The Little Mer-Betty, Part 6

 Betty was worried. She couldn't find Scott anywhere. Eugenia, Foley, and Maple couldn't, either. She hadn't the idea of where he went. She tried to get his men to tell her, but they were busy playing horseshoes all night and hadn't seen him. She had to find him. It was almost twilight now. If she couldn't get that declaration of love from him, she would cease to exist.

“Miss Betty!” Eugenia hurried over to her. “Have you found him?” Betty frowned and shook her head no. “I haven't, either. Mr. Foley went up to the house. We thought he might have gone back for something.”

That was when the crowds parted. Betty gasped. Scott was walking through, his odd eyes staring straight ahead. He had a beautiful woman on his arm. She was small but regal, with long auburn waves and wide, dark eyes. She held his arm possessively. Her face looked adoringly at him, but Betty was sure her eyes held a sneer.

“Mr. Sherwood!” Eugenia rushed up to him. “Where did you go? Betty and Maple and Foley are still looking for you!”

“This is my fiancee,” Scott stated. His voice didn't sound right at all. It was stiff and slow, like he was talking on on of those new phonographs Betty saw in town. “We will be married in the morning.”

Maple joined them. “Scotty, why don't you introduce her?” She frowned. “You know, ain't this kind of sudden? I don't remember ever meetin' this lady before.”

Ruth glared at her. “My name is Ruth...um, Ruth Geddy. I'm an actress.” She pulled Scott close to her. “I met Scott on one of his visits to New York. He just swept me off my feet the moment he stepped into the backstage area of the Casino Theater. Isn't that right, loved one? You love me, and you want to marry me.”

“I love her and I want to marry her,” Scott repeated blankly.

Maple narrowed her eyes. Something was seriously wrong here. Scott's eyes were all black, and he was just parroting everything this lady said. This dame did somethin' to him, she thought. I'll bet he never saw her before tonight. I just wish we could figure out what's goin' on.

Betty shook her head and pulled at his arm. Ruth pushed her away. “I would prefer it if you didn't handle my fiancee.” She leaned her head on Scott's shoulder. “Isn't that right, dearest?”

“I love my fiancee,” Scott repeated.

Betty looked out into the rapidly-developing twilight. I'm lost, she thought in horror. Why did I think he could love me? She ran off to the cove, not wanting anyone else to see her fade into the mist on the shore.

She was surprised to hear four familiar voices singing in harmony when she came to the cove. “Betty?”

Jeff swam up to her, holding something long and sharp in his hand. Enid, Doug, and C.J followed her. Betty frowned when she saw that they'd all had their hair cropped close to their heads, like she had.

Jeff frowned as Betty leaned over into the blue-green waters to touch his choppy brown curls. “Betty, we had to do it. It was part of the spell. We want you to come home to us.” He handed her what turned out to be a long, sharp knife with a handle made of black crystal.

“This knife has a poison in it,” Doug added. “You'll have to use it to kill the human and draw his blood. When his blood hits your legs, it'll become a tail, and you can go back to the ocean.”

“Please come home to us!” added Enid. “Father is beside himself with worry, and Grandmother is in despair. They've sent merfolk from one end of the Atlantic to the other looking for you.”

Betty shook her head. Even if Scott didn't love her, she couldn't kill him. He hadn't done anything wrong. She didn't want him to be hurt...but she did miss her family, too, and her undersea home. What do I do? I love my family, but I don't want to hurt Scott or anyone in order to go back to them.

“Betty?” Maple was behind her. “What was that, honey?” Betty shrugged. “Did you hear somethin'?” Betty shook her head. Maple nodded at the knife. “Hey, where did ya find that, hon?”

Betty put the knife on a rock and threw herself into Maple's arms, her eyes leaking water again. Maple rubbed her back and let her sob on her shoulder. “Aw honey, don't cry like that. I don't think Scotty really loves that dame. She did somethin' to him. I'll bet he's never set eyes on her before tonight.” She just held her. “Why don't we go back to the party?” Betty shook her head. “All right. Maybe we should find Scott and figure out what's goin' on here. That dame's got somethin' up her sleeve.”

Jeff and his siblings watched as Maple walked back to the shore with Betty. “Enid, C.J, I want you to go down and tell Father and Grandmother Gertrude what's going on. We may need help.”

“Help?” C.J frowned. “Why?”

Doug understood. “You don't trust Ruth. I don't, either. I think she's up to something. There's a reason she wants to do in that human male...and it's not just because Betty wants him.”

“You're right.” Hilary joined them, swimming over from further down the beach. “She doesn't care about Betty or any of you. She's after the human's soul.”

“His soul?” Jeff frowned. “Why his soul?”

Enid's eyes widened. “I've read about this in our family's libraries. Humans have immortal souls, unlike us supernatural creatures. If Ruth is able to successfully remove his soul from his body, she'll technically exist forever.”

“And be able to continue acting and stealing magic forever,” Hilary grumbled.

Doug frowned. “But what happens if you take a human's soul?”

Hilary frowned. “They lose all ability to think and feel. If Ruth gets that human's soul, he'll never be in command of his own faculties again. He'll be nothing more than a shell for her to show off at charity functions. His body will turn to dust when he dies.”

“Doug, Hilary, come with me.” Jeff started towards the beach. “We have to get to Betty!” The five merpeople went in opposite directions. Two dove into the Atlantic, heading for deeper water. The remaining three followed Hilary to the jutting rocks where the remains of Scott's wrecked ship could still be seen.

