The Unknown or the Unbearable

A week had hardly passed since their wedding day when the truth was exposed. Ariel remembered how in love Eric was with her when they first met. He didn’t seem to mind her inability to communicate or her lack of knowledge about human gadgets and customs. He seemed to genuinely accept her for who she was. However, as soon as her voice was back, their relationship was never the same.  
They were married the day Ariel’s father allowed her to become human. As soon as her new toes touched the sand, she was whisked away to the castle and within hours, she had gained a new title and her new prince. She couldn’t have been happier: legs, as many dingle-hoppers as her heart wanted, and the love of her life. In her parade of happiness, she skipped her way to the bedroom and waited for her prince.
She could barely contain her excitement, she walked around the room exploring the contents and tried to recognize which gizmos she had in her treasure cave under the sea. She let her hands run over all the materials, admiring how different and how much better things felt above the water. She picked up a whose-it, held it up to the light and smiled because of how the light caused the glass to create rainbows against the walls.  Ariel was so entranced by the magical quality that human what-its had, that she failed to hear the door open. A hand smacked the whose-it out of her hand, and it shattered into small pieces across the ice-cold marbled floor. Shocked, Ariel looked at her hand, which was bleeding from the force of the blow. She stared in awe for a few seconds, never seeing blood in this form before. Under water, it always dispersed and became one with the sea. Here, blood collected and dripped onto the white floor, creating a slippery-solid-slap noise when it landed.
She turned her eyes away from her hand, breaking her trance. Ariel could now feel the pain of the cut, but she ignored it, biting her lip for stability. Taking a deep breath, she flipped her vibrant blood-red hair over her shoulder and slowly turned to face the monster. She gasped when she saw who her monster was. Before her eyes stood the man she had wedded this morning. Although his golden skin, black hair, and suit remained the same, something had changed in his eyes. No longer were they blue, dancing with light. Now, they were clouded with darkness, and red veins pulsated throughout.
“Eric, I, I…. What, what are you doing?” Ariel stammered, completely caught off guard.
Eric scuffed at her, turning his nose up at her in disgust.
“Do not address me in such a disrespectful tone. You are to call me sir, and Your Majesty. That is all.” Eric pushed Ariel back, causing her to stumble and fall into the chair behind her.
Ariel sat frozen in the chair and watched in horror as Eric smirked at her and sauntered across the room, his head held high as if he was trying to assert his superiority. He made his way to the cabinet, pulling out a bottle filled with brandy and two glasses. Eric sat across from Ariel and poured the drinks silently. She sat paralyzed, unsure of what to do. Eric picked up his glass and sipped it, a satisfied look crossing his face. He waved toward the second glass, encouraging Ariel to pick it up. Timidly, she picked up the glass; its clear surface cold to the touch. She carefully brought the glass to her lips, and slowly took a sip as Eric watched her. The thick liquor flowed over her tongue, its taste bitter but sickeningly sweet at the same time. She wanted to spit it out, but she managed to swallow, not wanting to look weak in front him.  As the liquor descended down her throat, she began to feel warm, and a churning feeling took place in her stomach. The feeling caused her to cough, and her eyes to water.
“How cute,” Eric sneered at her, each word poisonous to the ear. He took another long sip from his drink, his lips smacked together and a loud exhale left his mouth.
“Eric, what is going on? I thought—”
“Don’t speak without permission!” Eric slammed his drink on the stone table with such force that the liquid splashed up over the sides. Ariel jumped back in fright. She brought her knees to her chest and she hugged them, trying to comfort herself.
“Oh, don’t look so pathetic, after all, isn’t this what you wanted?” Eric waved his arm in the air gesturing to the room and himself. He reclined in his chair, slouching as one arm laid on the armrest and the other held his drink once more. Ariel shook her head no, afraid to verbally answer.
“Go on now, use your words,” he laughed, sipping on his brandy.
Ariel sat up straight, trying to gather as much courage as she could.
“Eric, I mean, sir, what are you doing? We just got married, you said you loved me; I left my family for you. I know I haven’t been human for very long, but I know this isn’t how humans act.” Ariel looked into Eric’s eyes, trying to find some source of sympathy, or any emotion whatsoever. All she saw was a blank stare.
“Oh Ariel, you poor, naïve, little girl. You honestly thought I loved you? Why would I, Prince Eric, love some little sea urchin like you? No dear, I lied to you.”
Ariel felt for the first time the wind being knocked out of her lungs. She could not breath and she begged to be free in water again. She felt salt water on her face, but instead of the ocean, it was her tears. The tears were hot, and each caused more heartache than the last. So this is what it means to burn, she thought as she held her chest, trying to control her wheezing.
“Put yourself together, you look pathetic,” ordered Eric, his words cold and mechanical.
“Why would you do this? Why did I deserve this?” Ariel managed to whisper in between her cries. Eric rolled his eyes, and rubbed his temples.
