A/N: This was meant to come out yesterday but I had an APUSH test that wore me out to the point I fell asleep the second I got home. Very inspired by The Little Mermaid!
The one rule that was drilled into you since your childhood was to never swim to the surface. The creatures up there, known as humans, were cruel and would cut you up in an instant. You believed your parents when they told you this.
Or that was until your sister couldn't take the curiosity and swam up. What she described wasn't horrible at all. She talked of the warmth of the sun, and the songs humans would sing. It sounded so different from your world under the sea. However, what intrigued you the most were legs.
According to your sister, humans used them to walk around. They didn't have a tail at all. These stories were why you covered for your sister whenever she snuck away. She was so enamored with the human world and her stories were one of such beauty you wanted to see it for yourself one day.
Everything changed when your sister disappeared. You'd heard her talking about a particular human before, one she fell in love with. Yet, you never assumed she'd disappear without a trace.
With your sister gone your parents got worse. More overprotective and hovering. It was the worst, so you planned to escape as well. To run away to the human world to find your sister.
There was only one way you knew of to turn human.
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The bottom of the sea trench was freezing, even for merperson standards. It was also way darker down here than normal. As you swam in the direction you were pretty sure led to the sea witch's lair, you started to feel apprehensive.
You knew you'd have to give something up for the legs. Some type of payment. Maybe your sister never returned because she'd given too much, offered too much. You should turn back. You needed to turn back! Just as you turned around to swim back, someone cleared their throat making you jump.
"What's a pretty little angelfish like yourself doing here?" Whipping around you saw a man around your age. Unlike you however, he wasn't any merfolk like you've seen before. Instead of a tail he had inky black octopus tentacles.
"Who are you?" You asked, watching him warily.
"I am Selvin, the infamous sea witch. I'm assuming you're here to see me." It wasn't a question. He gave you a charming smile and gestured further in the direction you were going.
"I don't deal out here. If you need something, you'll follow me." He started swimming away and a low growl from the darkness behind you made you rush to catch up.
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His lair was a lot nicer than one might expect. It was made of a giant scalloped shell and surrounded by a beautiful garden of sea life. Everything seemed suspiciously nice for someone rumored to be the worst of the worst.
He ushered you to sit down at a table, probably scavenged from some sunken ship, as he sat across from you. He didn't seem to ever take his eyes off of you.
"So, darling. How can I help you?" You shivered under his intense stare.
"It's about my sister." You explained the story to him with a bit of coaxing. By the end you were staring sadly into your lap as he gave you a sympathetic look.
"Well, I can in fact grant your wish and give you legs. However, are you willing to pay the price? The last one to come wanting for that failed miserably and died painfully." You froze. Could that have been your sister?
"What would I have to do?" You asked. He grinned.
"That's simple angelfish. Love me." You stared at him quizzically. He smirked. "You see it gets lonely down here at the bottom of the ocean. I would love to see the human world. However, the potions require the blood of two lovers. Those lovers also have to be the ones to ingest the potions. Therefore, the only way to get legs would be to love me."
You shook your head slowly backing towards the door.
"I don't know. I need to think about it. I need to-!" Selvin snapped his fingers and in an instant two eels appeared in front of the door, leering at you evilly.
"You see... I've had way too many negative answers in the past. However, I'm done taking no as an answer. Especially with you, my lovely angelfish. You may not love me now but someday..." He laughed darkly as he approached. "Someday you will be mine fully."