"Where did the stupid fish go?"
The young boy looked all around the enclosure. He was sure the pretty mermaid was moving around in circles from one viewing window to the next. She was giving such a show to everyone! His elder sister that punched him was trying to drag him away from the tank.
"Come on Nathan, we still have other things to see." The girl said with a shake of her head.
"Nuh uh! The only thing to see here is the mermaid." It was probably the most spectacular thing ever! "Did you see? She's a fish... but she's a woman too."
"Yeah... a bit too much of one. I don't think mom will appreciate you gawking at a mermaid like that."
Nathan fumed at that suggestion. "Oh what do you know. She's just a fish, those boobs aren't really boobs. I actually did pay attention to that." Nathan folded his arms defiantly. She was just a fish.. an animal, something to play with!
Kathy glanced back at the tank, having lost sight of the mermaid. Honestly this whole spectacle was making her a little uncomfortable. True, people had trained dolphins and other marine life to do simple tricks... but this mermaid looked awfully human to her. It was hard not to sympathise a little. Though all one did have to do was see her tail and realise she was anything but human... but still.. "Well, we can spend another ten minutes here I guess..."
Nathan grinned. He saw the mermaid go down to the lower areas, and found a flight of stairs to the lower observation windows. He passed by various bits of coral reefs, and other smaller fish while background music was played. The light here was dimmer, giving a more haunted feeling. Was this what it was like to be at the depths of the ocean?
Then he saw the mermaid, pressing her hands on the window. She seemed to be staring.. at him? No.. something on the window sill. A stone? Nathan ran forward eager to get whatever it was that held the mermaid's attention. "Hey Fish-girl! You want this!"
In the watery side of the enclosure, Jon made an incredibly frightful expression as if the boy had just picked up a nuclear warhead. She wasn't quite sure why but... she rushed forward to the window, beating her hands to it. She tried to mouth words... but all that came out were frantic clicks.
"Huh? I can't hear you!" The boy giggled delightfully as he juggled the stone between his left and right hand. He watched as the mermaid seemed to stare at the stone. "Oh no I'm gonna drop it!"
The mermaid tensed.
" uh no, I didn't drop it." The boy laughed again.
Jon looked like she was about to explode. She made a pleading expression, glancing up to the top of her tank, pointing at the stone.
"Oh... you wanna play fetch?" Nathan asked curiously.
Jon... tried to hold back what she felt at that suggestion, but nodded. She tried her best to convey how 'happy' she would be... That stone was... important. She just needed to hold it...
The boy giggled again in earnestly. "My sister says I shouldn't look at you cause you're naked," he said distracted a bit. "But you are really pretty... I wish I could play with you more."
Jon face (and tail) palmed.
