Penelope Spectra's Poor Unfortunate Souls/Susan's Transformation

Past the Ship's Graveyard, past the Canyon of Rocks, down, into the ravine filled with purple geysers that spewed noxious gas, a skeleton of a monster long forgotten sat. A pair of jaws large enough to swallow a whale gaped as if frozen in its last dying scream. Susan stopped right in front thankful that the jaws were so large so there was plenty of room to swim between the dead, but still razor sharp, teeth.

She bit her lip as her heart and courage flutter for a moment.

"This way." Discord and Hunch said in unison.

Taking a nervous gulp, she entered the belly of the beast. The hallways were dark, and the Draconequus and pygmy owl led the way, and a nervous Susan followed them. But as they went in further, she heard a moaning and howling sound as they entered the next hallway. The deeper they were in, the louder it got, as Susan looked down and noticed something moving along the bottom. She then paled in fright as some light shined in and showed the horrifying polyps. And then suddenly, one of them shot at her, wrapping around her wrist. She struggled, trying to pull it off, until one final tug, she broke free. In fear, she swam fast to the Draconequus and pygmy owl's side as they reached their final destination.

It was a room with a huge conch hung from the ceiling, along with a few shelves full of strange concoctions, a vanity mirror, and a cauldron shaped like a closed clawed hand. It was when they entered the room. "Come in. Come in, my child. We mustn't lurk in doorways." Penelope spoke up from the conch.

Susan nervously came in, and she saw Penelope slithering her way out of the conch and landing on the floor, as she quirking, "It's rude."

An orange seashell necklace hovered around her neck.

Penelope strutted towards a vanity in the corner and her words brought Susan out of her amazed stupor.

"One MIGHT question your upbringing." she chuckled, sat down examining herself in the mirror.

"Now, then." Penelope said, as one of her long, dark tentacles squirted some foaming hair gel from a shell-shaped bottle. "You're here because you have a thing for this human. This, er, high schooler fellow." Her red nails ran through her red hair. "Not that I blame you - he is quite a catch, isn't he?"

"Well, girl," Penelope said. Red lips puckered as she applied lipstick. "the solution to your problem is simple." She finished the phrase with a pop of her lips. "The only way to get what you want - is to become a human yourself."

Susan gasped in surprise by that solution. She figured it was impossible to even become a human; she even knew her father wouldn't allow it with the power of the Trident. But then she looked to Penelope with hope in her eyes. "Can you DO that?" she asked.

Penelope smirked as she turned towards Susan and said, "My dear, sweet child. That's what I do."

She then swam towards Susan as she stated, "It's what I live for. To help unfortunate merfolk - like yourself."

She then sighed sadly as she cupped Susan's face with one of her tentacles, causing Susan to flinch away, "Poor souls with no one else to turn to."

She swam up, and Discord and Hunch snaked around their mistress, her husky voice low and almost hypnotizing.

Penelope: *I admit that in the past I've been a nasty*
*They weren't kidding when they called me, well, a witch*

Discord and Hunch laughed as they swirled around Penelope, who also twirled in circles.

Penelope: *But you'll find that nowadays*
*I've mended all my ways*
Repented, seen the light and made a switch

The Draconequus and pygmy owl circled one last time before leaving Penelope with a flourish as she floated back down towards the mesmerized mermaid.

Penelope: *True? Yes*

The Draconequus and pygmy owl returned to circling her again as she strutted over to the claw hand cauldron growing out of the ground.

Penelope: *And I fortunately know a little magic*
*It's a talent that I always have possessed*

With a wave of her arms, the claw opened, and pink steam rose up, and whatever was inside cast an eerie glow on the evil woman's face.

Penelope: *And here lately, please don't laugh*

She grinned and waggled a finger at the princess who was slowly swimming closer, curiosity over coming her fear.

Penelope: *I use it on behalf*
*Of the miserable, lonely and depressed*
*Pathetic*

Penelope had pulled up two mer-people made of the glowing pink steam, and Susan was too enthralled to hear the last part she had whispered to her laughing servants.

Penelope: *Poor unfortunate souls*
*In pain*
*In need*
*This one longing to be thinner*
*That one wants to get the girl*
*And do I help them?*

A snap of her fingers, and the two figures were transformed, the scrawny bow merman was now a handsome merman, and the chubby mermaid was now a slim mermaid, both were the way they wanted to be.

Penelope: *Yes, indeed*

The two embraced each other, and Penelope continued to strut and sing around the cauldron.

