“What should we do now?” you ask Ariel.
“Well, I was in the middle of something right now,” she replies. “I’d like to finish that up before I take you home. Do you mind if I hold you? We’ll go faster that way. If you swim on your own, I’d have to move slower so you don’t get left behind...”
“I understand,” you reply, and you swim closer to the mermaid. She smiles and reaches out with one hand, then gently grabs you. Your arms are free, and you rest them on her hand as she brings you to her belly and begins swimming. It certainly feels weird to be held in a giant hand, but you’re happy to give your arms and legs a break—swimming can be hard work, after all.
As Ariel swims, you’re held parallel to the seafloor now, and looking straight down at it. The mermaid’s huge body is like a ceiling all above you, and if you look in the direction she’s swimming, her modest shell-covered bust sticks out a bit, blocking some of your view ahead. But your downward view of the seafloor is unobstructed, so you watch it and all its coral, foliage, and occasional animals with much interest. It’s like you’re riding in some sort of glass bottom submarine, gazing at the underwater world—except you’re actually out in the water, and being held by a giant mermaid. Despite the strangeness of your current situation, you enjoy it.
After carrying you along for a bit, Ariel sighs and pauses. She turns upright, still holding you against her belly, and looks around.
“No luck,” she says.
“What are you doing, exactly?” you ask. “Looking for something?”
Ariel brings you up to her face and nods. “I love collecting things that humans drop in the ocean,” she explains. “Their world is so fascinating... My father hates humans, though. ‘Contact between humans and merfolk is strictly forbidden’... that’s what he always says. He’s especially worried they’ll capture me if they see me. So he doesn’t want me going close to the surface, or trying to meet any humans.”
A smile creeps across her face. “I bet you can’t hurt me, though,” she says. “So even if other humans may be dangerous, I’ll be safe with you. So it’s fine for us to stay together. That makes sense, right?”
“Sure,” you say, though you’re slightly offended at the way she emphasized how you can’t hurt her, since it reminds you of how weak and tiny you are.
Ariel continues, “Yeah! So, if my dad finds out about you, I’ll just tell him you’re harmless. I’m sure he’ll understand. But hopefully he won’t find out about you at all—I’ll try to keep you a secret.”
“Do all mermaids—or, merfolk—hate humans?” you ask.
“Not really, but I don’t think any of them are as interested in humans as me.” Ariel stares at you in silence, and an even bigger smile appears on her face. “Gosh, I can’t believe I met a real human! This is so amazing... I just wish you weren’t cursed like this.”
“Well, we don’t know for sure if I’m tiny because of a curse, right? You mentioned a sea witch, but maybe she’s not responsible for this?”
“I know. The whole ‘sea witch curse’ thing is just a theory, but it’s the best idea I have for why you’re so small.”
“That makes sense,” you reply.
You’re about to ask something else, but Ariel glances past you and gasps as she seems to spot something. She holds you to her belly again and begins quickly swimming through the water. Your stomach drops, and you feel queasy from the quick motion.
“What is it?” you yell.
“Saw something!” Ariel replies.
You try to look in the direction she’s swimming, squinting your eyes against the rushing water. What do you see?
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