Chapter 8.

Kneeled on the ship’s deck, Esperanza rested her face in the palms of her hands. She was unsure of what to do. 

After calming his frightened nerves with a warm cup of coffee and a deep breath, the captain of the ship started the engine, once again. The noise of the engine woke Danny from his sleep. He jumped up and quickly rushed to Esperanza’s side.

Danny asked, “Esperanza, what is wrong?”

Esperanza replied, “I have made such a terrible mistake. Naively, I granted my life, my family's life, my friend's life, and my home to an evil and wicked monster. I wish I could turn back time. I was only thinking about myself, about what I wanted. I didn't realize there would be such huge consequences.”

Danny replied, “We all make mistakes, but you have to trust and believe that everything will work out… If you are really a mermaid, there must be some sort of fight or power left inside of you.”

“No, I gave all my power away to Ahlecco,” Esperanza sobbed.

Danny replied, “no one can truly give all of their power away to another person. The laws of nature grants every human the right to free will. Nothing can change your past decisions, but you decide your current and future decisions. Will you decide something that works in the favor of yourself and those you love?”

“I will,” Esperanza whispered under her voice.

The engine started up one last time, jerked the ship, and began moving again. Esperanza panicked, and ran to the edge of the deck. She shouted to the sea, “SIMON! SISTERS! MOTHER!... I'm so sorry!.” The ship continued in motion. Moments later, red lights began flashing on the ship and loud alarms went off. 

The captain grabbed a hold of his walkie talkie, and shouted on the intercom system, “everyone take heed, we are approaching an iceberg ahead.”

Esperanza asked Danny, “oh no. What is an iceberg?”

Danny replied, “a huge chunk of ice. We might need to swim.”

“...But, I don't have my mermaid tail.”

“Stay close.”

The ship continued. Everyone inside the ship huddled together, in hopes that everything would be fine.

Moments later, Ahlecco sprung from the water, tripling in size. An army of snakes followed beneath her. Espetanza's beautiful sparkling skin, began turning sickly, and murky green. The captain shouted on the intercom system one last time, as the ship tilted back and forth, “everyone grab your vests and floating devices. We have hit an iceberg!” Everyone was frightened. They grabbed their vests and floating devices, and rushed outside, but were struck with even more fear once they saw the mermaid form of Esperanza, Ahlecco hissing at them, and skyscraper sized electric snakes hissing in their faces. The ship tilted many of the passengers into the waters, before they had time to grab their life vests or floating devices. Danny grabbed a sword and began slicing at Ahlecco's skin that only grew thicker and thicker. He sliced off some of the heads of her snakes, but their heads grew back and some grew double heads. Esperanza began to lose her breath.

Ahlecco spoke at Esperanza's faintly face, “Now, who's the most mesmerizing of them all?”

Goddess Charlotte, the goddess daughters, Simon, and the other sea creatures had finally made it to the surface. They swam, following the ship until they caught up to Ahlecco and her snake. The war had began. Simon cut through the throats of the electric snakes. The goddess sisters used their scepters to place a protective sparkling, golden barrier around Esperanza. The mermaids used their fists and scepters to strike at Ahlecco's legs, but her legs barely budged. The dolphins bit at her skin, and the fish used their bows and arrows to stroke through Ahlecco and her snakes. Mother arose from under the water, floating in mid air.

She spoke as she struck a bolt of thunder through Ahlecco's oversized and fuming head, “so we meet again, Ahlecco!”

Ahlecco laughed with an evil chuckle, and struck electricity towards Goddess Charlotte with her main snake. Goddess Charlotte and Ahlecco struck each other back and forth, but neither of them would give in or give up. The ship continued piercing through the iceberg, as it was too late to save the ship. Many of the passengers hung onto the railing of the ship for dear life, as many of them tried to fight off the snakes in the cold waters for their dear lives.

Ahlecco shouted from the top of her lungs, “I am getting what I want this time!” She struck through the golden barrier around Esperanza. Esperanza's skin continued to turn murky green, as her eyes went blank and her body became stiff. The ship tilted one last time, causing Esperanza to fling into the ocean. Ahlecco's largest electric snake grabbed Danny by his waist, who was still trying to fight with his sword, and electrocuted him. Danny's motionless body swayed in the wind, as it was left to dangle on the railing of the ship, tilting back and forth. Goddess Charlotte and the goddess sisters versus Ahlecco continued one-upping each other's strike-backs. After slicing off a snake's head with his sword, Simon quickly swam to the aid of Esperanza, whose body continued to sink. Her eyes were pitch black, her tail lost its shine, her body smelled like death, and her arms were shackled together by electric snake chains. The battle on the surface continued, as Simon cried loudly in tears of terror and tears of hope, as he caressed Esperanza’s face and held her near his heart.