Cherry Meets The Little Mermaid

chapter 3

Ariel continued to swim to the ship with Cherry steady on her back and her arms wrapped around her neck. There was a party being held on deck with the shipmates all around. There was a sheep dog shuffling all around and sniffing the salty sea air as salty as the ocean water. He then stopped and sniffed Ariel and Cherry!

"Get down!" Cherry called as she hid with Ariel behind the ship.

"Do you think he's gone?" Ariel whispered.

"Let's see." Cherry replied.

The girls decided to see if the dog had left. But the dog was there, but he didn't look as threatening. He sniffed them both and licked Cherry's face which made her cringe and push his slobbery face back.

"Max? Where are you?" a voice called out.

That caught the dog's attention and made him go back to wandering on deck with everyone else. Ariel and Cherry looked at the source of the voice. He looked a little older and had short cut raven hair, ocean blue eyes, a white shirt, black pants and brown boots.

"There you are boy, what's going on?" the man chuckled and ruffled up Max the sheepdog.

Cherry glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. She then looked at Ariel who looked as though she had a loving look in her eye.

"I think I'm in love." Ariel sighed dreamily.

"Gross." Cherry shuddered as Scuttle flew over to the commotion.

"Hey there, quite a show, huh girls?" Scuttle observed.

"Scuttle, be quiet!" the mermaid scolded. "They'll hear you!"

"WE'RE OUT TO DISCOVER!" Scuttle yelled and Cherry grabbed the sea gull's beak shut.

"Quiet!" Ariel hissed.

"Yeah, keep it down, bird brain!" Cherry snorted.

"I've never seen a human guy this close before," Ariel smiled. "He's very handsome isn't he?"

"He looks kinda slobbery to me." Scuttle said, looking at Max.

"Not that one," Ariel told him. "The one playing the snarfblatt."

"My bad." Scuttle smiled apologetically.

"Silence! Silence!" an elderly man with formal attire called. "It is my honor and privilege to present our esteemed Prince Eric with a very special, very expensive, very large birthday present."

"Ah Grimsby, you old beanpole, you shouldn't have," the dark-haired man revealed to be Eric said.

"I know," Grimsby smiled. "Happy Birthday, Eric!" he unveiled a large, statue of Eric.

Max the dog growled at that.

"Gee Grim," Eric looked at him uneasily. "It's...It's very... it's really something."

"I've seen better work in a nut house." Cherry commented.

"Yes, I commissioned it myself," Grimsby spoke again. "Of course, I had hoped it'd be a wedding present, but..."

"Come on, Grim, don't start," Eric told him as he walked over near the railings where Cherry, Ariel and Scuttle were. "Look, you're still not sore because I didn't fall for the Princess of Glauerhaven, are you?"

"Oh Eric, it isn't me alone," Grimsby replied. "The entire kingdom wants to see you happily settled down with the right girl."

"Well, she's out there somewhere," Eric stared out at the sea with hope in his eyes. "I just haven't found her yet."

Ariel smiled as Eric said that.

"Well, perhaps you haven't looked hard enough." Grimsby replied.

"Believe me, Grim, when I find her I'll know without a doubt," Eric turned at him. "It'll just BAM! Hit me like lightning!"

As if on cue, lightning and thunder entered the atmosphere and the sky grew dark and scary. Cherry panicked as Ariel dove under water and Cherry held her breath as they went under the sea. Cherry looked all around with worry and wonder and her eyes widened as Scuttle was literally blown away! Cherry let out a scream and some bubbles reaching the surface of the water and she splashed up, coughing and gagging in the water.

"Cherry, what're you doing way out there? Get over here!" Bud called.

"Daddy?" Cherry turned her head. "Daddy!"

"Cherry!" Bud quickly dashed over and carried Cherry on his back and rushed over to everyone.

"Cherry, this isn't the time for an evening swim," Michelle scolded. "You could get in trouble for being out here in this kind of weather! Come on, let's stay inside!"

Cherry coughed and sputtered as her family wrapped a warm blanket around her and they all gathered together. Mike gently patted her back to let some water out of her lungs.

"Cherry, what were you doing way out there?" Michelle asked.

"I...I..." Cherry stammered.

"She wanted to show me a mermaid but nothing happened!" Mike growled.

"Not these fairy tales again." Bud sighed.

"Really Daddy, they're real as you and me!" Cherry insisted.

"Time for bed once this storm blows over." Michelle sighed.