Forbidden: A modern-day retelling of 'The Little Mermaid'
Chapter 5
Chapter 5
woke with a start; my torso slammed forward, and my head spun. The pocket watch we kept in the room I shared with Ruby and Sapphire was on top of the desk, I retrieved it. The little hand was pointing to the five; the big hand was directed at the four.
The two of my sisters slept obliviously while I tried to calm my heart. Sapphire tossed and turned a few times, but that was normal and Ruby slumbered with her jaw slack. It was a humorous sight to say the least but I couldn’t make noise; the last thing I wanted to do was wake them.
I was set to go to the Sea Witch and have myself changed into a human; nothing would stop me…except for an interruption from Amethyst.
“Jade, where are you going?” She asked as I gathered several of my belongings and made my way out of the castle.
In the sweetest voice I could manage I said, “Oh, no where.”
“Where are you going?” My brunette sister repeated. She always had a way of knowing when I was lying to her; we were that close.
“Well…” I hesitated for a moment, thinking up my lie, “Um… I was just going to check on my flowers?” I sounded indifferent at the end, making my statement resemble a question.
“You’re going the wrong way; your flowers are all away on the other side of the castle.” She said in a matter-of-fact way.
“Yes, but I figured I would just stretch my bones out and swim around the castle.” The moment those words came out of my mouth I wanted to stuff them right back in.
“Jade, I don’t know if you’re aware of this but you cannot get to the back of the castle from the front because of the walls.” Her brown orbs locked onto my grey ones.” I mean, they’ve only been there for the past thirty years so obviously you couldn’t have known that since you’ve only lived here your entire life.”
“Well. You see. I—uh.” I stuttered.
“Jade, how about we go to the surface and then you can tell me what is really going on.” She suggested, and then added, “Just the two of us.” I nodded a, ‘yes’ and we were well on our way.
Just like the last time I came up, I was amazed. The sun was rising and the experience was exhilarating. The teal ocean reflected the entire scene making it twice as amazing.
I hadn’t even realized I had been smiling until Amethyst had pointed it out. “It’s great isn’t it?”
The time passed quickly as Amethyst and we watched the sun rise atop of a rock; we spoke not a word.
“Does your hair bother you?” I asked.
“Yes, it does. But if you comb it, it feels nice. I have one but I didn’t bring it. I had found it in a sunken ship.” She explained.
More time passed and every once in awhile we spoke. Though our purpose was to speak of the truth that didn’t mean we would necessarily speak of it right away. Amethyst was not an abrupt mermaid, she was calm and didn’t pressure me; she knew I would tell her, I always did.
We were fairly close to the beach, the same beach I had brought the blond man to. The thought of his face sent my heart into frenzy. I began to sing the song, our song.
“Feel the sky blanket you, with gems and rhinestones.
See the path cut by the moon, for you to walk on
For you to walk on.”
“That’s a lovely song,” She complimented.
“Tha—“I inhaled as much air as I could when I caught sight of the man near the shore.
My eyes scanned all around me, trying to find something to distract me. The effort was futile though, my orbs always found their way back to him.
“Look how close he is!” My sister shrilled.
I couldn’t find my voice; instead I swam right towards him while my awestruck sister tried to pull me back.
She screamed my name several times, and when I didn’t listen she merely followed.
“Hello,” I said with faux confidence. My lower body was beneath the water so that he would think I was human.
He stood ten feet from where we floated in the rocky area. Amethyst had stopped encouraging me to leave, for she had lost her voice. Just like me, she was curious about the human man.
“Oh!” He turned around sharply and fell into the sand, my sister and I stifled a laugh. How clumsy humans were!
“Are you alright?” I asked. He waved his hand in the hair, and gawked at me.
A moment or two passed and Amethyst and I shared a look of amusement as he sought for words. I repeated my question twice before he answered me.
“I’m fine. Are you alright? You don’t sound like you’re from around here,” he commented. His voice was raspy and deep, an unfamiliar sound. I had never noticed I had an accent—it was normal to me. He spoke differently from me though, so I could see how he could’ve thought we were from different areas.
