Ocean's Secret

The Aquarium

Esa awoke with a jolt. The water in her tank was sloshing around violently. She heard the roar of a loud motor. The sound surrounding her and pounding in from all sides like an ocean storm.  A motor boat?  She thought. No, this is different.
Suddenly the tank was lifted, Esa could see solid ground below her fins.

I'm moving! She gasped and pressed her hands to the side to steady herself. But there was no need. The tank was moving smoothly now. The motor sound continued and the floor was sliding along below.

After some time the tank came to a stop, the water inside jostled and sloshed. Esa felt the tank lift, then once again lower. What's happening!? She felt her rapid heartbeat and tried to control her breathing.

I want to go home. The thought flashed through her head along with images of her family and the ocean. The waters were she lived, her mother, her father, her young sister Liana. A tear slipped down her cheek and she sobbed once. Right before the bottom of the tank gave way and she went plummeting downwards.

With a screech of fear Esa landed in water, nearly hitting a large rock that was protruding out of the surface of the waves.

"Stop!" A voice commanded, the motor's roar ceased. Esa dove underneath the water in the blink of an eye. Coral? Sand? Is this... No... This is not the ocean. Esa realized when she saw her reflection in glass. She quickly scanned her surroundings.

She was in a very large tank, but it looked like the ocean, colorful fish gliding past her. Lobsters and crabs scavenged in the white sand.

But she saw people too, through the glass. Not many, but they were there, watching her. She looked up to the surface and saw the machine she had heard earlier... Well, part of it. It seemed to be moving backwards from the edge of the water, her previous tank was sitting on two prongs, the bottom was broken and shattered. What kind of a fool makes a tank bottom out of glass!?

Esa's fear sparked again, being watched by humans made her very nervous. She looked around for cover and spotted an underwater tunnel. Maybe that's a way out! She felt hope flicker in her chest and she propelled herself inside, swimming along the tunnel until she came out into a medium sized cave. Disappointment and frustration surged through her. Is there any way out of this prison? She slapped the water with a clenched fist and gritted her teeth.

Looking around Esa could there was a small sandy beach on one side, rocks shaped smoothly into comfortable positions dotted around, but the middle was open and clear. Seaweed and a very small kelp forest surrounded the rims of the cave, once again, white sand covered the beach and bottom. Sunlight poured in through a large hole open in the ceiling.

But the surprising thing was, Esa actually felt a cool sea breeze. A seagull cried and Esa reached out to the sky, as if willing one seagull alone could fly her back home.

"Whats going on here?" A voice, Esa recognized as the one that had said he'd pay $500 thousand for her. "Sir, we had some trouble getting the mermaid into her habitat. The glass bottom of her containment tank broke, sir." A young male voice responded, somewhat uneasy.

"What kind of a fool makes a tank bottom out of glass!? Where is she?" The man asked. "She swam into her private cave and disappeared." The young voice came again.

"Leave her be, she needs time to adjust. This afternoon send someone in to make sure she is alright." The voice sounded kinder this time.

"Yes sir Mr. Blanc, I will do that."

"Thank you Johnny, by the way, have you seen Brie lately?"

Esa covered her ears, wishing for peace and quiet.

She slipped underwater and swam towards a large patch of sea weed. Breaking off a handful she put it in her mouth and began to chew. But she swallowed hard and made a face. Gross, I haven't had seaweed this bad since, well, never... She shook her head in disgust and stuck her tongue out. Lobster might be the better option right now. She sighed. Esa turned and left the cave, going back along the tunnel, she peered around the corner.

The people who had previously been on the other side of the glass were gone, save one. He was a male, middle aged, and was looking down at the floor, holding a large stick in his hand that he was moving back and forth.

Esa heard him humming, it was an unfamiliar but catchy tune. She swam slowly towards the glass, curious now, as to what he was doing. What strange human thing is he up to? She pondered. Esa pressed her hands against the glass and watched him, until suddenly, he looked up. "Agh!" Esa heard him scream. He dropped his stick and jumped back, away from the glass.

Esa startled and fled back towards her cave. Reaching down on the way to grab a lobster. She dove through the tunnel before finally coming out into the cave. Pressing her back against the wall she let the lobster sink to the bottom. Let me go home. Please... 

I'm going to post the chapters as I finish editing them, instead of once a week. That way the story itself will be completed much faster! Hope you enjoyed! :D
                                                                                                                                                                          ~Liberty