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

Chapter fifteen

A little while later, John and Harry are back in the carriage—with John driving this time. The sky is painted purplish blue as dusk begins to settle and stars to appear.

"I love this time of night," John says. It's nice when everything is peaceful like this. It's the quiet calm that emerges just before the world becomes dark. Whenever his mind gets too restless—which often, honestly—he likes to stand outside and watch as the moon slowly replaces the sun. All the daytime creatures head for bed as the night ones start to come out. It's a moment of new beginning.

He wonders if the boy is familiar with any of the wildlife native to this island. He points upward. "Sometimes you'll see the eyes of the screech owl up in the trees—"

A seabird swooping down them above cuts him off and steals his new hat straight from his head. The bird immediately takes off with it.

"Hey! Come back with that!" John stops the carriage and notices the boy's inquisitive gaze. "That is not a screech owl." He turns his head back toward the menace. "That's a thief! Come on!" he yells as he jumps down and races after the bird. The boy follows, and together they make their way through thick underbrush lining the shore of a little tropical lagoon. John takes the boy's hand to guide him carefully through the tangled foliage.

"This way, this way. You all right? Watch out." John keeps the seabird in sight, his hat still in its talons. The creature looks back, almost as if making sure they're still following it. John frowns. "Hey! Give me my hat back!"

The bird swoops low and drops John's hat into one of several rowboats on shore, then flies away as if it hadn't been leading them on an intense chase.

John lets out an amused snort. "All right, then." He and the boy run to the boat. John climbs in to retrieve the hat and plops it back down onto his head. "Didn't want to lose this." he says with a triumphant smile.

Come to think of it, he has found himself smiling quite a bit today. And he's not yet ready for the day to end. He looks down at the rowboat. He glances back at the boy. They are in one of the most beautiful lagoons the island has to offer, even if it took a flying thief for them to get here. It could be a shame to waste it, John thinks. From the look in the boy's eyes, he can tell he has the same idea.
——————
Sabrina watches Harry and the prince from a distance with Louis and Zayn at her side.

"Move your big fat feathers, bird!" Zayn exclaims. He swats at her wing. "I can't see a thing."

"Well, they're in the boat," Sabrina explains.

Louis sighs. "But nothing's happening." The two almost lovebirds keep looking at each other with shy smiles, but both seem hesitant to make the next move.

Zayn groans, snapping his claws impatiently. "We're running out of time, and no one's puckered up once!"

Lucky for everyone, Sabrina fancies herself a bit of a connoisseur of all things love. She knows exactly what this scene needs to get things moving along. "I think it's time for a little vocal romantic stimulation." She flies up to a low branch, clears her throat, and belts out one of her best.

"Womp womp womp wonp woooomp!"

"All right, all right." Zayn rudely cuts her off. "Listen, Harry cannot know we're helping. It he sees or hears us, he'll shut us down. Nah, man, we got to be sneaky about this." He grins, his own plan coming into place. "We got to work on the prince—using the power of suggestion."

Sabrina and Louis follow Zayn into the water and swim inconspicuously toward the rowboat with him. They hide behind a stand of bamboo reeds.

"Now we just got to set the right mood," Zayn whispers.