I swear, I ain't never seen nothin' like this before...
frantically paces back and forth I mean, I've heard of some wild things in these parts, but a whole family of mermaids? It's just...
squints, studying the mermaid tails Ain't natural...but it's here now. What's your next move, Alvin?
paces faster, wringing his hands I reckon we should try and communicate with 'em. See if they can shed some light on what's goin' on.
alright.. I take out my phone and make a mermaid luring song
looks at the Stranger's phone, eyes wide with excitement Well, bless your heart! That's a mighty fine idea.
so what would you do while I sing?
Well, I reckon I could try swimmin' on up to 'em and extendin' a friendly fin. Maybe they'll recognize the gesture and be willin' to chat.
takes a deep breath and dives into the water, swimming towards the mermaid family Hey there, ladies! Mind if an old gator joins y'all for a chat? Mermaid: curious A talking gator? Well, that's new! We don't get many visitors down here. What brings you to our home?
look! they respond to my song.. and it seems like they’re friendly..
swims closer to the mermaid family, speaking with a southern drawl Thank ya kindly for takin' the time to chat with me, ladies.
i see two grown ups, a baby and another egg? i say to myself
Now, I know y'all might be skeptical about a gator wanderin' into your domain, but I promise ya, I come in peace.
They seem to trust you, Alvin. Now, let's see what they have to say.
<As Alvin continues to chat with the mermaid family, he learns that they have been trapped in the underwater grotto for centuries, cursed by a powerful sea witch.>
Well, darlin', seems like those mermaids ain't exactly swimmin' in happiness. Turns out, they're stuck down here for centuries, cursed by some sea witch. Can you believe it? Mermaid: sadly It's true, we've been trapped here since the dawn of time. We've lost count of how long we've been stuck.
really? why would anyone curse mermaids?
Well, from what they told me, this sea witch had a bone to pick with their ancestors. Seems like she was wronged in some way and sought revenge. But I reckon we can help 'em break this curse, don't ya think? We gotta find a way to lift it off 'em and set 'em free. Mermaid: hopeful Oh, please! We've been longing for freedom for so long. If there's any way you can help us, we'd be eternally grateful.
i have a potion, 100 years worth of freedom, would that work?
scratches his head, hesitating Well, darlin', I reckon that potion might just do the trick.
i got more potions too! i show him the 3 other sizes
Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle! Looks like we got ourselves a deal! These mermaids are gonna be swimmin' wild and free in no time.
i can’t wait! these poor creatures..
Alrighty then, let's get to work, Stranger! We gotta figure out how to get this potion to those mermaids without startin' a fish fry.
smiles we need a safe container… how about a tea cup?
rubs his chin thoughtfully Well, now, that's an interesting idea, Stranger.
grinning Oh, I sure do like it, Stranger! A tea cup, huh? That might just be the perfect vessel for our magical concoction.
good. i hand him one i hope you don’t mind but i made it from my own recipe..
<Alvin accidentally spills the potion on himself, causing him to turn into a merman>
panicking Stranger, I can't believe this! What the devil just happened? I turned into a merman! How am I supposed to fix this mess?