the Little Mermaid (2023) [H.S. x J.C.]

Chapter six

"I can't believe this," Zayn grumbles to himself. He's pretty sure he has aged several decades in the past twenty-four hours. When he was a young crab, he used to tell his mother and father of his dream to be part of the sea king's staff. Such a position would come with honor, prestige . . . but no. Instead, he's swimming around like a crustacean with his head chopped off, chasing down a silly teenager so that he doesn't actually get his head chopped off.

Honestly, how is he supposed to keep watch of him if he won't stay still? Zayn takes a calming breath. "As long as the king never finds out, everything will be all right." he tells himself. All he needs to do is take Harry back home. He knows he was around here somewhere . . .

Zayn nears the spot where he saw him surface the night before. He sees the entrance to a grotto that's almost perfectly hidden. Ah, so this must be where the boy's been swimming off to!

"I just have to be firm with him," he tells himself. He'll make him see that this current fancy is just a passing phase. He will understand that he'll forget all about the human prince in time.

As Zayn enters the grotto, however, he realizes it might take longer than he's been hoping. His jaw drops at the sight of Harry placing a statue of the human prince at the center of the grotto.

Yup, I am a dead crab.

"Harry!"

He spins around toward him, surprise on his face. "Zayn! How did you find me?"

Wow, this boy is an expert at missing the point. Zayn looks around in horror. "What is all this?" Things that do not belong under the sea are stashed in every corner of the space. There is too much for it to all be objects he's collected recently. He has clearly been doing . . . whatever this is for a while. Zayn looks back at the garish statue. "What are you doing with that . . . that thing?"

Instead of looking abashed, Harry sighs dreamily. "Isn't it beautiful? Look at the longing in his eyes."

"What do you know about longing? What is he doin' here?"

"It's from the shipwreck. I found him at Merman's Reef. And I'll bet there's so much more."

Zayn gapes at him. Why is he talking like fooling around with all these forbidden objects isn't going to get them both in trouble? Why doesn't anyone ever think about Zayn?

Unconcerned by the crab's plight, Harry swims out of the grotto. Zayn is dumbfounded. He's just been caught, yet he still thinks this is the time to gather more incriminating evidence.

"No—no! Harry!" Zayn hurries after him. "Child, get back here!" He catches up and cuts in front of him. "You have got to let go of this obsession with humans!"

He frowns at him. "I'm not obsessed."

Zayn snorts. "I may be crusty, but I'm not blind. I saw you the night of the shipwreck."

I got you now, he thinks as he stops in his tracks.

He turns to him with wide eyes. "What?"

"Your father wants you to stay as far away from them as possible!"

"But why?"

He gives him a pointed look. "You know why."

Harry huffs and crosses his arms. Zayn knows exactly the arguments she is remembering. Humans are cruel. Humans are violent. Humans want to destroy the ocean. A single trip to the surface won't change that.

But still, he looks at him defiantly. "We don't need to be afraid of them. I know that now. Zayn, if you had just seen it up there . . . the ship rode on the wind and they filled the sky with fire!" He grins, replaying the memory in his mind.

Zayn shakes his head. The young are always so naive. He can tell he is too enamored with this seemingly mysterious world to give it up easily. It's time to try a different approach.

"Listen to me. The human world is a mess. Life under the sea is better than anything they got goin' on up there." It is always a mistake to think that things will better elsewhere. This was something he had been taught as a young crab. Harry wants to explore the treasures of the human world, but the ocean is teeming with so many incredible things.

Zayn:

Okay, okay, listen to me
The human world is a mess
Life under the sea is better than anything they got goin' on up there

The seaweed is always greener
In somebody else's lake
You dream about going up there
But that is a big mistake
Just look at the world around you
Right here on the ocean floor
Such wonderful things surround you
What more is you lookin' for?

Under the sea, under the sea
Darlin', it's better down where it's wettеr
Take it from me
Up on the shorе they work all day
Out in the sun they slave away
While we devotin' full time to floatin'
Under the sea

All around them the sea comes to life. Humans could never appreciate how magical and musical the world under the waves is. Zayn draws Harry's attention to the way the vibrant colors or the clams and turtles and sea plants light up around them. A rhythm builds as the natural music of the sea starts playing. Fish around them seem to dance with exuberance, sharing their own love of their wonderful home.

Zayn:

Down here all the fish is happy
As off through the waves they roll
The fish on the land ain't happy
They sad 'cause they in their bowl
But fish in the bowl is lucky
They in for a worser fate
One day when the boss get hungry
Guess who gon' be on the plate?
Oh, no

Under the sea, under the sea
Nobody beat us, fry us, and eat us in fricassee
We what the land folks love to cook
Under the sea we off the hook
We got no troubles, life is the bubbles
Under the sea (Under the sea)
Hey, under the sea (Under the sea)
Yes, child
Since life is sweet here
We got the beat here naturally (Naturally)
Even the sturgeon an' the ray
They get the urge an' start to play
We got the spirit, you got to hear it
Under the sea

It makes Zayn feel alive. It's better under the sea. They don't have to worry about getting eaten by humans. Surely Harry can understand how silly it is to want to be part of a world where all her friends are viewed as food.

Zayn:

Watch this
The newt play the flute
The carp play the harp
The plaice play the bass
And they soundin' sharp
The bass play the brass
The chub play the tub
The fluke is the duke of soul, yeah
The ray he can play
The ling's on the strings
The trout rockin' out
The blackfish, she sings
The smelt and the sprat
They know where it's at
An', oh, that blowfish blow

The music continues to build as sea creatures all around them join and dance. Humans may think they have the monopoly on good music, but Zayn knows better. This is exactly what he is talking about. And just as Zayn hoped, the joy is contagious. Harry soon dances along with them.

Zayn and Harry:

Yeah, under the sea (Under the sea)
Under the sea (Under the sea)
When the sardine begin the beguine
It's music to me (Music is to me)
What do they got?
A lot of sand?
We got a hot crustacean band, ha
Each little clam here
Know how to jam here
Under the sea

Zayn cheers him on. He thinks he's finally getting it. There's no need to bother with the human world. What do they have? A lot of trouble. But hate they have the rhythm of the sea. Zayn can feel it moving through him. The music carries him, and he knows there is no better place to be right here. And he has helped Harry realize—

Zayn:

Each little slug here
Cuttin' a rug here
Under the sea
Each little snail here
Know how to wail here
That's why it's hotter
Under the water
Ya, we in luck here
Down in the muck here
Under the sea

Zayn glances up to where Harry once was and finds nothing but empty space. A quick glance around confirms that he is gone. The crab sighs.

"Harry?" He calls, trying to ignore the smidges of hopelessness creeping its way through him. "Someone's got to nail that boy's fins to the floor."