A Big Mermaid #Wattys2014

Chapter 9- Always, always watching...

"I- I swear I never father!" Ariel cried into the large hall. Her father's glare caused her to duck her head shamefully.

"NONSENSE!" He boomed, his voice echoing the same menacing tone repeatedly. His entire face was scrunched up in pain and deep disgust. All her sisters were lined up beside him, staring at her sadly and pitifully.

"I'm not lieng," she feebly whispered, daring to stare at her father, hoping it would back up her argument.

"ENOUGH-" Her father rose from his throne, shaking with inconsolable anger.

"-Father," Attina placed her hand comfortingly on his shoulder, comforting him and calming his steaming rage. "Ariel, there's no point denying it..."

Surprised, Ariel narrowed her eyes at her sister, feeling betrayal at how she wasn't sticking up for her. She turned to her dearest, bestest friend Flounder. "Flounder, wasn't I with you the other day?"

Her friend cowered back, nervously. FLOUNDER! She mouthed frantically at him. Astonishment filled her and she vibrated with betrayal and hurt. Why wasn't he backing her up? Was he that scared of her father, well, the king?

Shaking her head Attina swam up to her sister and whispered in her ear, "You have human scent all over you," Not being able to take her obliviousness any longer.

Alarmed, she hissed back, "Wh-what do you mean?"

"Oh, sister, did you not know?" Attina tutted, her sympathy growing even stronger now. "When you touch a human you get their scent, and yours is stronger than ever."

Realisation sunk in, and she desperately glanced at her father.

The trail of lies floated around them, and the awkwardness was so evident it could be visible.

"You've met him haven't you?" Her father's voice was low and deep and he forced himself to steady himself from exploding.

She knew who he meant by him. Forcing herself to compose her nerves, she arched her head and gave a proud nod. "Yes... I have."

"CAGE HER!"

What? Gasps filled the room. What did he mean cage her? The words seemed to cage her!

"F-father-"

"NOW! GAURDS!"

2 strong seahorses grabbed her by each arm. Oh god, oh no.

***

Fuming, she rattled the bars and tightened her grip around them before falling back in exhaustion. Her eyes helplessly scanned the medium-sized room she was stuck in. It was comfortable, nowhere near a prison cell but what sickened her were the bars, forcing her from getting out. Flounder and even Sebastian had snuck through the small cracks in the metal chunks once or twice but not even their company could settle her.

She needed to reach the surface again, it was addicting and nauseating being away from it for too long. It surprised her the deep urge she felt tearing her body apart, it wasn't only the addiction to the surface, but an undenying love that awaited her there.

"Ariel," A sad voice greeted her. Shuddering, the princess turned to face her father. His eyes defied his fake smile and she could see the sadness and hurt they contained, ready to spill in the form of tears.

"Ariel," He repeated softly. "This is for your own good. You can't go up there ever again."

"Please father, let me out," She choked, a sense of claustrophobia striking.

"It's for your own good," He repeated, as if to console himself more than her.

"KEEPING ME AGAINST MY OWN WILL!" She yelled, trembling with anger. She didn't give a blooming bubble wether it was for her own good! "YOU'RE ONLY MAKING ME MORE DETERMINED!"

Hurt, strong hurt flashed in his eyes. "My little Ariel," He sighed, and he was gone.

Silence filled the room once again, except for the gentle flow of the water around her. She was desperate! Desire and longing controlled her mind as she rattled the bars again, it didn't cross her mind that they were magical so couldn't be dented...

It didn't cross her mind that there in the shadows, there was always someone watching...

 Always...

 "This is much too easy," Something cackled from the murky depths of darkness. She, the hideous source of nightmares watched through the eyes of her pet eel as he spied on the stubborn beauty. She, the sea witch.

Her, the revolting, disoriented monster with no eyes on her face and a body so gnarled it could categorise junk . "I suppose I better pretty myself up for the little pesk," Her bitter, mind-controlling voice coated the polluted air swamped with the fear and torture of previous victims. 

Her voice sharply hinted at something, and the scrawny, abused dolphin which now resembled a shark took it. It's eyes, dull and numb of emotion, disappeared into the deepness of the lair and reappeared clutching something. Another mermaid. The young lad struggled and tugged as fear racked his body.

"Now, now..." She chanted, her hypnotising voice tinting the air. "... Who said you needed eyes anyway?" Her cackle loudened as the prey's eyes widened, glistening with tears of fear and ache.

Slowly, she reached a scraggy, skeletal resemblance of an arm out and dug her claws into his eyes. An agonising scream shattered the boy's throat, loud enough to warn the other caged sufferers. His torture and shrieks muffled her large, gleeful chuckles.

She twisted, her claws sinking in flesh and drowning in blood.

He jerked and screamed.

She slowed the process, turning the socket of his innocent eyes in every direction.

He sank to the floor, his face hollow of those piercing blue orbs he once had.

Clutching his eyes, she delicately stitched them onto her face with the fresh veins of others. delicious, sweet pain satisfied her disturbing, sinister mind as she pricked the needle in and back out. The rhythm calmed her and soon she made her way up to her mouth and stitched a juicy, succulent pair of lips over her crooked slithers of them.  On she went, sewing beauty from others onto her face like a patchwork quilt.

"Now a final touch for our royal highness," her voice jeered and mocked. She wrapped a heavy, cloak around her revolting, off-putting lower half and sheer, naked head. "Wouldn't want to scare off our new project, would we?" As bitter as her words were, staining the minds of the misfortunate she had captured, her voice muffled the sincerity and sounded hypnotising and sweet.

"Ariel..." Hissss.

Trembling, Ariel desperately tugged her burgundy hair, that voice from deep inside her imagination continued to torment her. Was her imagination that crooked?

"AarriieelL... Don't deny me"

Oh good, she needed a doctor. She never realised her mind could conjure such a skin-crawling, weakening voice all by it's own. Was she really capable of that? It sounded so real! Quaking in fear, she tried to sing to drown out that voice calling for her.

As if to answer her questions, something appeared from the shadows of her room.