Ocean's Secret

Caretaker

Another week passed, excitement levels in the aquarium were at a peak, conversation buzzed about the opening day for the mermaid exhibit.

Esa was assigned a caretaker from the aquarium staff, Adrian. He was young, around the same age as Esa, who was 17. But he seemed distant, and was very quiet, his dark hair always hiding his eyes. His job, as far as Esa understood, was to make sure Esa was eating enough, and to socialize with her to prepare her for the first day she would be revealed to what was called the "public". Although he doesn't do very well with the socializing part. Esa thought as she watched him from behind a rock the first day he came.

Brie came often, mostly during the late hours. After, or before closing, to discuss the plan of escape. Brie had talked to her brother, Derek, and told Esa she had convinced him to help.

"Do you mind if I bring my friend Amber here tomorrow evening to meet you? I'm having some trouble convincing her that breaking the law is for the greater good. At least, in this case." Brie asked, five days before the opening. She was sitting on a rock in Esa's tank, wearing a human bathing suit called a "bikini."

Esa was sitting on a rock also and trying to comb her tangled, matted hair. Which was usually silky and smooth. I really need some shampoo. She thought, before replying. "Okay, but don't bring anyone else please." Esa had gotten to know Brie more over the past week, and she wasn't so bad after all. Esa knew she could be trusted.

"Okay, don't worry... I won't bring anyone else without your permission..." Brie stopped and was silent for a moment. "What is your home like?" She asked suddenly.

Esa stopped tugging at her hair and looked at Brie, "It's beautiful. My family and I live in a hidden cove on an island, a few miles off the coast. Our pod lives everywhere around that island and....." Esa stopped and covered her mouth, a look of horror on her face. "I- I shouldn't be telling you all this." She said quietly, looking down at her tail. The scales were missing in some places and the ones that were left, were dull and discolored.

"I hope you know by now that you can trust me. I won't tell anyone about your pod and family."

"I know I can trust you, it's just that.... The members of the pod are not supposed to tell any human about our kind. It's against the law." Esa sighed.

Then she looked up at Brie. "Mermaids and mermen live in large pods, much like fish. We hunt together, live together, and work together. Our job is to keep the ocean clean in our area and keep humans away from our island.

She stopped. Brie was looking at her quizzically. "Why did you tell me all that?" She asked.

"Because I trust you." Esa said. "Mer-people also have really good hearing, so when we speak underwater we can actually understand each other. That goes as well for understanding what people are saying above the water while we are underneath. Our eyes adjust well to changes in light, so that when we swim to deep depths we can still have a visual on our surroundings. Wow... this feels great to get out. I've always wanted to tell someone about this stuff."

Esa sighed and dropped into the water, floating on her back and looking up through the hole in her cave ceiling. Brie floated beside her. "I thought you said you couldn't swim." Esa mumbled.

"I can't, but I know how to float." Brie replied.

"That makes no sense at all." Esa laughed.

"Yea, I know." Brie chuckled.

"What's your brother like Brie?" Esa looked over at her friend, beside her in the water.

"He's pretty tall, his name is Derek, and he loves free diving. And he basically looks like a boy version of me. Blonde hair, blue eyes. And he's thirty seconds younger than I am." Brie said.

"A whole thirty seconds. Wow." Esa said with a laugh. Then she floated upwards. "I hear something." She said. "Shh."

"What?" Brie whispered. The sky above was still light, but it was at least a few minutes after closing.

"Stay here, I'm going to go check it out." Esa slipped silently under the water and out of the cave. When she was in a good position to see but not be seen, she brought her head out of the water, it was Adrian, the boy who had been assigned to her at her "caretaker."

"Why are you here Adrian." She spoke suddenly and saw him jump.

"I-I um... Wanted to say hi." He spoke for the first time, looking around, trying to locate her by the sound of her voice.

"I don't believe you." Esa said, the untrusting tone obvious in her voice.

"Could I see you?" Adrian asked, he knelt down on the platform now.

Yea if you want a face full of saltwater. Esa narrowed her eyes and swam slowly forward, when she was a few feet away from the platform, Adrian whipped out something from his pocket and aimed it towards her. It flashed and Esa screeched, diving under water, she saw the flash again.

Fear drove her towards the safety of her cave. She passed Brie in the water on her way in.

Breathing heavily Esa clung to a rock and gasped. After some time Brie surfaced and came towards her, swimming like a clumsy baby whale. "He's gone, don't worry. But he took a picture of you, that's what that flash was." She said, placing a hand on Esa's shoulder.

"A-a p-picture?" Esa turned her wide eyes to Brie and gave her a confused look.

"With his phone, it's like looking at something and remembering that exact image as long as you have the picture with you... I guess that's a adequate explanation."

"I wish I had a picture of my home, and the pod." Esa said, a tear slipped down her cheek, but she wiped it away hurriedly and turned her face away, sniffing.

Brie said nothing, a sad silence stretched between them and they stayed there for a long time while the stars appeared, one by one, in the night sky above.

Hope you enjoyed! <3