“Well, you’re correct; we are not from near here.” I flashed a grin. “And where might you be from?”
“From here, New Jersey. I’m Colton, who are you?” His blue eyes shone.
“Oh, how rude of me. My name is Jade and this is my older sister Amethyst.” Amethyst still hadn’t spoken a word but she was slightly shy around new people, whereas around me she was very talkative; she did nod her head in his direction though.
“So you’re named after jewels?”
“Yes.” I answered and quickly added, “As are my other older sisters. Ruby, Sapphire, Opal, Diamond, and Onyx; I am the youngest.”
“Uh…” He uttered. Humans didn’t have the best conversational skills did they? “Your voice is very…pretty?” He took back his words two seconds later stating, “Oh, I didn’t mean it like that. That must’ve sounded weird.”
“Thank-you”
“Um…” This time the shaky sound did not come from Colton—I took a millisecond to marvel at the name as I thought it—but instead from Amethyst.
“Yes?” I asked her.
“Jade, its—its Ruby.” Ruby? Here? She would ruin everything!
“Jade!” An extremely high shrill came from my gorgeous, but obnoxious sister.
“And here’s Ruby!” I tried to make a sound that resembled a friendly laugh, but I’m fairly certain it came out sounding like a hysteric giggle. I didn't want to alarm him, but I would bet my garden that I hadn't even fooled a fish.
“Jade, Amethyst let’s go!”
“Good-bye Colton, it was nice meeting you but I have to go.”
“But—Jade! When will I see you again?” He shouted after me as Amethyst and I trailed after Ruby. We sank under water speedily, hoping he wouldn’t see the action.
“What was that?” Ruby asked of us.
“Nothing okay, just drop it.” I ordered in a monotone.
She didn’t answer instead she swam right ahead of us quickly. She was going to tell father! I swam right after her, but she had too much of an edge on me; I wouldn't beat her there.
“Father!”
I stopped in my tracks; I was too late.
woke with a start; my torso slammed forward, and my head spun. The pocket watch we kept in the room I shared with Ruby and Sapphire was on top of the desk, I retrieved it. The little hand was pointing to the five; the big hand was directed at the four.
The two of my sisters slept obliviously while I tried to calm my heart. Sapphire tossed and turned a few times, but that was normal and Ruby slumbered with her jaw slack. It was a humorous sight to say the least but I couldn’t make noise; the last thing I wanted to do was wake them.
I was set to go to the Sea Witch and have myself changed into a human; nothing would stop me…except for an interruption from Amethyst.
“Jade, where are you going?” She asked as I gathered several of my belongings and made my way out of the castle.
In the sweetest voice I could manage I said, “Oh, no where.”
“Where are you going?” My brunette sister repeated. She always had a way of knowing when I was lying to her; we were that close.
“Well…” I hesitated for a moment, thinking up my lie, “Um… I was just going to check on my flowers?” I sounded indifferent at the end, making my statement resemble a question.
“You’re going the wrong way; your flowers are all away on the other side of the castle.” She said in a matter-of-fact way.
“Yes, but I figured I would just stretch my bones out and swim around the castle.” The moment those words came out of my mouth I wanted to stuff them right back in.
“Jade, I don’t know if you’re aware of this but you cannot get to the back of the castle from the front because of the walls.” Her brown orbs locked onto my grey ones.” I mean, they’ve only been there for the past thirty years so obviously you couldn’t have known that since you’ve only lived here your entire life.”
“Well. You see. I—uh.” I stuttered.
“Jade, how about we go to the surface and then you can tell me what is really going on.” She suggested, and then added, “Just the two of us.” I nodded a, ‘yes’ and we were well on our way.
Just like the last time I came up, I was amazed. The sun was rising and the experience was exhilarating. The teal ocean reflected the entire scene making it twice as amazing.
I hadn’t even realized I had been smiling until Amethyst had pointed it out. “It’s great isn’t it?”
