Black Pearl

Alima walked over to Freddy and Ally’s house, hoping that this would be her last encounter with them. She knocked on the door and Freddy let her enter.

“I’m apologize for bothering you again but I was hoping you’re keeping the other end of the deal and give me back my pearl.” Alima said this and peaked her head towards the direction of the kitchen and saw Ally sticking her head in the kitchen sink which was filled to its limit with water. “What in Neptune’s name is she doing?”

Freddy dismissed his sister casually. “Don’t mind her, she’s just trying to perfect her under-water speech.”

“Pbbriiii!” Ally said, and bubbles of air floated to the top. Alima politely waved back and turned her attention back to Freddy. Freddy went to another room and came back with the black pearl anklet in his hands and handed it to Alima.

“Here.” he said.

“Thanks.” Alima took the anklet from his hands.

After darting his eyes around as he tried to think of something to say, Freddy rubbed his arm awkwardly and said, “Do you still have time to talk?”

“Uh...sure,” Alima said and shrugged. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Let’s start with your roller coaster personality.”

Alima seemed a bit uncomfortable, she shifted from side to side. “I’m sorry about that too. The transition of sea to land has taken a huge toll on my moods.

“How so?” Freddy asked.

“You see,” Alima said and leaned her back onto the wall. Freddy was cautious to avert his eyes from his body. He wasn’t in love with her but she had one marvelous body. It must’ve been her siren’s charm, he convinced himself.

“The sea isn’t like the land. On land, its warm, and your heart is warm!” Alima’s eyes reflected back mixed memories, and a nostalgic smile formed on her face. “You can feel things that you can’t feel at sea, it makes it easier to become more loving. But at sea,” her smile dropped slightly. “There’s infinite amount of freedom. The number of mermaids there are out there don’t even come close to the humans. That’s why there’s so much room to roam and frolic. But, when you live long as I do,” her voice trailed off. “The sea becomes so small. There are rarely any places that you haven’t visited at least a dozen times. And the sea is so...cold.” Alima shivered. “It turns your heart cold. You’re unable to feel any compassion or love. Eventually, you become addicted for the lust of freedom.” Alima laughed and shook her head. “But why am I telling you this? You won’t ever understand; you’re a mere human.”

Freddy wanted to say something but he felt the tips of his toes wet with water. “What?”

Alima looked down and saw that the whole floor was flooded with water.

“Ally!” she called. Ally stuck her head out of the sink. Her wet blonde hair covered her face.

“Is something wrong?” Sounds of the door creaking were becoming more and more frequent.

“The door’s gonna blow!” Freddy grabbed Ally and Alima and ducked behind the sofa. The door bursted and a tide of water flooded the house. Water reached up to their waists. Ally and Alima sprouted their tails. Both their fins whacked Freddy in the face. “Oww.” he complained.

“Princess!” said a loud booming voice.

A woman stepped into the house. When her foot stepped onto the surface of the water, the water turned to ice. Each step she took, the water turned into a white icy block. The woman’s age was hard to tell. She had a very round body which filled all the space in her long ivory dress. Her skin was pale to the point of translucent, veins were visible. She had short brown hair to her neck, and her eyes were a pitch black. “I’ve come to bring you back home!”

“Monster!” Ally whimpered. The woman rolled her eyes.

“Why does everyone assume I’m a monster? I don’t even eat people!”

“Well...you’re really loud.” Alima said dragged her body from behind the sofa to see the woman clearly. “You’ve also just froze practically half the house.” Alima said. She spoke with confidence. The woman did not like that. The woman shook her comments off and went back to her original topic.

“Where is the princess? I wish to claim my prize.” Her beady black eyes darted around but she could not find the princess.

“Which princess?” Alima said and pulled her body up on the sofa and rubbed her tail with a cushion as an attempt to dry it. “And what prize do you speak of?”

“That is none of your business. You must be keeping her captive somewhere.” The woman continued to walk on the water, freezing it on each step she took. Freddy sneezed and Ally shivered.

“Stop walking!” Alima demanded. “My friends are cold. And besides, it is my business. I am looking for a particular princess as well.”

“The princess of the North Atlantic?”

“Yes, indeed.”

“Well, too bad, I’m going to find her first.” The woman said and swept her hand across the room, the water froze completely, trapping Freddy and Ally still. They punched the waters but the waters were frozen solid.

“Ugh, control-freak.” Ally said with disgust.

“I’m, sorry, but what did you just call me?” The woman said. Her face wrinkled, she was clearly offended.

