Through a Fish's Eye

1. Through a Fish's eye

My greatest dream was to live inside the endless stretching aqua. That ancient aqua that surrounded this planet longer than even my ancestors have. Oh, boy did I always imagine their tails wagging through the sky as they used their fins like wings. I never had such a privilege, yet I was still surrounded by water enclosed within a glass dome. 

Inside the dome lies only a small castle where its king guards its treasure chest with a name. Little Orange. Since there was no one else, I claimed the castle, its treasure, and the name for myself. However, the real treasure was beyond this dome. Endless waves of aqua expanded with boats coming in and out of its shore, never seeming to stop. The song of the chirping seagulls always took me from my slumber. The room was always the same old chairs, couch, and tables. My bowl rested on a table near the glorious wall of glass. From here I had a view taller than any of those half-breed's underwater structures.

My eyes always enjoyed the show of honking horns combined with the fresh blue skies, bombarded on by the soaring white. My human would always stare at the waves of aqua from the glorious glass while cleaning his silver tip spear, which I assume was for him to catch more of my kind. Thankfully, I was never on the tip of that spear. 

Every day he would always take the time to gracefully feed me and chat with me like I was another human. Then each night he would grab my bowl of aqua and have me join him while he watches the stars burst into the night.

I couldn't understand a word he would say, however, all I needed to see was his mouth move in an animated fashion like I would spew out bubbles. Admittedly, each time he did so, the more enjoyable it felt to have someone look at you like that. And then his eyes as we stare past the glass, even back then I could tell his weren't too different from mine. Both of our pairs longed for something more, sighing each time the final stars appear in the night sky. For the time being, we lay waste in our own individual aqua's. Until one day he got to share his with another.

I can never forget the day I wasn't only awoken by the yellow-tipped gliders, but also with the sounds of laughter and a slam to the wall. My human carried her in his arms like she was his child. She had the smoothest skin I had ever seen. Her hair was silky red while her eyes were golden brown, matching his to a tee. He wore black on white that day while she wore fluttering diamonds. No wonder they fell on the couch making the sounds my lips did to my food.

Every day after that was the same with those two. He'd leave with his spear, while she left with a briefcase outlined in gold. When they reunited each night, it was like when my tiny chest exploded with bubbles. Still, he would always continue having one on one chats with me, which I still didn't understand at the time why he did so, and he would take me to watch the stars resting upon the legs of his fluffy cloud. Afterward, the pair always took their time sprinkling food flakes into my bowl right before they fed one another. Every time their mouths moved; I could never put the words to their voices. Though as before, I only ever needed to see was their eyes. 

Both pairs sparkled in one another's presence. They glowed even brighter when she pointed at me with glee with her cloud-like finger. That finger wore the shiniest pearl that I'd only see in my dreams. Their laughter would always continue towards the couch, where they fell into one another's arms. Their foreheads stroked the skin keeping them both warm. Only silenced by the lights playing from their picture box. I might be a fish to them, but it was thanks to them both that I started to understand what love was. 

The months went by with their presence warming one another like a fire to a glacier. Every night their voices would fuse in conjunction with their picture box. Slowly their voices started to become louder, mocking that of two hissing snakes. Their bodies became stiffer than a slab of ice that none of them could melt. Eventually, the picture box became silent. Now their dragon-like voices were the only thing being heard. I swear when they breathed their fire-my aqua vibrated. It was that day I understood my human's first words.

"I had it!" 

Those words he grinded right through his teeth. Moments later, we both watched as his fluffy cloud swayed back into the wind. I only ever saw that pearl again within my dreams.

For what felt like days he remained on that couch that was once warm. Now it seemed cold, which in turn made him lifeless. He would still put himself near me one on one, but they became less and less frequent the more sunken into the couch he became. Until one day, I finally saw him pick up his spear and go off. Each time he came back, pullets fell from his eyes while they sank into the wall of glass. 

It was even worse at night watching the stars with him. At one point during the night, while his eyes stared towards the aqua, his hands tried piercing his heart with that silver spear. Unfortunately for him, it was too dull, even for a human's skin. 

Every night the air that carried the laughter from him and his picture box was replaced with his whimpers. Only his whimpers to the point where they sang me to sleep. One night, I was awakened to my bowl being carried by the paleness that now embraced his hands. He was like a corpse trying to look down at me, but the tears were alive still alive with color. 

I liked to think he couldn't bear suffering in front of me, since he barely take care of himself, more or less have time for me. So, just like his darling cloud; he set me free.