Brittany was the last to swallow a drop, and just before the net filled up with water.