Penelope: *Those poor unfortunate souls*
*So sad*
*So true*

Gene, Lumpy, and Roo had secretly entered. Shaking with fear, they sneaked past the polyps.

Penelope: *They come flocking to my cauldron*
*Crying, "Spells, Penelope please!"*
*And I help them?*
*Yes, I do*
*Now it's happened once or twice*
*Someone couldn't pay the price*
*And I'm afraid I had to rake 'em 'cross the coals*

Her hand clenched into a fist, and the two dissolved in a tornado, scraggly little polyps in their place. Penelope closed her claw hand cauldron, grabbed one of the pink fluorescent curling seaweeds that hung from the ceiling, and began playing with it.

Penelope: *Yes, I've had the odd complaint*
*But on the whole, I've been a saint*
*To those poor unfortunate souls*

She loomed over the other polyps until they all began to quake and cry in fear again. Susan was distracted by them before Penelope pulled the mermaid closer to her with the seaweed.

"Now, here's the deal," she said. She began pulling her over towards the cauldron, releasing the plant once her surprisingly strong hand had a hold of Susan's arm, sharp maroon claws biting into the soft flesh. "I will make you a potion that will turn you into a human for three days."

A distracted look crossed her grimacing face as she tried to brush off a stray tentacle that had wrapped itself across her shoulder and chest.

"Got that?" Penelope repeated, "Three days."

They had arrived at the terrible black claw which had sealed up again, and, leaning over it, Penelope grabbed Susan's chin with a tentacle as the girl had been unconsciously looking for a way out.

"Now listen, this is important." Penelope said, as she opened her claw hand cauldron again, and three glowing yellow suns floated out between the cracks in the claws.

"Before the sun sets on the third day, you've got to get Mr. Bright Boy to fall in love with you." Penelope continued.

A crown followed as the suns set and a heart, pulsing and beating red floated up in the center.

"That is, he's got to kiss you." the evil woman continued, "Not just any kiss, the kiss of true love."

The heart pulsed, and its shining red glow over powered the gold of the crown.

Lumpy, Roo, and Gene were swimming around the corner, keeping out of sight, and saw what was happening and heard everything. Out of the cauldron then popped a silhouette of Susan and Gil together, but this image, Susan had legs as Penelope explained, "If he *does* kiss you before the sun sets on the third day, you'll remain human permanently,"

Susan smiled at this outcome, but then frowned as the silhouette changed from her and Gil together, with her back as a mermaid. She was sucked back down and Penelope's grinning face filled her vision.

"But if he doesn't," Penelope went on, "you turn back into a mermaid, and you belong to me!"

Gene couldn't take it anymore. "No, Susan!" he yelled. But then he, Lumpy, and Roo were quickly silenced by the Draconequus and pygmy owl, as Penelope once again grabbed her chin bringing her attention back to her. "Have we got a deal?" she asked.

Seeing Gene, Lumpy, and Roo reminded her of home, and an interesting thought crossed her mind that caused her to furrow her brow. "If I become human," she said. "I'll never be with my father or sisters again."

Penelope faked her concern as she nodded, "That's right." But then she smirked and chuckled, "But, you'll have your man. Life's full of tough choices, innit?" she jeered, lying back on the claw.

At that moment, Penelope thought of something else. "Oh! And there is one more thing. We haven't discussed the subject of payment. You can't get something for nothing, you know."

Oh that look on her shocked little face! Hmhmhm!

Even though this evil woman and her magic scared her, a touch of desperation colored her voice at the thought of the chance being taken away.

Susan tried to explain, "But I don't have any -"

"I'm not asking much. Just a token, really, a trifle." Penelope said, covering the red-haired girl's mouth with her hand, "You'll never even miss it. What I want from you is...your voice."

The way it came out, the way that red nail insisted on touching her chin again, it felt…sinister. Susan gingerly touched her throat. "My voice?" she asked.

Penelope nodded. "You've got it, cupcake. No more talking, singing, nothing!" She listed off the stipulations on her fingers and ended it with a pop of her lips.

Susan protested, "But without my voice, how can I -"

But was cut off again by the evil woman, "You'll have your looks! Your pretty face! And don't underestimate the importance of body language! Ha!" Penelope responded in rhythm like she was singing on "body language", she started shaking her bottom and began to sing again.

Penelope: *The men up there don't like a lot of blabber*
*They think a girl who gossips is a bore*

As she said this, she went to a cupboard and opened it.