“Fine, I’ll tell you if it makes you be quiet. I can’t bare to hear you, it gives me a headache.” He downed the rest of his drink and placed his glass gently on the table this time.
“My father always insisted I marry before I become king, he thought it would help me bring a more … how do you say it … merciful style of ruling to the kingdom. So naturally, I began to seek a wife. The problem I did not anticipate is, I hate women. They are ignorant whores whose lack of education makes me sick. I could barely stand listening to one for more than a minute before I asked the match-maker to bring in the next cow.”
Eric paused to pour himself another drink, the dark liquid filling the glass reminded Ariel of the water surrounding Ursula’s cave. The water there had been dyed with the rotting corpses of Ursula’s past victims.
“I was beginning to give up on finding a wife, when you stumbled into the picture. Although your hair is quite annoying, I liked the fact that you couldn’t speak. Actually, it’s the only thing I liked. You were perfect. A wife who couldn’t talk back to me or force me to listen to their nonsense.” Eric took a long sip of his brandy and smacked his lips after swallowing.
“Unfortunately, after all the trouble I went through to get you, you got your voice back. It was a real shame really. But, I could no longer back out of the wedding because my father promised me the crown now that I’m married. Plus marriage is a lot simpler than having to kill the old man.” He set his drink down and leaned back into the chair, signaling that he was done speaking.
Ariel’s tears wanted to continue to fall, but the ocean inside of her was gone. She tried to speak, but her mouth was too dry. She felt as though she had swallowed sand instead of water. Her only option to cure the drought inside of her was the brandy on the table, but she would rather go thirsty than put that poison to her lips once more.
Eric waited for Ariel to respond but she sat silently, her long red hair hiding her face. Annoyed, Eric sat up from his chair and without hesitation lunged at Ariel, grabbing her by the shoulders, pinning her back. Ariel screamed in fear, but Eric forcibly covered her mouth. Her small frame was no match for his large stature, so Ariel waited in panic to see what he would do next. Eric laughed to himself as he watched Ariel’s eyes grow large with fear; he loved having this much control. He gently lifted her chin with his fear hand so that her eyes looked into his; he wanted to truly see the fear he created.
“As long as you stay out of my way, I won’t hurt you. Do you understand?” He breathed into her face; his breath smelled of alcohol and was hot as blood. Ariel wanted to turn her face and hide, but his hand held firm. The only thing she could do was slowly nod her head yes, hoping he would leave her alone.
“That’s a good girl,” he whispered, a devilish grin covering his face. Eric slowly removed his hand from Ariel’s mouth, careful to maintain eye contact with her. Ariel gasped the minute his hand was free, even though she could hardly breathe with his breath still in her face. Eric moved his hand to the back of her head, holding it in place as he leaned in and left a slopping, wet kiss on the forehead. Ariel shivered with disgust and closed her eyes to hide the pain.
“Till morning, my wife,” Eric said in a cynical tone, real danger covering every word. Ariel quivered and continued to close her eyes until she heard the door close and the footsteps disappear down the hall. Apprehensively, Ariel opened her eyes and examined the mess around her. Brandy littered the table and the blood from her hand covered her dress and the floor. She carefully rose from her seat, her body weak with fear. As quickly as she could, she ran to the bed and collapsed on top, sobbing into the pillow.
“What have I done?” She cried, her heart breaking more with each sob. She turned away from the pillow and looked at the room. The mess surrounding her made her feel even more anxious and afraid, for all she wanted was the clean calmness of the ocean. The glass on the floor shined like the sun reflecting on water, making her realize she should have stayed underneath the waves.

As the weeks went by, the torture continued, each episode worse than the last. Ariel’s once soft porcelain skin was now rough with abuse, her arms in a constant state of black and blue. She began to wear long sleeves, and put powder underneath her eyes to hide her lack of sleep. Ariel felt so constricted underneath the layers of clothing. She had become human to feel the sun on her skin, but instead, she felt the constant chill of the castle grounds. Eric refused to let Ariel outside the castle. He felt a sense of satisfaction watching her deteriorate before his eyes. Her once long, thick, vibrant red hair had been muted to an almost brown, and her once bright blue eyes were now a dull grey.
Ariel had stopped crying, her salt tears only made her miss the ocean more. She could not stand to think of what she had done to herself. She believed it was her fault, if she had not been such an eel, none of this would have happened to her. If she would have just listened to her father, she could be home with her friends and family, she could be happy. But instead, she willingly gave herself to Eric, and for what? So she could be beaten constantly for no reason? So she could feel alone? So she could have no one to turn to?