“You know, control-freak, the type of mermaids that have magic over the waters. They’re always the most annoying. You bother them just slightly and they zap you with the lighting by summoning a sea-storm or they create a tidal-wave when their date rejects them, how pathetic,” Alima said this and rolled her eyes and smiled slyly. The woman clenched her teeth, holding back her anger. They’re so immature,” Alima said and flipped her hair. Freddy tried to hold back a smile, this time he was sure that Alima was toying the woman.

“How dare you speak of my people in such a way!” The woman clenched her fist. The house became frosted with snow. Freddy gulped. Now he wasn’t so sure if Alima knew what she was doing. Alima looked down and saw that her tail reverted back into a pair of legs. Freddy looked away but kept his ears open. Ally became his eyes and whispered to him what was happening. Alima walked over to the woman and stuck out her hand.

“I apologize for my rudeness. I am Alima of the Arabian sea, and you?” Alima’s voice became more smooth and it sugar-coated the inside of Freddy’s head. Freddy looked over to Ally whose eyes were on Alima. She didn’t blink. It must’ve been the siren’s charm.

The woman cautiously shook Alima’s hand and said, “I do not have a name. I am of the Antarctic ocean.” Alima’s feet shifted uncomfortably due the cold of the ice floor. “Why are you here?” Alima’s voice was hypnotizing. It made Freddy feel hazy. His face warmed in contrast to the freezing tundra of which used to be his home.

“The queen had appointed me personally.” The woman was under Alima’s spell. She began to sway. Due to the heaviness of her body, Freddy was afraid that if she fell, she would break the ice from under her.

“What did she say?” Alima said, retaining her smooth tone.

“She said...the girl she had first appointed was taking too long. She needed more help.” Alima winced, her pride had been hurt. The spell started to fade, the aggressive look in the woman’s eyes returned. Alima saw this and cleared her throat and began to speak smoothly once more.

“How many had she appointed?”

“Seven girls. One from each of the seven continents. Although we’re all sure that the princess is somewhere in North America.”

“Interesting,” Alima said and shifted her body closer to the woman, the warmth of her skin grazed her and the woman shivered. “Is there any other information you behold in that magnificent head of yours you would like to share with me?” Alima reached on the tips of her toes and petted the woman’s head.

“I saw the princess with a man.”

“What man?” Alima snapped and then quickly fixed her tone.

“A man in a white coat,” the woman said, her voice monotone. “He was dragging her by her wrist.” Alima gasped and murmured under her breath in a language Freddy didn’t understand.

“Anything else?”

“No. I just came here two months ago.” Alima took pity on the woman. She remembered what it was like when she had transitioned from the sea to the land. The first year was the hardest. She came here with only one pair of clothes and a little bundle of magic money. Miraculously, she earned enough money from the late nights singing at a cafe and went to college. Before she knew it, she had a degree, a job, and a home. Four years later, it had felt like she’d been in Florida all her life.

“Would you like to come and stay with me?” Alima said in her normal voice.

The woman rubbed her head as if she was just hit with a horrible migraine and said, “I can’t. I can’t stay anywhere too warm.”

“I see,” said Alima. “Off you go then,” Alima said and waved to her. “I wish thee the best of luck.” The woman looked around her surroundings, confused on what had just happened and left out the door, still dazed.

Alima dusted her hands and said, “Well that’s that.”

Ally woke up from her trance and realized that the strange woman was gone. “Where’d she go?”

“Home, I assume.”

Freddy looked around and said, “Oh great, the whole house is frozen solid. And we’re still frozen.” Freddy was so focused on Alima that he didn’t realize the bottom-half of his body was still frozen in the ice and so was Ally.

“No problem. Cover your ears.” Alima inhaled deeply and Freddy and Ally obeyed her and shielded their ears with their hands and Alima sang a high, extremely high pitch. The ice combusted into puffy piles of snow, and the snow that frosted the ceiling and furniture fell off. “Have fun shovelling.”

“Aren’t you going to help us?” Freddy said and rubbed his cold red legs.

“I hate the snow,” Ally whined.

“Sorry, I’ve got a hot date to catch up with.” Alima bent down and picked up the lacy black dress that had slipped off her when she had changed into her mer-form and slipped it back on. Then, she reached into her purse and pulled out a pair of black pumps.

“Have fun,” Freddy muttered and went to the garage and picked out two large shovels. He went back into the living room and tossed a shovel to Ally. “The cold always bothered me.” They digged.