Captive Scales

1

"Dad!" Tommy whined, pulling the sleeve of his father's shirt, "Dadza I gotta piss!"

"Tommy-" Phil sighed, "keep your voice down in public please."

The eight year old huffed, "Dadza! I gotta-!"

"Okay!" Phil shushed the child, "Wil, I'm taking your brother to the bathroom. Try to say around here, okay?"

Wilbur looked up from the wall of fish swimming around. He nodded.

"Thanks Wil." Phil ruffled his hair, then took Tommy's hand and lead him off.

The fourteen year old looked back to the aquarium tank. Phil had dragged him to the aquarium to 'get over his fears'. Wilbur thought Phil just wanted him to be normal again. But Wilbur couldn't open his mouth without feeling the rush of water into his lungs. Tearing his vocal cords to shreds calling for his mother as he was pulled under the tides.

Wilbur took a sharp breath. This was quite possibly the worst place to have a panic attack. A fish swam by lazily. It cast a shadow across Wilbur's face, breaking up the green-blue light that filtered through the water.

A loud this echoed through the room. Wilbur jumped, his eyes going wide. He looked around to find himself alone. Another bang sounded, followed by someone yelling. A moment later, a worker stumbled out of a service door. She was muttering to herself, rubbing a few scratches on her face. She didn't seem to see Wilbur, walking the opposite way.

Wilbur looked between her and the door. The door didn't seem to be closed all the way, holding itself open just a bit. Wilbur crept closer. The door was designed to look like part of the wall. He reached out to push it closed.

A soft wail came through the crack in the door. Wilbur's eyes went wide. It sounded like a person, someone around his age in fact. The wailing continued, not in any form of words humans could comprehend, but rather a projection of emotions sung out. Pain, fear, anger and frustration.

Wilbur pulled the door open. He slipped through, walking down a set of dimly lit stairs. It wasn't too far down, maybe a meter under the top aquarium, when the stairs opened up into a small white room. In the back was a tank that almost reached the ceiling, lit by only a single florescent light.

Red scales, shimmering with gold, twisted around the small tank. Long pink hair flowed through the currents the fins were stirring up. Bright red eyes held panic and fear. The long body froze as it stared at Wilbur. Wilbur stared back.

The mer growled, lunging twords Wilbur. They slammed headfirst into the glass. A loud this rang through the room, making Wilbur flinch. The mer sank to the bottom of the tank, holding their head.

Wilbur crouched down next to the mer, placing his hand on the tank. The mer slowly lifted their head. They growled again, showing long, thin fangs. Wilbur would compare them to a wolf eel.

The mer flicked their tail, sending them to the back of the tank. Wilbur could see numerus wounds covering the scaled skin. The mer watched Wilbur carefully as they swam around the edge of the tank. Their eyes flicked to just outside the tank. Wilbur followed their gaze. A small fish was laying on the ground next to a bucket with a few more fish.

Wilbur picked up the bucket. The mer growled and flinched back. Wilbur paid them no mind as he began to climb the steps up to the tank. He stared into the water at the mer. They were shrunk back in the corner, baring their fangs at Wilbur. The brunette dumped the bucket of fish into the tank.

The mer stopped growling. They watched Wilbur with wide eyes as he walked back down the steps. The fish floated in the water between them. Wilbur nodded to the fish in the water. The mer hesitated, pulling one of the fish closer. Then they bit into it, devouring the fish bones and all. They finished the first one, going after the rest greedily.

"Wil!"

The two jumped at the voice. Wilbur looked at the mer, half a fish in their claws. They looked at Wilbur with almost pleading eyes. Wilbur gave a short sigh, quickly getting to his feet and running up the stairs.

"Wilbur!" Phil shouted as the brunette quietly closed the door behind him, "Wil-! Oh Jesus fuck! There you are!"

Wilbur nodded as his father placed a hand to his chest. Tommy ran up to Wilbur, tugging on his sleeve.

"Wil! You gotta come see the penguins!" Tommy insisted, "please please!? They're getting fed right now!"

Wilbur smiled at his younger brother, nodding.

"Alright." Phil smiled softly as he gathered his son's, "let's go see the penguins."

"Yes!" Tommy cheered, dragging Wilbur in the direction of the Arctic enclosures.

The brunette gave one last glance at the door. The mer was still in there, trapped in that small tank. He had to figure out a way to get him out. He might be able to get some of his friends to help him. But even if he couldn't, he was determined to save that mer.