Betty watched the twilight anxiously. Eugenia had said she thought she saw Scott and his new fiancee coming this way. Maple was waylaid by her music shop owner – something about wanting a dance. The small woman hurried along the shore as fast as she could. She climbed over the rocks, finally kicking off the white kid slippers to get better traction.

There wasn't much left of the ship. Almost all of it was now underwater. She looked around desperately, hoping to find even a glimpse of black-silver hair or hear a hearty laugh. She looked into a trap door for what had been the below-decks area. Taking a deep breath and holding the knife securely, she slid into the dark green water.

As she swam past what must have been the captain's bedroom – she could see what was left of Scott's small bed, table, and chairs – she heard a voice singing. It was really beautiful...but this time, it wasn't hers. She followed the voice down the hall and back up to a deck that was only half-immersed in water.

She arrived just in time to see the woman who claimed to be Scott's fiancee draw a green light from his mouth and into a bottle. She gasped as Ruth capped the bottle with Scott's voice. His eyes were still a cloudy, hazy black. The smaller witch stroked his throat. “That's much better. I prefer my mates to be silent.” She looked up and returned the bottle to her pocket as Betty came in. “Ahhh. There you are! Now, quickly, dear. Dispatch him for us. His blood is the last part of the potion. When the potion is in his system and his blood hits your tail, you'll turn back into a mermaid and be able to return to your dear, beloved family.”

Betty shook her head. She hated to see him so helpless. He was bound to a heavy casket, his legs and torso half-in the water. When he looked up, his hazy eyes stared at her without seeming to see her. She looked over her shoulder at the oncoming twilight...then made her decision. She couldn't kill him, not even to save herself.

Ruth hissed angrily as Betty cut through the ropes that bound his hands and legs, then threw the knife onto the deck. “What do you think you're doing?” Betty ignored her. She pulled Scott close to her and kissed him, just as darkness began to spread across Nantucket Sound. She was delighted when not only did she not turn into sea foam, but she felt strong arms hold her and someone kiss her back.

She smiled and opened her eyes to look into Scott's. The last of the haze in the dark orbs had been swept away and replaced by their usual warm amber color. He hugged her fiercely, gently rubbing her back.

Betty was about to kiss him again when a black light blasted between them. “No! No! I won't allow this to happen!” Ruth's black magic shot Betty against a casket, leaving her dazed. She yanked Scott's arm, then grabbed the discarded knife and held it to his throat. “You're coming with me, pretty human. She didn't kiss you long enough to get all of your soul. Only a part of it. I'll get that soul out of your body if I have to kill you myself to do it!”

“Ruth, enough!” She just barely ducked a rock thrown at her hand. She looked up to see Jeff, Hilary, and Doug, all holding rocks and looking angry as a squid throwing ink. “Let him go!”

“All right, Ruth, that's it.” Mackie and Gertrude swam up to Hilary's side, C.J and Enid right behind them. “You're coming back with us. The only place you'll be going is down to the prison grotto to await your trial.”

“Oh dear.” She pressed the knife further into Scott's throat, drawing a thin trickle of blood. He winced, watching the deep red liquid run down his neck. “I seem to have hurt the human. I'll have to take him home to patch him up...and remove that soul of his.” She pulled another bottle out of her pocket. “I think we need to go take care of that wound, my fair human.” She dropped the bottle, even as Betty began to get to her sore feet. The sea witch and the sailor were engulfed by deep purple smoke. When it subsided, they had both vanished.

Betty stumbled over to the others. Hilary swam over to her. “Betty, I can't give you your tail back. You'll really need a human soul for that. But I can....” she sighed “give you your voice back. It was selfish of me to have taken it from you in the first place. Even I realize that now.” Hilary opened her mouth and concentrated, allowing a green light to flow into a bottle Betty brought from a broken shelf. Hilary was gasping in pain when the light stopped flowing, but she still handed the younger mermaid the bottle.

“Why did you do it, Hilary?” Mackie asked, frowning. “Why did you take her voice?”

Hilary winced, her own voice sounding strained. “I'm one of the only merfolk who can't sing! I kept losing parts to devious merwoman like Ruth. I thought, if I had a voice like Betty's, I could finally get the parts I deserved.”

“Hilary,” Betty insisted, gasping, the moment she drank the bottle, “right now, the important thing is saving Scott.” She coughed; Doug pounded her on the back. “I don't....I don't even care....about me....or getting a soul. I only care about saving his life.”

Mackie frowned, hugging his daughter. “You really love him, don't you, angelfish?”

“Even that isn't important. He doesn't deserve to lose his soul to someone like Ruth!” That was when Betty heard Maple calling from near the rocky shoreline. “I'm going to talk to Maple and see if we could rent a skiff to get out to the water. We'll meet the rest of you at Ruth's grotto. I don't even want to think of what she has planned for Scott.”

“All right.” Mackie hugged his daughter again. “You be careful, angelfish.”

Betty smiled back. “Father, Maple is my friend. I have so much that I want to tell you about the land and Scott and Maple and Eugenia and Nantucket.” She looked over her shoulder as Maple stumbled towards them in her fancy green shoes. “But I'll explain it later, when Maple and I meet you out on the Sound.”

“But Betty....” Betty had already started out of the sinking ship. Mackie groaned. “The last thing I want to do is chase some human! Even if it's for my daughter! Besides, I just found her again!”

Hilary shook her head. “Mackie, she's in love. She'll do what it takes to get him back.” She narrowed her eyes. “Besides, I'd like to show that Ruth that she can't just go around taking whatever soul she feels like.”

C.J grinned, looking down at the rock in his hand. “And I have an idea how. Come on!”