Ariel let out a heavy sigh and made her way to the dressing table. Today would mark her and Eric’s one-year anniversary and she was ordered to look presentable for the celebration. Her frail body sat delicately onto the cushioned chair, each movement made her body ache and she winced at the pain. Nearly out of breath, she turned towards the mirror and examined her face. Ariel usually avoided mirrors, but today she allowed herself to stare at her reflection. Gone was her youthful glow and rounded cheeks. Her face now looked hollow, her cheekbones protruded and her skin was so pale, blue rings circled her eyes.
Her appearance disgusted her, but she continued to stare. She placed her left hand on her cheek and made circular motions, trying to bring life back into her face. Alas, her efforts yielded no rewards, and her face remained pale and lifeless as before. Sighing, she picked up the pale powder and began covering up the blue under her eyes. She continued to powder down her neck and onto her chest, trying to cover the now green bruises.
She was in the middle of braiding her long hair when she heard a cry from her bedroom.  Without hesitation, Ariel swiftly stood up and ran into the room.
“There, there, mommy’s here,” she cooed, her arms gently picking up the infant wrapped in pink. The baby continued to cry, but Ariel calmly rocked the baby back and forth.
“It’s okay, Salacia… Mommy’s here… I’ve got you, don’t you worry,” Ariel continued to gently speak to the infant, knowing very well that if her child did not quiet soon, there would be consequences. Ariel sat on the windowsill, hoping the warm sunrays would quiet her baby. Salacia looked up and smiled, her crying immediately ceasing. It was replaced with a giggle, the bell of her voice sounded like music to Ariel’s ears, and she could not help but smile back at her daughter. Salacia was the only light in Ariel’s life. During her pregnancy, she prayed for a boy in fear that Eric would hurt her child, but as luck would have it, Neptune gave her a baby girl. Ariel did whatever she could to protect her little sea nymph, but her baby’s constant crying left Ariel bruised even more than before. Although her body constantly ached, she had to do whatever it took to take care of her daughter.
Ariel lightly stroked Salacia’s soft red hair that had already begun to grow on the top of her head. Her mothering touch made Salacia’s blue eyes light up, and giggling, she grabbed her mother’s finger with her entire hand.
“You are my reason for living,” Ariel whispered, leaving a kiss on her child’s forehead. Unable to part with her child, she carried her to the dressing room, where she rested the baby on her lap and finished braiding her hair.
Ariel was finishing the last buttons on her dress when the door flew open, creating a loud banging noise as the door hit the wall behind it. The noise caused Salacia to wake up from her nap, immediately began to wail. Ariel’s eyes grew large with fear, and as quickly as she could, she dashed across the room, trying to reach her child before he did.
“What did I say about that thing crying?” Eric yelled before he ran at Ariel, grabbing her by the waist so she could not reach the baby.
“Let me go! She needs me!” Ariel pleaded, trying everything she could do to get out of his grasp. She flailed her arms and tried kicking her way free, but Eric simply gripped her tighter. She could smell his breath, a constant stench that she could never get used to.  Salacia wailed in the background, causing Eric’s anger to rise.
“I told you if you couldn’t keep that squid quiet, it would have to go,” Eric sneered into Ariel’s ear, his grip around her waste making it hard for her to breathe.
“No, please, no, I’m sorry, just…just let me hold her,” Ariel gasped, struggling for air. She continued to squirm in his arms, learning long ago it was better to fight back than let him do what he pleased. If she did not try to stop him, he always went farther than she could stand. He would do what caused her to have Salacia.
“You disgust me,” Eric scuffed, carelessly throwing Ariel to the floor. Ariel landed with a thud, and slid into the dresser, causing her powder to fall onto the floor. Ariel tried to stand up, but her body was too weak. Eric sauntered towards the crib, and looked down at Salacia.
“Don’t you touch her!” Ariel screamed, trying her hardest to look up at him. Eric merely laughed at her weak efforts, and picked up the baby, whose wails had quieted.
“What a shame. You could have been a king. But alas, you’re just another useless woman. How sad,” he smirked at the baby before setting her back down in her crib. Ariel sighed in relief and laid her head on the marble floor, finally allowing herself to collapse. Eric walked out of the room, his footsteps creating loud clanks that echoed behind him.
“Oh, and don’t forget to be ready for tonight’s festivities. The ceremony starts in an hour,” Eric left out a malevolent laugh and slammed the door behind him. Salacia began to cry again, and Ariel rolled onto her back, moaning in pain. How much more could she take?
Ariel descended down the staircase, dressed in a new clean dress, her body recently re-powdered, and her hair taken down from her braid to cover the new bruises. She could hear music playing and people talking, a combination she was not used to hearing in the castle. She was careful to walk with her back straight and smile on her face, if she appeared happy, no one would question anything.
