"Ariel's Happily Ever After"

Everyone has heard the story of the Little Mermaid.

The curious girl who only wanted to be a part of our world...

Her bright red hair and beautiful tail that stopped her from exploring it...

Her deal that allowed her to walk amongst us and find love, but for a price...

A fight against a wicked witch of the sea...

A kiss from a prince that signified her newfound happiness...

Her story started with “Once Upon a Time” and ended with “Happily Ever After.”

Or so we were led to believe.

You would think things could only get easier after becoming human,

Or “What could be worse than defeating an evil sea witch?”

Her story may have began with “Once Upon a Time,”

But it did not end with “Happily Ever After.”

At least, not the ending we were shown.

There’s always more to a story.

Ariel was always stubborn and curious,

Disobeying her father,

Ignoring the advice of her friends Flounder and Sebastian,

Searching for new things to collect...

Ariel craved adventure and knowledge.

When she settled down with her Prince Eric,

She didn’t realize all the responsibilities she was signing up for.

She didn’t realize just how much she was actually giving up,

When she made that deal to trade her tail for legs,

When she kissed the man she thought she loved.

She traded freedom for royal duties.

She traded travel for remaining in one castle, in one kingdom.

She traded friends for a royal staff.

She traded family for her husband, who she did love,

Or at least thought she did.

She traded merpeople for humans, who she respected.

It just didn’t feel right to her.

She wanted more, she always had.

Ariel’s mind began to wander,

What would happen if she just left?

What would happen if she just ran away,

Deciding to see the world in her own way?

She passed her days dreaming of just climbing aboard a ship and sailing away.

The words “What if?” haunted her as she walked the halls of Eric’s castle,

Plagued her as she slept in what was supposed to be her bed.

The more Ariel began to discover how our world truly worked,

The more forceful her thoughts became.

Soon, they became too powerful to ignore.

Until Ariel realized she only had one life to live.

Why should she spend it in one place, with one person?

What kind of life would that be?

There was so much to see, so much to do.

The world was more than just one kingdom.

There was a whole world out there,

More places to explore.

They all called out to her,

Like a Siren’s song.

How could she just ignore that?

Ariel put her plan into motion.

She left her wedding ring for Eric to find,

A goodbye note to give him her gratitude for all he had helped her with.

She grabbed her belongings,

Disguised herself,

Slipped out of the castle.

She climbed aboard a boat filled with people,

Preparing to sail across the sea,

Headed for a new land.

As the boat took off,

Ariel smiled to herself.

As the boat continued on,

She looked into the water,

where her family was and to which her heart no longer belonged.

She whispered “Goodbye,” believing there to be a chance it would be heard.

She looked back at the castle she once called “home,”

Wishing it a silent goodbye.

She faced ahead, eager for her new journey.

And, she never looked back.

She felt like she could finally breathe,

Like a weight had been lifted.

The “What if’s” in her mind faded into “Finally.”

This was how the story of the Little Mermaid ended.

The story of a mermaid who became human to become a part of our world…

Who left everything behind to explore every kingdom there was…

Who lived every moment for herself…

Who had no regrets,

Who didn’t look back, and kept living for the future…

Who learned all she could about everything she could…

A girl who followed her heart.

This was her true “Happily Ever After.”