The Little Mermaid

Chapter 2

"I just don't know what we're going to do with you anymore!" King Alfor boomed.

Lance flinched at the tone of his voice, "Father, I'm sorry! I just forgot-"

"Forget it." Alfor sneered. "As a result of your careless behavior-"

"Careless and absolutely reckless behavior!" Coran added in, peering through Alfor's spiky crown.

"The celebration was-"

"Well, it was ruined!" Coran didn't put it lightly, now floating towards the merman. "Completely and utterly destroyed. This concert could have been the pinnacle of my career. Now due to today, I am the laughing stock of the kingdom!"

"It wasn't his fault! This shark chased us, yeah. And we tried to- well we couldn't and-" Hunk tried to explain what happened, adding sound effects like growling and whooshing. "Oh, then we were safe! Then the seagull came and was this-this-this and that-that-that and-"

"Seagull? You went up to the surface, didn't you?" Alfor asked, then not getting a response. "Didn't you?"

"Nothing... happened." Lance mumbled.

Alfor sighed, "How many times must we have to go through this? You could have been seen by one of those flubbery barbarians. By-by one of those humans!"

"Their not barbarians!" Lance snapped back.

"They're dangerous." Alfor growled, his face twisting into a snarl. "Do you think I want to see my youngest child snared by some sea-eater's hook?!"

"I'm not a child anymore!" Lance growled back.

"Don't you take that tone of voice with me young man." Alfor threatened. "As long as you live under my ocean, you'll obey my rules!"

Lance furrowed his eyebrows and clenched his hands into fists, "If you would just list-"

"I don't want to hear another word from you. And I am to never, and I mean never, hear of you going to the surface anymore. Is that clear?"

Lance said nothing as he swam away with rage. Coran and Alfor watched him go, disappearing behind two white pillars with Hunk. The king's snark fell into a solemn frown.

"Teenagers." Coran scoffed. "Think they know everything. Give them an inch? They swim all over you."

"Do you think I was too harsh?" Alfor asked.

Coran shook his head, "Definitely not. If Lance were my son, I'd show him who's boss. No more of this "swimming to the surface" nonsense. I'd keep him under right watch and control."

"You're right, Coran." Alfor agreed. "Lance needs high and constant supervision."

"Constant."

"Someone to watch over him and keep him out and away from trouble."

"All the time."

Alfor turned to Coran, "And you'll be the crab to do it."

"What?!" Coran exclaimed, but was given a harsh look from the king. "Alright."

The crab scurried down the corridor, his legs tapping against the stone and sand. The current was the only thing being heard, along with the tapping, and the halls were completely empty.

"How do I get myself into these situations?" Coran asked himself. "I shouldn't be tagging along and running after a careless teenager. I should be writing symphonies!" His attention was dragged to Lance and Hunk, who were sneaking away. "What is he up to now?"

The crab followed the two. They went far off, towards a rock that they pushed out of the way to reveal an entrance to a cave. They swam in, the rock rolling to cover again just as Coran made it in behind them.

In the dark cave, there were table rocks filled to the brim with unknown gadgets, trinkets, souvenirs and items. At the top was a hole, light from the surface shining down and allowing the trinkets to almost glitter.

Lance sat down on a lone mound of rock, wrapping his arms around himself as Hunk swam up to him, "Lance, you alright?"

"I just want to make him understand." Lance said. "I don't see stuff the way he sees them. I don't see how a world that makes such wonderful things could be so bad, you know?"

The merman grabbed a fork of the flat rock, twirling it between his fingers, "Look at this stuff, isn't it best? Wouldn't you think my collection's complete? Wouldn't you think I'm a boy, a boy who has everything?"

He put the fork down, then twirling around to bask in the glory of his treasures, "Look at this trove, treasures untold! How many wonder could one cavern hold? Looking around here you'd think-" He turned upside down to grab a box and open it for Hunk. "Sure. He has everything. I've got gadgets and gizmos aplenty. Whozits and whatzits galore!"

"You want thingamabobs? I got twenty!" Lance laughed, holding out some trinkets to Hunk. "But who cares? No big deal... I want more!"

He let himself float there for a moment, staring up at the ripple of the waves and water. He stayed silent, before turning to Hunk again.

"I want to be... where the people are." Lance sung as he twirled about. "I want to see- want to see them dancing! Walking around on those- what do you call them?"

"Feet?" Hunk asked with a chuckle.

"Feet!" Lance chimed, grabbing Hunk's fins and pulling him along. "Flipping your fins, you don't get too far. Legs are required for jumping, dancing!
Strolling along down a, what's that word again? Street!"

He smiled, turning to look up at the beam of light that fell from the hole in the cave, "Up where they walk, up where they run, up where they stay all day in the sun! Wondering free, wish I could be, part of that world..."

He sunk to the bottom of the cave, his tail nestling in the sand. Hunk swam to sit next to him, both taking in the silence.

"What would I give, if I could live out of these waters? What would I pay, to spend a day warm on the sand? I bet you on land, they understand." Lance mumbled. "Bet they don't reprimand their daughters. Bright young children, sick of swimming and ready to stand!"

"And ready to know what the people know. Ask them my questions and get some answers. What's a fire and why does it- What's the word? Burn? When's it my turn? Wouldn't I love... Love to explore that shore above?" The merman swam up to the top of the cave, looking up into the hole of the cave, "Out of the sea, wish I could be, part of that world."

Coran came crashing through some trinkets, scaring the two fish.

"Coran?!" Lance exclaimed, freaking out.

Coran looked around, "Are you mad? How- what? What is all of this?"

"It's uh-" Lance looked away, head down. "It's my collection."

"Ah, I see." Coran simply said but quickly changed his mood. "If you father knew about this place he'd-"

"You're not going to tell him, are you?" Hunk quickly asked.

Lance pleaded, "Coran, he would never understand!"

Coran scoffed, "Lance, your under a lot of pressure down here. Come with me, I'll take you home and get you something warm and nice to drink."

A shadow passed over the hole of the cave, a shadow looking closely like a ship.

"What do you supposed..." Lance trailed off as he began to swim up.

"Lance?" Coran called out, trying to stop him. "Lance!"