Capture me a Mermaid

Fish Out of Water

From what she could see the sun had set.

Agatha didn't have a view of the out side, but she could see that the light that was seeping through the cracks in the planks had disappeared.

She pressed her eyes to a crack. She could see the water out side and the last sliver of sunlight disappearing on the horizon.

Agatha looked around out side her cell and saw the keys to the cell hanging. If she stuck her arm through the bars, she could reach them.

But there was no point in it. The prince had put them so close to mock her. Because if she did reach them and open the locked door--

What then? It's not like she could get herself on deck or even out of the brig! She had a tail, and it was like an anchor that a sailor couldn't get off the ocean floor.

The only logical way out for here was to break the wood of the ship. But she knew she couldn't. When their whole pod had bashed at the boat, it had barely down anything. She was just one measly mermaid.

Agatha felt her arms start to become itchy.

Oh, no. She thought.

She knew exactly what this was. When a mermaid is out of the water for too long their skin and scales starts to dry out. It starts with an itch, then skin starts to peel...

And then it doesn't take long for you to be dead.

She didn't know how long it would be until they reached Camelot. But she did know that she was being taken there because the king wanted her scales. And if she showed up all wrinkled and dry skinned, he would surely send her away, she could swim home.

All she had to do was make sure that they didn't put her in water before they got there!

The door to the brig opened and Agatha flinched. She looked down at her skin, starting to peel and lose its glow.

She heard slow foot step descend the steps.

Then the prince appeared at the bars of her cell.

She backed against the wall in the slightest way. Clearly he noticed.

"Do you fear me?" He mocked.

"Am I not right to?" She snapped.

"You fear me? Wait til you meet my father."

Agatha gritted her teeth. "Oh, I can't."

He opened his mouth to say something, then he hesitated when he saw her flaking scales. "What happened to you?"

Agatha bit the inside of her cheek. She needed to be careful.

"There are side affects to keeping a fish out of water." She said.

"How do I fix it?" He snarled.

"You don't." Agatha shrugged.

"Would putting you back in water fix it?"

Agatha slumped back with a huff. So much for being careful.

Tedros left the brig. Agatha thought he didn't care that she was in pain and simply, left. But he came back with a T-shirt soaked in salt water and dropped it on the floor in front of her.

She just looked at it blankly, without moving a muscles.

"I'm trying to help," he said through gritted teeth.

Agatha met his eyes. "No you're not. You're only doing this because my scales aren't worth a thing like this."

He balled his fist. "Just put the damn thing on!"

Agatha protested by folding her arms.

Tedros pulled his pistol out of it's holster and pointed it at her head. "Put. It. On."

She still didn't move. She was looking at the gun, with no hints of emotion on her face. Tedros was unsure of what she was doing. Did she not know what a gun was? Maybe she was just crazy.

She slowly inched across the floor towers him and pressed her forehead to the gun.

Tedros was shocked. But he didn't let it show on his face. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

"You're playing a very dangerous game here." He threatened. "I could shoot you right here."

"Can't you see that I want you to?" She pleaded, her face now flooded with emotion.

Now he was shocked, and didn't care if she saw it. "W-what?"

A tear rolled down her cheek. "Getting shot in the head is a far better way to die than getting skinned alive."

Tedros hardened. "My father isn't that cruel. He would shoot you before skinning you."

Agatha shook her head. "When a mermaid dies, her scales harden and lose their sheen, making them less valuable. The scales that are worth anything come from a mermaid that had them taken, while she was living." Her voice cracked.

It was how her mother had died. Dirty pirates had taken her. Pirates. This was a prince. A prince of good, supposedly!

She looked down at her scales, flaking more and more by the second. "My scales like this would still be worth more than they will when I'm dead."

Tedros's mouth hung open. How could his father wish such a cruel fait on an innocent girl just for gold?

His gun found its holster. "I won't force you to do anything. I just hope you'll do it."

With that he left the brig, leaving Agatha alone in the cold, dark cell.

Agatha's skin and scales started to itch. So much that she couldn't take it anymore. She reached over and squeezed the wet cloth over her tail. Magically her scales started to glow bright purple, then it settled to her natural aqua.

Agatha slumped down on the wooden cell bars.

Her plan had failed. She needed a new one.

She'd heard stories of other mermaids being held captive before. And most of those stories ended with the mermaid dead or with the mermaid tricking her captor into falling in love with her so he'd let her free.

The perfect plan.