I pulled at the straps over my shoulder, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the weight of the scuba gear weighing me down. Zeke balanced on the top rung of the ladder, working at opening the lid to Ariel's exhibit. The moon was a reminder of the closed park and how this could get us into several levels of trouble. Fortunately, Sukie was on the night shift in the security room so we didn't have to worry about being caught through the security cameras.

"Ouch!" I yelped as the scuba gear pinched the skin on my waist. Ben gave me an apologetic look as he helped adjust it to fit correctly. Ariel was hovering right below the lid of the exhibit, watching Zeke pry it open.

"Here's the screwdriver." Ben placed the tool in my hand. It was abnormally large for a screwdriver. "It should do the trick."

"How tight are the nails?" I asked.

"Pretty tight. Hopefully you have some strength in your noodle arms." He laughed and hopped to the side to avoid the punch I thrusted in his direction.

"I got it!" Zeke called down to us. I looked up to see him lifting the lid, his muscles straining as he forced it open. I pursed my lips and looked away, watching small droplets of loose water trickle down the side of the glass instead. "You ready, Gianna?"

I nodded my head, my hand clenching the screwdriver tightly. Ariel was silent, seeming deep in thought with a frown on her face. I tapped the glass gently to get her attention and when she met my eyes I smiled encouragingly. "You ready?"

She nodded boldly. "Yes. After you do this part, though, are you immediately going for Ursula?"

I shrugged as Zeke climbed down the ladder, coming to stop beside me. Ben was rummaging through his tool box. "We don't even know if she's around here. Tonight may not be the night we can catch her."

"Time to go," Zeke said. "We can't hang around here too long. They still have security guards wandering around the park. Sukie will warn me through my walkie-talkie when they get close. Remember, you need to hide behind the coral if I rap on the glass. The guards won't be happy if they see you."

I nodded, trying not to look weak but feeling sick on the inside. My stomach was its own acrobatic circus. "Please, don't close the exhibit lid. I don't do good in enclosed spaces with only an oxygen tank keeping me from suffocating."

Zeke studied me, making an immediate feeling of discomfort overwhelm me. I fidgeted with the sleeves of the dark suit. I didn't want him knowing I was nervous. "The guards will notice it open. I have to close it."

"Please, don't," I argued. "They might not look up."

"We can't risk that."

"Then wait at the top of the ladder and if Sukie calls you, close it and hide. Just don't close it if it isn't necessary," I pleaded. "I can't have it shut. I should have told you that earlier."

"Are you scared?" Ben asked, amusement detectable in his voice as he joined us again.

"No!" I sounded more defensive than I wanted to. "I just don't like the idea of it being shut." That wasn't very convincing. Not now that my voice was trembling. I wanted to do this. Why do I have to chicken out now?

"It's okay to be scared," Zeke said, his tanned face breaking into a soft smile. "I would be too. Don't worry. I'll keep it open but shut it if the security guards approach, okay?"

"But how are you going to get off the ladder in time to hide?" Ben asked, earning a glare from me. Don't you dare make him change his mind, Ben.

"I'll have to hurry," Zeke nonchalantly replied.

Ariel tappes the glass to gain our attention. She pointed at the sealed pipe. "Are you going to open it?"

"Yeah." I gave Zeke and Ben one last look before approaching the steel white ladder.

As I placed my foot on the first rung, I noticed the quakiness the suit caused as the weight of the gear tilted my body unevenly. I shook off the nervous feeling and began climbing, my eyes trained on the top of the exhibit. I wondered how cold the water was. It couldn't be too bad if Ariel wasn't complaining about it. As I reached the top rung, I hoisted myself onto the edge of the exhibit and allowed my legs to drop into the water. The cool water quickly soaked them, running up the suit and dampening it. I shivered slightly as I looked into the water below.

Ariel was looking up at me but the rippling water made her look distorted. I suddenly realized how absurd this all was. I was about to swim with a mermaid. How many girls have dreamed of doing this? I dreamed of it once but now that I was in the moment, I couldn't believe how unreal it was.

I pulled the goggles over my eyes and nose before clamping the black piece I would breathe through in my mouth. A cold breeze passed through the dark night and I dropped myself into the water.

It swirled around me, its cool touch consuming my whole body. I inhaled deeply as the bubbles dissipated and my heart lurched when I found myself looking at the mermaid right in front of my eyes. She was studying me with the same look of wonder I had as I looked at her. The difference between seeing through glass and finding something right in front of you with nothing between you was huge. At least looking through glass, it could all be an illusion. Ariel was real. Right in front of me. I was almost tempted to reach out and touch her tail. She seemed to have the same idea because she dipped down to swim beneath my kicking legs. She touched the bottom of my foot and a smile broke out on her face.

I gave the slightest smile before turning to swim toward the sealed pipe. Zeke and Ben were on the other side of the glass, watching me. It was weird seeing them out there while I was encased in a glass case. I was quick to stick the screwdriver into the gap in the nail. I began twisting it, straining my wrist to unscrew the bolt and pull it free. A rush of water swirled by behind me as Ariel came to hover by my side, her hair billowing upward.

I focused on listening for any sound of Zeke rapping on the glass. How well could I hear in this exhibit? As long as I got this done quickly, we should be okay. But if a guard came I needed to hide fast. The scuba gear and suit weren't suiting me well. I didn't like the feeling of it. I felt held back with it on.

"Is it hard doing this?" Ariel asked. I gave a start at how different she sounded. Now that I was in the exhibit with her, I could hear her clearly but with a slight hint of a gargle caused by the water. I shrugged in answer for her as I worked at the second bolt, slipping the first one into a pocket in my suit.

So far so good.

It took me a minute to get to the last bolt. As I pulled it out, I grabbed the lid and pulled it. It easily swung open, revealing the large pipe Ariel could fit into. She swam closer to it and looked inside as I slipped the last bolt into my pocket. When I turned around, though, Zeke and Ben weren't in sight behind the glass. Immediately, an insecure feeling made my breathing pick up. I wanted to get out now.

I began swimming upward, but when a large splash reverberated from the surface, I released a gargled cry as a black tentacle dropped onto me, knocking me to the side. I hit the glass, my hair floating around my face and blocking my sight. I hastily swam for the pipe I just opened as more tentacles dropped into the water. My heart pumped fiercely and I began to feel faint as I watched the sea witch fully submerge herself into the water with me.

Ursula smiled wickedly, her unsettling eyes locking with mine. I reached the pipe to find Ariel already inside. She motioned for me to enter. As I swam forward, though, the oxygen pack on my back bumped against the roof of the pipe and I froze, the reality of the situation hitting me square on.

A murderous villain was right behind me and I couldn't fit into the only place that could protect me.

•~•~•~•

What do you think is going to happen now that Ursula is in the exhibit? Seems like things aren't going according to plan...

And hi! How's everybody doing today? Tomorrow is my last day of working at Walmart. I'm taking the summer to do a little traveling and relaxing before college this fall. :D