Will You Listen?

Aunt Ursula

Oh, no... This is bad. I can't fall in love. I begin to cry. No, Ames can't be hurt because of me.

I stop swimming home and swim to aunt Ursula, frantic. Shoot, shoot, shoot, shit! I swim faster, the cuts on my back stinging in the current.

I find her cave and enter, a soul wraps around my tail. I gasp and pull away as they moan warnings to me.

I see the petite, slender figure of my aunt. Sliding through the water gracefully, like an eel. I clear my throat and she pauses.

Turning around slowly, I see her gorgeous, deadly face. "Hi Auntie..." I say sadly. "I know I shouldn't be here, but my mother told me to come to you if-"

"You ever fall in love..." She says, her ringing voice interrupts. She looks at me and grimaces sadly.

"I can send you to live with him, Ames, I mean." She says softly. "Because it's not worth it to live without love..." She says, blinking back tears.

I can't help but wrap my arms around her. She tenses and then relaxes and begins to sob in my arms. "Your mother's motto, that was." She says.

"She told me I can't accept." I say sadly. "Or I'll die..." She chokes and sobs harder in my arms.

She begins to laugh hysterically and pushes me away. "No! No! You must be with your love, your mother said I'd get to marry you and your love, she said so!" She says.

I look at her, worried. She glares at everything around her, then looks to me. "You, you are a pawn to your father."

Her words hit me deeply. My face morphs to sadness.

"Break free, do it dear, you could marry your love. Three years, marry your love or stay with me forever."

I blink at her and am tempted, so much by her words.

"Once he marries you, your feet will be normal. Before then it'll feel like knives, but you do love him, don't you?"

She hands me a feather and contract and gestures me to sign. "DO YOU?!?!?!?!"

I sign it and she drags me to the surface as my tail splits and become legs.

I cry out and find I can't breath. We reach the surface and I cough out the water and breathe air.

My desperate lungs take in as much as possible. And we begin to move towards some sand.

We make it there and she tells me "Never speak unless you are touching the ocean, it shall kill humans if you don't have her to regulate your sirens voice."

I nod, hug her and stand, feeling knives stab my feet. "Thank you..." I say, trailing off. She nods and leaves.

I look around and feel a chill as a breeze runs past me. I shiver as my bare skin is cooled.

In the distance I hear a strange sound, like yelling. "I smell someone!" Over and over.

As it gets close I panic, hiding behind a rock on the beach.

"Wait boy! Wait for me!" I hear Erric's voice call out.

"Oh, okay father!" The cheery voice says.

Erric approaches the creature that calls him father. "Good boy, good boy!" He says petting it.

I smile and peek out, looking at him.

The creature bounds up to me and wags his tail.

It looks so... cute. I can't help but touch him.

He licks my hand and I smile. I hear footsteps approach me.

"Hello!" Erric's voice calls out. I turn around and wave.

He tenses. "Are you here alone?" He asks. I nod.

"Where'd your people go?" He asks. I look at him and frown.

I shake my head no. He stares at me for a moment and I cover myself with my hands.

He blinks as if realizing something and motions me to follow him.

I nod and follow him as he mumbles something about mute people.