The time passed quickly as Amethyst and we watched the sun rise atop of a rock; we spoke not a word.
“Does your hair bother you?” I asked.
“Yes, it does. But if you comb it, it feels nice. I have one but I didn’t bring it. I had found it in a sunken ship.” She explained.
More time passed and every once in awhile we spoke. Though our purpose was to speak of the truth that didn’t mean we would necessarily speak of it right away. Amethyst was not an abrupt mermaid, she was calm and didn’t pressure me; she knew I would tell her, I always did.
We were fairly close to the beach, the same beach I had brought the blond man to. The thought of his face sent my heart into frenzy. I began to sing the song, our song.
“Feel the sky blanket you, with gems and rhinestones.
See the path cut by the moon, for you to walk on
For you to walk on.”
“That’s a lovely song,” She complimented.
“Tha—“I inhaled as much air as I could when I caught sight of the man near the shore.
My eyes scanned all around me, trying to find something to distract me. The effort was futile though, my orbs always found their way back to him.
“Look how close he is!” My sister shrilled.
I couldn’t find my voice; instead I swam right towards him while my awestruck sister tried to pull me back.
She screamed my name several times, and when I didn’t listen she merely followed.
“Hello,” I said with faux confidence. My lower body was beneath the water so that he would think I was human.
He stood ten feet from where we floated in the rocky area. Amethyst had stopped encouraging me to leave, for she had lost her voice. Just like me, she was curious about the human man.
“Oh!” He turned around sharply and fell into the sand, my sister and I stifled a laugh. How clumsy humans were!
“Are you alright?” I asked. He waved his hand in the hair, and gawked at me.
A moment or two passed and Amethyst and I shared a look of amusement as he sought for words. I repeated my question twice before he answered me.
“I’m fine. Are you alright? You don’t sound like you’re from around here,” he commented. His voice was raspy and deep, an unfamiliar sound. I had never noticed I had an accent—it was normal to me. He spoke differently from me though, so I could see how he could’ve thought we were from different areas.
“Well, you’re correct; we are not from near here.” I flashed a grin. “And where might you be from?”
“From here, New Jersey. I’m Colton, who are you?” His blue eyes shone.
“Oh, how rude of me. My name is Jade and this is my older sister Amethyst.” Amethyst still hadn’t spoken a word but she was slightly shy around new people, whereas around me she was very talkative; she did nod her head in his direction though.
“So you’re named after jewels?”
“Yes.” I answered and quickly added, “As are my other older sisters. Ruby, Sapphire, Opal, Diamond, and Onyx; I am the youngest.”
“Uh…” He uttered. Humans didn’t have the best conversational skills did they? “Your voice is very…pretty?” He took back his words two seconds later stating, “Oh, I didn’t mean it like that. That must’ve sounded weird.”
“Thank-you”
“Um…” This time the shaky sound did not come from Colton—I took a millisecond to marvel at the name as I thought it—but instead from Amethyst.
“Yes?” I asked her.
“Jade, its—its Ruby.” Ruby? Here? She would ruin everything!
“Jade!” An extremely high shrill came from my gorgeous, but obnoxious sister.
“And here’s Ruby!” I tried to make a sound that resembled a friendly laugh, but I’m fairly certain it came out sounding like a hysteric giggle. I didn't want to alarm him, but I would bet my garden that I hadn't even fooled a fish.
“Jade, Amethyst let’s go!”
“Good-bye Colton, it was nice meeting you but I have to go.”
“But—Jade! When will I see you again?” He shouted after me as Amethyst and I trailed after Ruby. We sank under water speedily, hoping he wouldn’t see the action.
“What was that?” Ruby asked of us.
“Nothing okay, just drop it.” I ordered in a monotone.
She didn’t answer instead she swam right ahead of us quickly. She was going to tell father! I swam right after her, but she had too much of an edge on me; I wouldn't beat her there.
“Father!”
I stopped in my tracks; I was too late.