Treasured

Chapter Two

He called her name out as he waded through the sparkly waters, but had received no reply. He had been trudging along a seemingly endless sea shore looking for his little red-head somehow knowing she was somewhere in the shallow waters. How that could possibly make any sense didn't really matter, he just knew that he had to find her. Although, strangely he wasn't frantically running around in a panic like his tendency would be, instead he was just calmly strolling in the water as if he was sure he'll come across her eventually.

"Ariel!" He continued to call out, as he scanned the still ocean.

Then something caught his attention. It was a rock. The only rock in the entire scenery, and peeking from behind it was where he could see his beloved friend.

He waded towards her.

"Ariel, come out from behind there." He told her.

She buried her face behind the rock. "I can't." She said.

"Why not?"

She looked up at him her eyes filled with disappointment, "Because I'm a fish."

She slid behind the rock out of sight.

"Wait, Ariel-" But when he looked, she wasn't there, all there was was a little green fish swimming around.

Jim's dream was interrupted when he's pillow was ripped out from under his head and immediately smacked on top of him with a soft thump.

He groaned. Oh, what a surprise.

"Rise and shine Sleeping Beauty!" An all too familiar voice said cheerfully.

He didn't even bother to turn over to see the bubbly red-head interfering with his precious sleep for about the 300th day in a row.

"Hey, I'm talking to you James Hawkins!" She said shaking his shoulder.

He let out another groan and shrugged her off. "Who gave you the right?" He grumbled.

Ariel laughed. "Your mother, actually. Now get up, or I'll smother you with this pillow!"

"Well that's...a little violent." He said still not moving an inch.

"Thanks. Now come on, we got half an hour before the floor's open for breakfast."

"I'm aware."

"Jim come ON, I'm starving!"

"Then go eat!"

"No, not without you!"

He let out a groan as he rolled onto his back and covered his eyes with his arm. Her fish form was starting to look more and more desirable. At least then she couldn't talk.

This was a daily battle the two of them had developed. In which Ariel would come up with new and creative ways of torturing him enough out of bed. You'd think morning after morning of this would be enough of a motivation for someone to get up when asked the first time. But what could he say, he valued his sleep, and at some extent, testing how far she was going to take it.

"Can't you go make someone else suffer for a change?" He muttered.

"'Can't you go make someone else suffer for a change..'" She mocked in a deep voice. "Your so whiney!"

"Well you certainly are a reason to whine."

She punched him in the arm. "Stupid. Now come on, today's a new day of adventure, and whether you like it or not, your joining me on it!"