This was the only way.
Slowly, a huge form rose out of the shadows and slunk into the lair, illuminated by the light from the crystal ball. The sea witch finally revealed herself in her full glory. Her head and torso were human, but her lower body was the tentacles of a black octopus. They undulated around her, giving her a menacing appearance. She grinned, displaying all her glittering teeth. Her lips were glossy with bloodred lipstick, and she had spiky white hair. “My dear, you succeeded,” she said with a cackle. “I had a feeling you had it in you.”
Shelly plunged the trident into the sand in front of the sea witch. “There, it’s all yours! Just like you wanted. Now take it—and keep your promise to me. Change me back, and let my friend go! He doesn’t have anything to do with this. He’s innocent!”
Ursula grinned, snatching the trident. As soon as her clawed hand touched the weapon, a bolt of electricity shot down her arm and through her body. Her eyes glowed with yellow light while electrical zaps fizzled through her.
She cackled with glee. “The protection spell is broken! Now it’s mine—all mine!”
The ocean current grew stronger, churning through the lair. Shelly had to brace herself against it. Bolts of electricity flickered, running down the length of the golden trident.
“Hurry!” Shelly yelled. “Reverse the curse! And let my friend go!”
Ursula aimed the trident at her. “As you wish, my dear!”
A blast of electricity shot out of the forked end and hit Shelly square in the chest. She felt pain surge through her entire body, then recede. A great feeling of relief swept through her.
The sea witch had kept her promise.
Shelly looked down at her hands, waiting for the spell to take effect. But they remained fins. Her gills were still there. She could feel them flaring and sucking in the water. Then something horrible happened. She felt her legs seal together, fully becoming a tail.
Ursula peered at her with a fierce grin, an eel wrapped around each arm. “You belong to me now!” she cackled at Shelly, waving the trident in her hand.
“But we had a deal,” Shelly managed to say. Her voice came out shrill.
Ursula laughed heartily, looking down on her with pity. The whites of her eyes shone in the darkness. “Oh, my dear, it’s not a deal unless you sign a contract. Otherwise, it’s up for negotiation.”
“What do you mean?” Shelly sputtered. Her voice sounded like Mr. Bubbles’s.
“No contract—no deal.”
“You’re a liar! You tricked me!”
“Oh, my dear, it’s not a lie—it’s just sea business,” Ursula said with a wink. She unfurled the contract. Shelly’s signature glinted in gold. “You’re the fastest swimmer now . . . forever.”
Shelly opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out.
The last thing she remembered was Ursula holding up the trident and grinning down at her. “Oh, don’t worry, my dear,” Ursula said in a smug voice. “You did prove your usefulness.”
Shelly wanted to scream, but only bubbles came out.
“I’ve got something very special in mind for you,” Ursula said.
TRITON BAY TRIBUNE
NEW AQUARIUM EXHIBIT OPENS IN LOVING MEMORY OF SHELLY ANDERSON
It’s been six months since local middle schooler Shelly Anderson went missing on the day of the aquarium break-in. The reason for her disappearance remains a mystery, though the police believe the two events must be connected.
MISSING signs, weather-beaten and yellowing, can still be seen posted to telephone poles and buildings throughout Triton Bay. Even the promise of a $10,000 reward hasn’t turned up any leads on Shelly Anderson’s whereabouts.
This week, her disappearance was officially filed in the state of California as a cold case.
But somehow, in all this, Shelly’s family’s aquarium has endured, perched above the ocean like a castle. Today a special occasion drew in a crowd.
Her parents, the owners of the aquarium, stood before the main exhibit with their young son, Dawson. They all clutched an oversize pair of scissors. Behind them, a turquoise ribbon with a big knotted bow stretched across the front of the massive tank, which was draped with a curtain.
While today was a day of remembrance for their missing daughter, it was also a celebration of what’s in store.
“Welcome to the unveiling of our newly refurbished main attraction,” Mr. Anderson said with a smile to the crowd. He gave his wife’s hand a gentle squeeze.
Ms. Anderson spoke next. “While we are saddened over the disappearance of our daughter, we remain hopeful that she will return one day.”
“An anonymous donor funded this new exhibit,” said Mr. Anderson. “Today, we dedicate it to Shelly. We love you, honey. We’ll always love you. We hope you come home.”
The somber crowd cheered. The emotion in the room was palpable. Some of the local schoolgirls, presumably friends of Shelly’s, cried and dabbed at their eyes with tissues.
One girl, Kendall Terran, later stated, “She was my very best friend.” After sobbing for several seconds, she asked, “You got that? Like hashtag BFF. By the way, I’m also the captain of the swim team.”
Meanwhile, another friend, a boy named Enrique, stood with his older brother. Upon being questioned, he couldn’t remember much from that fateful night. He was discovered washed up on the beach. It was almost like his memory was stolen.
He just knows his friend is gone.
“Without further ado . . .” Mr. Anderson said, and then together, as a family, they cut the ribbon.
The curtain fell away.
Behind them, in the exhibit, a bronze statue of Shelly stood where the trident once was. A small green fish darted around the statue’s face, then swam up to the glass.
The fish bumped up against the glass, drawing the attention of the boy, Dawson.
He clutched a curious spiral seashell, a keepsake, he stated, that once belonged to Shelly. They found it at the bottom of the exhibit the day she went missing. He pressed his face to the thick
