Poor Unfortunate Soul

Three

The child came to my cave, for which I instantly said, "Honey, what are you doing here? You should be at home. It's late."

Sure, I might not have had the best reputation, but I care for the child. What else am I supposed to do? Let her walk into this blindly? No! And besides, it's not that I even look creepy, too. I look like the average mermaid. So I don't look like a hag, thank you very much.

"No, I know what I'm getting myself into. You're the Sea Witch, right? I hope I came to the right place."

That were the words that instantly broke my heart. Right off the bat. I've done deals with grown merpeople, the elderly, but never a child. Up until now. This girl was naive, young and foolish.

But I can't turn down a favour. The Magic Deity up above made me promise to never turn down a client. And I will get deeply punished. And I mean it.

I sigh. "Yes, I am the Sea Witch. What do you need?"

"Wow, you look and are different than what my father has told me." the girl chuckled.

Now, you see, I don't ask for people's names, so the less I know the less I can be held accountable for.

"Yes," I chuckle, "I suppose I am. Who is your father?"

"Oh, um, well, about that... My father is the, uh, Sea King." The girl looks anxious. She doesn't want to get into trouble. You could read the look on her face.

"Oh! You're his youngest daughter! You turned fifteen yesterday, did you not?" "Um, yeah, I did. I have six sisters, and when we turn fifteen-" "You're able to see land for the first time. I know, I was-" "You were what?" There was a glimmer in the girl's eyes. She was eager. But it's not my story to tell.

I sighed. "Sweetie, it's not my story to tell. So, why did you come here?" I'm regretted this so much. I didn't want to do it. I hoped (and still do) that she couldn't see the sadness in my eyes.

"Well, I kind of fell in love with the people, and the land, and especially the prince. So, I kind of want legs." She was eager. The worst kind of eager. Too eager.

"Ah, I see. You also want an immortal soul, no?" "How did you know that?" "Somebody told me." "Who?" "I can't really say. They'll get me into deep trouble." "Oh, okay..." My Neptune, now that I think back, I sounded like a creep! Well, there's nothing I can do about that now... The past is the past.

"So, here's the deal. I'll give you legs, so you can go up on land. But there's a catch. A big catch. Unfortunately, every step you'll take will feel as if you're being stabbed by knives at the bottom of your feet, so you have to tread lightly. And if you don't win the prince's love on the third day, so much love that he will leave his mom and his dad for you, then you will have to suffer. These consequences are beyond my control. And, um, you won't have a voice. I'm sorry."

All the colour was drained out of the girl's face. She was as pale as the sand on the shore. She hesitated. She didn't want to do it. I could tell. It hurt.

"If you don't want to do it, you don't have to. I'm not holding you to it." I wanted to give her a hug, but that wouldn't be professional. And she would have thought I was a creep and ran away forever.

Wait. If I gave her a hug and she did flee, then she would be alive. Neptune, I am such an idiot.

"Without my voice, how will I be able to win over the prince?" She was so stubborn. I guess she took after her father in that sense.

"You have your expressive eyes, your graceful walk, your perfect figure. You have everything any human could ask for on land."

"I'll do it. I'll go through with it." The little princess was trembling. She was as pale as a pearl.

"And remember that when you are a human, you can no longer become a mermaid. You won't be able to be with your sisters and your father again. And the first morning after the prince marries someone else, your heart will break, and you will turn into sea foam which will forever crest along the waves."

"So I'm going to die in the end?" She was heartbroken. Depressed. Whatever you want to call it, she was mortified. I told her that she didn't have to do it. She's too stubborn, that one.

"Unfortunately. I'm sorry. But you don't have to do it. I'm telling you this for your own good."

The next thing surprised me. She was a daring child. Some would call it stupid.

"I'll do it. Take my tongue. I love that prince. I'm going to marry him." I was tempted to shout that she was stupid, that she was only fifteen and she should not be marrying people at that age.

"I'll make you a potion. You have to swim to shore tomorrow morning. And after tomorrow I cannot help you for another year; I have another sea to visit."

Now, if you watch that "Disney" stuff, you might think that this is the part where I bust out into song singing "Poor Unfortunate Souls." But, no. That's not how it went. I turned around to my cauldron and solemnly made the potion.

You see, sometimes I don't see why people think I'm a bad person. I do the business people want to see. Beauty, love, wealth. I can make it happen. But everything that they agree to is in the contract they have to sign. The contract clearly says that they are responsible for their actions, and I am not liable for anything that happens. Although people have died on some occasions, I am not liable. That is that.

But this one, I will take liability. And I do. Because I did all I can to protect the princess. But she still died in the end.