Under the Sea

Hey there! Welcome to my new story! This is the first time I've ever actually posted something online, so I'm kinda excited to see where this goes. On that note, I apologize in advance if there are any mistakes, whether it's grammar related or plot line related. Haha, I'm pretty new to this, so please bear with me :)

So umm... I'll be quiet and let you get to the story :D

Enjoy!

oOo

Under the Sea

oOo

Even though I didn’t know it at the time, standing under the tunnel with aquatic animals surrounding me was the beginning of the change of my life.

Sea turtles, hammerhead sharks, stingrays, and an amazing assortment of fish swam overhead and around me. I was at an aquarium, one that I absolutely adored. I came every week when I had the moments to spare. As a college girl with a huge workload, it was actually pretty rare that I had any free time.

But I always cleared time in my schedule to come and visit. I loved the tranquility the animals swam with; I loved the grace they possessed as they glided through the large tank; and I loved the utter peacefulness that seemed to wash over me whenever I was near these beautiful creatures.

I should probably introduce myself. My name is Emily. Emily Tang. I’m an eighteen year old in the University of Chicago, and I honestly loved the big city. As a girl who grew up in a small town in Southern U.S.A., living in an extremely populated area was a huge change for me. But transitioning to the ever interesting city of Chicago was a certainly welcome one. The bustling streets, the numerous faces of the passersby, and the constant buzz of chatter that always filled the crowded sidewalks added an element of excitement that the small suburbs lacked.

But back to the present, the aquarium was only a short walk from the school campus, so once the weekends hit, I was wandering through the cavernous hallways of the water filled world. Currently, I was admiring the sleek shell of a large sea turtle, when pattering of feet broke me from my thoughts.

A tall, and rather handsome, boy was glancing around the place, eyes filled with a frantic sort terror. Curious, I craned my neck to see what he seemed to be running from. But I was unable to see anything amiss, so I shrugged the thought from my mind and went back to my turtle-gazing. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the boy pull the hood of his jacket over his head and shuffle over towards the tunnel I was occupying.

It was early, only about eight in the morning, so the aquarium was sparsely filled. The boy and I were the only people in the exhibit, and he didn’t seem to really be paying attention. His head was lowered, as if he wanted to shield his face from view. Deciding to be friendly, I made my way towards him with the intentions of just making a bit of small-talk.

“Sea turtles are some of Earth’s oldest animals,” I mused out loud as I arrived by his side. His head snapped up and our eyes met for a moment. His were a beautiful shade of green that had specks of other colors mixed it. Surprised, I found myself a bit breathless as we stared at each other. But as fast as it happened, it ended, and his head dropped again to block his face from view.

“There are even a few species that have been around since the age of the dinosaurs.” I continued as I let my gaze slide from his figure to the turtle that was floating in front of us. It was looking down at us as it hovered, studying us with intelligent eyes.

“Why are you talking to me about turtles?” His voice interrupted my musing, and when I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, he was now looking directly at me with an amused expression on his face. Was that a British accent in that amusement laced voice?