Penelope: *Yes, on land it's much preferred*
*For ladies not to say a word*
*And after all, dear, what is idle prattle for?*
*Come on, they're not all that impressed with conversation*

She threw five bottles with a few ingredients into a cauldron as Susan looked on.

Penelope: *True gentlemen avoid it when they can*
*But they dote and swoon and fawn*
*On a lady who's withdrawn*

Penelope then threw a tongue into the cauldron, causing more smoke.

Penelope: *It's she who holds her tongue who gets her man*
*Come on, you poor unfortunate soul*
*Go ahead!*
*Make your choice!*

As Susan looked in the smoke, Gil's face began to form. She absentmindedly gazed into it until she heard Penelope's voice.

Penelope: *I'm a very busy woman*
*And I haven't got all day*
*It won't cost much*
*Just your voice!*

And then Penelope's face shot through the image, scaring Susan as she finished. She threw a little blue jellyfish right into the pit of her cauldron. It exploded into blue smoke, and I couldn't help feel a tad twinge of pity for the poor creature.

Penelope: *You poor unfortunate soul*
*It's sad*
*But true*

Penelope then put a hand on Susan's shoulder and gave her a very, very long golden scroll and a quill. It is a contract that Penelope gives to mer-people and mer-animals who had to make thier deals with her, official.

Penelope: *If you want to cross a bridge, my sweet*
*You've got to pay the toll*
*Take a gulp and take a breath*
*And go ahead and sign the scroll!*

Susan read the first part, which read, "I, hereby hand over to Penelope, one voice. Signed X.\_"

Penelope: *Discord, Hunch, now I've got her, boys*
*The boss is on a roll*
*This poor*

A stern look came onto Susan's face as she looked up.

Penelope: *un*

Susan grabbed the pen as Gene, Lumpy, and Roo gasped in shock.

Penelope: *fortunate soul!*

Susan then turned her own head away while shutting her eyes and clenching her teeth as she signed "Susan Test" on the dotted line. When Susan finished signing her own name, she opened her eyes and Penelope took the contract scroll. The deal was done! Penelope smiled evilly, spread her hands over her cauldron, chanting a spell, and her cauldron then started glowing blue.

Penelope: *Beluga, Sevruga: Come winds of the Caspian Sea*

As Penelope chanted this, a blue whirlwind appeared around her and Susan, who looked extremely nervous.

Penelope: *Larynxes, glossitis, et laryngitis*
***La voce** to me!*

Then two huge green phantom-like hands, symbolizing Penelope's hands appeared. Each was to her left and right, and Penelope looked towards Susan as she stated, "Now, sing!" She looked at Susan with an insane look in her eyes and an evil toothy grin.

Without any hesitation, the red-haired girl sang out, or vocalized, the tune of her song. But as she sang, a small golden sphere glowed in her throat; the small golden glowing sphere in her throat was none other than her voice. The spell was working!

"Keep singing!" Penelope shouted.

As Susan did so, the hands reached out for her. As one hand reached for her, Susan flinched a little, but still held her tone. And then, like a viper striking for a mouse and getting it, the hand shot into her mouth and ventured down Susan's throat. And in a few seconds, it pulled out, along with Susan's voice as it continued to hold the notes in her song. Susan saw the golden orb that was her voice, and held her throat, knowing it was lost forever. And then the hands were reeled right into Penelope's shell necklace, which she insanely grinned at as she cackled like a maniac.

Then Penelope began to laugh wickedly as Susan got trapped in a yellow bubble, and she began to completely change.

Gene shook, and Lumpy and Roo closed their eyes as they watched in complete horror as Susan was transforming from mermaid to human.

Susan felt her fins splitting into two, her lower fish body began to disappear as it started to lose its color and match Susan's skin tone. Her legs emerged, and her tail fins become feet. She was now wearing a black bikini bottom, but she was still wearing her matching shell bra, star barrette, and black square glasses.

The bubble disappeared, but now Susan was left unable to breath underwater, and she couldn’t swim either.

Gene, Lumpy, and Roo darted from their hiding place and went on either sides of the red-haired now-human girl and swam to the surface as fast as they could. Penelope cackled evilly as they left her lair. The group kept swimming and swimming until finally managing to get Susan above water. Susan took a huge breath of air upon reaching the surface. With that problem solved, everyone guided her to the nearby shore. But will they be able to help their friend, especially in this dire time, and without Susan's voice? This was now a serious problem for them.