The Untold Story of Ursula

Part 7: The Sea Witch

Ursula several hours later was woken up by the sound of whispering by her ears. "Ursula. Ursula wake up" the voice said. Groggily, Ursula opened her eyes trying to adjust to the light. Her head was still in immense pain from the blow but she still turned her neck to see who it was.

She barely remembered what happened before she went unconscious. Ursula knew the king found some other daughter but it felt as if she had woken up from a bad dream, the emotions washed up. Opening her eyes Ursula saw a merman wearing the guard's mask and to her surprise it was Stelios. She didn't smile, she didn't even frown, Ursula just stared at the only person who believed her, waiting to see how she'll be let down next.

"Ursula can you hear me?" Stelios said gripping the gate. Next to his hand was a spot of dried blood, confused, Ursula touched the side of her head that was moist with red. After putting her hand down she stared at Stelios, still unresponsive but alert. "Please Ursula" he started to beg.

From his eyes, Ursula's gaze trailed to his hand where he held a glittering set of what seemed to be keys. She gasped realizing what was happening. "What are you doing?" She asked weakly, her voice feeble from the screams before.

"Ursula, upstairs is something I cannot bear to watch. The king thinks he's found his daughter" Stelios said, but when Ursula didn't react he figured she already found out. "A mermaid, who looks just like you... well um you before, she just showed up with the answers to all your father's trivia questions. Thalassis asked her a few questions but not nearly enough to prove her identity, but he was so desperate to find his daughter, he convinced himself she was the one. Blinded by his loneliness he's taken her in as his own... but I spoke to her, she knew nothing about me or school or your past. That's why I took so long to come back down, to make sure it wasn't her. So, now I'm taking matters into my own hands" Stelios said. Never in her life has Ursula heard him speak so confidently and sure of himself.

Ursula knew she had no hope in regaining the throne again, Stelios knew it too, but better a life free than behind bars anyway. Stelios was strategically the only guard who had the dungeon shift at the time, so unrushed, he placed the key in the hole and turned.

First Ursula couldn't get up, her head injury ruined her balance and her weak tail couldn't push her further. One tentacle at a time she put force on the ground beneath her but Ursula slipped backwards. She whimpered as Stelios watched with pity.

"Come on" this time Stelios grabbed Ursula's arms helping her get off the ground. Eventually she was able to swim, and she slowly slipped through the gates.

Quietly the two of them started towards the door, some of the inmates whispering. "She's been pardoned, nothing to see here" Stelios announced loudly, he didn't need the prisoners gossiping to the other guards.

While approaching the door, Ursula caught a glimpse of herself in a nearby mirror. Besides being an octopus, she was bruised, dirty, and her face was all too familiar. Her eyes drooped and looked vacant, her mouth slightly opened but was wordless. Her cheeks were sunken in and her skin got more pale as every second passed... she looked just like her mother.

No, the features were not the same since Ursula no longer shared the physical genetics, but everything else was uncanny. What would her mother think of her now? Ursula imagined this is how her mother felt before she took her own life, but Ursula had no intention of doing that. In an attempt to get as far away from her mother as possible, she managed to become her instead.

Like her mother Ursula lost the throne over a stupid mistake, like her mother Ursula was as good as dead to her family. She watched her reflection until her face escaped from the edge as Stelios continued to pull her.