I finally had it. I couldn't take it anymore. My curiosity wasn't going to cease existing and I was bored with my life in the kingdom. So I packed some of my things and swam to the shore. I didn't really have a plan for what I would do once I was there, but it didn't matter. I had to get away. I reached my usual people watching spot and observed.
The beach was a bit of a mess from last night's storm and lots of the sailors were cleaning up the debris. I noticed the hook handed man was nowhere to be seen and I hoped that meant he had recovered. Just as I started to move closer to the land, a voice called out, frightening me. I had been spotted.
"Well hello there, dearie," came the voice from behind me. I turned, and saw a strange looking man sitting on the boulders a few feet away. He had a crooked smile on his face and his skin was a strange golden hue that appeared to be rough to the touch. His eyes, the same color as his skin, had a glossy sheen to them, almost reptilian in a sense. I swam over very hesitantly.
"Who are you? And what do you want from me?"
"The question is not what I want from you but what you want from me. You see, I can give you what you want, a way out of this life you live under the sea."
"How…how did you know about that?"
"I have a way of sensing peoples' deepest desires," he replied, mischievously.
"You're the one they all talk about aren't you? The Dark One?"
"Well I prefer Rumplestiltskin, but I suppose the Dark One will suffice. Now, let's talk business. I have the magic to give you the capability of entering the human world. The one thing you need most. Legs." I perked up upon hearing this. My tail was the only thing holding me back from exploring this exciting new world. "But, all magic comes at a price," he finished.
"What's the price?"
"It's not so much a price, really, as it is a contingency. You see I have a bet going that true love exists between species, but I have no way of proving this until you come along. If you truly believe you can fall in love with a human, and have him fall back, I will grant you the power to walk on land. If you fail to prove this however, I will require payment. Considering you're a mermaid, the most powerful asset you possess is your voice. Therefore, if you prove me wrong, I'll need your voice."
"My voice? But, what kind of life will I live without a voice? I'm not sure I can agree to this."
"Well, apparently I was wrong about you. See I thought you believed in true love. I've seen you hiding here and watching the man with his dog. He's a prince you know. Things go right and you could find yourself married to royalty. But, I think I picked the wrong species. Perhaps merpeople don't believe in love. I guess I'll have to try my luck with the nymphs," he sighed, turning his back to leave.
"No, wait! I do believe in true love and all these years the only thing stopping me was my tail. I'm in. It's time to take control of my fate."
"Now that's what I like to hear," he smiled. Instantaneously, he conjured up a contract. "All I'll be needing is your signature right here," he indicated, pointing to the signature line.
"This is a lot of writing, can I just read this quickly?"
"It's mostly just formalities. The concept is simple. Girl falls in love with boy. Boy falls in love with girl. In order to prove this love, there needs to be a kiss, true love's kiss. All this happens, you get your happy ending and I get what I'm looking for. If you fail, you're voice will be mine and you can choose to live as a human or a mermaid. Got it?"
"I think so," I nodded. I took the quill that was hovering in mid air. A part of me was nervous, and I wasn't sure why. This man was giving me everything I'd ever wanted. I connected the ink to the parchment, and looked away as the gold ink floated along the paper, spelling out my name. Once the signature was complete, Rumplestiltskin giggled and waved his hands. "Oh, one more thing. You've got three days to do this," he added last minute.
"What!?" I shrieked in disbelief
The water around me began to spin, sucking me into a whirlpool. "No need to be scared, dearie. Your dreams are about to come true!" Those were the last words I heard before my head went under. Moments later, the tides calmed and I found myself sitting in shallow water. I looked down and there they were, a pair of perfect legs! And they were all mine. I squished the sand beneath my toes and ran my fingers across the smooth skin that was now featured on my lower half. And then it hit me. How am I supposed to make someone fall in love with me in three days!? I knew I should've looked over that contract. The Dark One tricked me and set me up for failure. But you know what, I'll prove him wrong. I will not get down on myself and give up due to my disadvantage. I will take this anger and fuel it into my task. I mean, mermaids generally had an allure to them. It couldn't be that hard to get men to fall in love. My sisters do it all the time!
I stood up and took to the shore! Or I tried at least. I still was getting used to the whole walking thing. I felt a cool breeze and that's when I realized I didn't exactly have anything covering my lower half. A rookie mistake, but luckily no one was there to notice. There was a ripped sail and some rope still on the beach from the storm and I went to work, turning it into a makeshift dress.