Cursed with Fins TWO The Land Calls

Chapter Sixteen

It was now about the end of our trip to the aquarium, I sat next to Azalea on the indoor bench. My head resting in my hands, we both remained quiet, Mom, Noah, and Ava were all using the bathroom before we leave. I felt horrible, I had her come here to basically make her possibly even more home sick and just to see how bad we treat fish. Well I guess that's no surprise or too big of a deal since they eat fish. Still not carrying a good message though about humans. She hugged onto her stuffed sea horse, looking off in a different direction.

"Hey look... I'm sorry for having you come here.." I apologized.

"Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything wrong."

"Well I guess its just because I brought you here just to remind you of home and see how bad we treat fish."

"Oh, no I'm not mad. I am home sick, but I'm not mad. I know you didn't mean it, you were just having me near the only thing I know." She ran her thumb over the sea horse's head.

"Yeah, I didn't really think about it I guess," I started, Azalea quickly looked up, staring ahead of us. But I was stuck in my own little conversation that I wasn't really paying much attention. "I just wanted you to feel comfortable, relax a little. I don't know, I just-" She quickly covered my mouth, making me be silent. Okay I guess she's done hearing me talk..

"Sh! Look." She pointed ahead of us, seeing two men. One guy stood out the most, he was very slender, older guy. He had a small prickly beard covering his face, pale blue eyes, and he wore overalls with work boots. He looked to be about in his late sixties. His friend resembled him in a way, about the same age but he had dark brown eyes, dirty, work boots like his buddy, and a messy white shirt, work gloves on his hands. He held a bucket in his right hand.

They were speaking with an employee of the building, smiling and laughing a little. I had a mental flashback to when we were trying to save those dolphins and I got grabbed. It's them! It's those heartless dolphin murders! I leaned closer to Azalea, removing her hand away from my mouth. "Do you think they'll recognize us..?" I whispered. Then they looked over in our direction, the first man nudged the other guy, pointing at us. He was telling him something. Oh no..

"I'll take that as a yes.." Azalea's voice trembled. They started moving towards us, shoving people out the way, eyes locked onto us.

"Let's go, let's go!" She grabbed my wrist, yanking me up and dragging me away. "We have to get away from here!"

"We can't go so far, we can't leave my Mom or friends! Plus I never got my full practice in driving yet!" I protested.

"Well we need to do something or we are gonna be shark bate!" She ran through people, her grip on my arm never failed. "Here!" She pulled me through a door. It was a little dim, but there was stairs, at the top was a bright light.

"Where are we?" I asked, glancing around.

"I don't know.." Azalea saw the light at the top of the stairs. It was very bright, her eyes lite up. "I think that's the way out!" She exclaimed, taking my arm again and running up the steps.

The whole place is one story, and it's not day time. I don't think it was an exit. "Azalea! Wait! It's nighttime! That's not a way ou-" My sentence was put to a hault when the flooring beneath our feet was no more and we were plunged deep into water. It was freezing, I opened my eyes. A salmon swam in front of my face, we fell into a fish tank! I looked ahead, since I'm not half fish anymore, my eyes doesn't adjust to the water anymore. My vision was just as blurry as a normal human in water. In front of me, on the other side of the glass, I saw two people march by, but other people ran up to the glass taking pictures. Not even coming to help us, just pulled out their cameras and phones, bright flashes blinded me. I felt Azalea grab my arm, she was horrified, why? I looked up, seeing the same giant shark swimming in circles above us. Oh, that's why.. Azalea pulled me up to the surface, back up to the ledge, where the stairs ended suddenly.

She pulled herself up and helped me up as well. Thank goodness we got out of there without actually becoming dinner. I was soak and wet, I was shivering. I wrapped my arms around my small body, attempting to keep whatever little body heat that I had. "A-are you okay?" She touched my arm.

I nodded quickly. "I should be, lets get out of here. I just want to go home now." I stood up.

"But what about those men?!"

"There gone, I'm sure we already lost them. I saw them pass by the tank when we fell in." I told her, she stayed put in her spot, sitting on the floor. "I'm serious, were fine. Let's leave now while we still can. So we don't have to see them anymore." I held my hand out to her, offering to help her up. She looked at my hand a few times before actually deciding to take it, allowing me to pull her up. We waddled down the steps and pulled the door open. I looked on the sign that was on the outside of the door. "Employees Only."

We both had our arms wrapped around our own bodies, freezing. That's when the sworm came. "What were you two thinking?"
"Are you okay?"
"Are you hurt?"
"What did it feel like swimming with a shark?"
"Why did you do that?"
"Was that some type of prank?"

Those were all the questions they were asking, I just grabbed onto Azalea's arm and walked off. I didn't say a word to them or even really acknowledged them. I was just tired, I wanted to go home, I wanted to go to bed, I wanted to just end this crazy day. But even if I do, that just means I'm now one day closer to going back to the ocean. I have to make my time up here count. Before I am forced to migrate and not to see or hear from them all for a whole year. Until I come back.

"Skylar!" Ava ran up to me, so did Noah.

"Oh my goodness, Skylar!" Mom yelled. "Are you okay?" She looked back at a man who was tapping her shoulder. "Thank you." She took the two towels he has been trying to hand her. She wrapped one around me and the other around Azalea. She rubbed us down. I nodded. "Yeah, Mom. I'm fine."