As she made her way into the ballroom, she could feel people staring at her; the whispers they made followed her through the crowd. Finally, she arrived to the chair next to the throne. She thankfully sat down, glad to be separated from the people. Eric had not arrived yet, he was preoccupied with a bottle of liquor upstairs, and had already forgotten about his kingly duties for the night. Ariel tried to distract herself by thinking about her child. She loved her more than anything, but at moments like these, she could not help but think about what Eric had done to her. Eric’s strength and her weakness gave her Salacia, and although she loved her, she could never forget the pain it brought her to have her.
Ariel was lost in her thoughts when the music stopped and everyone rose to their feet. As soon as she realized, she rose as well, and watched King Eric walk to his throne. His steps were clumsy and he fell into his throne rather than sat down. Ariel waited until everyone else seated before she dared to sit down. A jester announced gifts would be presented to the King and Queen for their anniversary, and Ariel tried to keep smiling.
The first gift was a basket of oranges, a fruit Ariel had never seen, but Eric merely scuffed and waved for the next gift to be brought in. Next were feathers from exotic birds, the colors were lavish and bright. Ariel gently stroked the feathers, but the King smacked her hand away. Following the feathers was a painting with a blanket over it. Intrigued, Ariel leaned forward in her seat, curious as to what the painting could be. In contrast, Eric laid back in his seat, his face rather bored. The jester removed the blanket to reveal a portrait of the King and Queen. It was a painting capturing the day they were married. Ariel stared at the girl in the portrait, but could not recognize it as herself. The girl in the portrait had vibrant red hair that cascaded down her back. The girl’s skin had a radiant glow, and her eyes twinkled in the sun. On the girl’s face was a smile Ariel could not remember ever making. The smile was genuine, no worries crossed the girls mind; she was so happy.
Ariel thought back to this morning when she looked at her own reflection. What had she let herself become? How could she do this to herself? Before the King could stop her, Ariel rose from her chair and ran towards the door. She could hear Eric’s screams following her, but she kept running forward. She ran past the guests, through the castle hallways, and into the courtyard. Eric raced after her, his speed slowed from his excessive alcohol consumption. Through the courtyard, Ariel was able to find a passage to exit the castle. Without hesitation, she left the castle and ran towards the bluffs.
The sky was black with night and clouds covered the stars. The wind howled around her, but she managed to keep moving forward despite its strength. She could faintly hear Eric’s screams, but the wind carried away most of the noise. She had no idea where she was running to, but something inside of her guided her towards the bluffs. She stopped as she reached the end of the bluff, one more step, and she would fall in the water. Below her waves violently hit against pointed rocks, and the once blue sea had turned black with night. Ariel stared into the ocean and remembered how even on the stormiest nights, if you swam far enough down, the water was calm.
“How dare you embarrass me like that!”
Ariel quickly turned around; Eric stood a few paces back, his eyes glazed over with anger.
“Don’t come any closer!” Ariel warned, yelling to be heard over the wind and the sound of the waves hitting the rocks. Her hair blew crazily around her, once again looking like fire.
“Or else what?” Eric laughed, placing his hands on his knees to catch his breath. Ariel frantically looked around, there was no escape.
“Or, or…I’ll jump!” Ariel yelled, her voice firm for the first time in months. Her words caused Eric to stand still with fear.
“You wouldn’t dare, you have Salacia to take care of remember?” Eric lowered his voice, trying to appear kind. “You wouldn’t leave our daughter motherless, would you?”
Eric cautiously stepped towards Ariel, hoping his words had tricked her.
“Stop walking! Do not move a single step!” Ariel ordered; feeling empowered for the first time since she said, I do.
“Why? You honestly think I’ll believe you’ll jump? You’re pathetic. Now come here. You owe me for the embarrassment you caused me. I promise, it will be different from anything I’ve done before,” a wicked grin covered Eric’s face, he’s eyes flashing with excitement.
Ariel frantically looked back and forth between the water and Eric, unsure of what to do. After a second of hesitation, she took a deep breath and took a step.

Now, did she take a step off the bluff or towards Eric?
The more we think about this question, the more difficult it is to answer. On one hand she has a baby to take care of, but on the other hand, she has years of torture to endure. The question cannot be simply answered, for it involves decisions from the heart and the mind. Reader, think if you were Ariel and had to make this decision. Would you be selfish and choose to save yourself, or would you be selfless and save your child?
If she died, Ariel would have no more pain, no more loneliness, and she would no longer have to cry herself to sleep every night. Ariel would be back to the person she once was, not the person she cannot bare to look at in the mirror. If she chooses to step off the bluff and into the deathly waters, she would finally be free. However, if she makes that decision, she would be leaving her daughter unprotected in face of evil. 
If she chooses to step toward Eric, she faces immediate torture and years of abuse. Even though she would face pain, she can still be with her child: the one thing in the universe that brings a smile to her face. She would be able to save her beloved child, but would have to look at Salacia everyday knowing how she was conceived. In the second before she took the step, she had to make a decision. So, what did she choose—herself or her child?