Finding Happiness

Dave Speaks

The next day, Dave was trying to adjust himself in his new, little "tank" that Ariel placed him in yesterday.

"I'm finally free! Free! I'M HAPPY!" he shouted in victory. "And yet..."

He stopped in mid-sentence. He knew something was wrong.

"Now... what?" Dave asked himself.

"What I can do with this new life other than thanking Ariel? And when I do, what will she say? I feel so... empty."

Sighing, Dave sunk to the bottom of the jar.

"I'm such an idiot. I don't know why Skipper and his penguins would do this to me." he said

"I almost mutated penguin kind and even after what I've done to them, they throw me towards a little girl who nearly killed me, but then starts to pity me. But, why?! I wish I knew."

Finally, Ariel entered the room and gave him a fried chicken leg.

Dave's eyes widen in surprise.

What the...? he thought to himself She wants me to eat that?! Some sort of large fried food? It's ludicrous!

"Here you go" said Ariel. "Sorry, we don't have fish, but that's all we've got for now"

As soon as she left the room, Dave carefully climbed out of the jar and gently touched the chicken.

Well, better this than nothing Dave thought to himself.

He took a tiny bite of the chicken.

"Mmm! This is better than fish" Dave said to himself.

He quickly dove in and started eating the rest of the chicken.

That afternoon, Ariel had returned home from playing with Gabi and their friends in Sheep Meadow, but her parents fell asleep due to a long day of work.

She was worried that if her parents forgot about the dinner they had planned to do.

Suddenly, she heard a crash and a voice.

"Aah! Oh, jeez! It burns!"

Ariel gasped.

"Did Mommy and Daddy bring a visitor?" she asked herself.

Nervous, Ariel ran into the kitchen to find the refrigerator open and a shattered bottle of Jalaeño hot sauce.

Ariel frowned at the shattered bottle, but then looked inside the refrigerator and realized that someone has stolen shrimp from them.

"Oh, no" she whispered to herself.

Then, a loud grunt was heard. It was coming from her own bedroom!

Afraid but calm, Ariel took a broom from the side of the kitchen stove and walked cautiously toward her bedroom door.

She slowly opened the door and peeked inside. No one was there, but she heard someone was talking to themselves.

"Oh, nothing like a refreshing ocean food for a large meal! This is the life."

Ariel frowned.

Whoever that is Ariel thought to herself, I'm gonna tell my mommy and daddy.

"They think I would suffer in a snow globe? No. No, no, no! I'm just getting started."

Not wanting to wait any longer, Ariel opened the door and turned on the lights.

"Leave my family alone, you big bully!" she cried.

But, it wasn't a thief. It was Dave, with shrimp near his jar of water!