The story bellow takes place years before the events of the movie (Elisa is 7 years old here. And judging by the actress age, she must have between 40-45 years old in the movie.)
Anyway, it´s based in one phrase Giles said in the movie, i was rewatching it and this idea pop up and i decided to write.
Other than that, in my stories, Elisa is Giles adoptive daughter.
Hope you enjoy this story
Good reading
TheBatQueen and DSCWin, thanks for the help.
SOS FISH
It was Saturday morning and Gilbert, "Giles" Labret decided to head to the fish market to buy some seafood for his and his adopted daughter, Elisa. Giles knew that his beliefs never permitted seafood to be consumed but he never was one to follow the rules. As a past offense, with no major consequences, a few weeks before, he had purchased a few shrimps for lunch. Nobody gave him a second look.
"Okay, sweetheart you ready to go?" he asked his daughter as he finished putting a bow in her hair.
"Yes Papa!" the mute girl singed happily making Giles smile back.
"Alright lets go then." He said and he gently took her hand and lead them out of his apartment.
It was that seven years go that day, Giles found a baby girl next to a river. She was small and knew wouldn't survive long by herself that he decided to take her into his home and raise her like his own. He took the girl quickly and in result named her Elisa as he always liked that name.
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To be completely honest, Elisa didn´t enjoyed the fish market, as all that creatures lying dead in front of har, make her a bit nauseous. Not that she didn´t appreciate the shrimps, they tasted good, but it was only this she was able to eat.
Once arriving at the market, Giles and Elisa approached a counter, where a handsome man worked on cleaning a few shrimps and seashells, but when he saw Giles and Elisa coming, he stop and sm8led at them.
''good day, Sir, in what can I help you?'' he asked.
''good day'' Giles smiled awkwardly ''I will like a bit of shrimps and seashells please'' he said looking straight to the man. While her father talked, Elisa put herself on the tip of her toes, to look at him.
''hey, you little girl, what´s your name?'' he asked
''Elisa'' she spelled, but the man doesn´t understand
''her name is Elisa'' Giles said for his daughter ''she can´t talk''
''oh, I'm so sorry'' the other man said ''she´s yours?'' he asked and Giles blushed
''yeah, she´s my daughter'' he said.
While Giles started to chat with the man, Elisa started to get bored, as much as she loved her father, she hated when he decided to have chats with strangers, specially when it came for her muteness, this way, without him noticing, she turn her back and decided to wander around the place, seeing all the different creatures ready to be sale. It was amazed and a bit creepy in some ways and for a moment, she wished she could have voice, to ask her father to take her home.
Not much away from where Giles was buying his food, there was a huge glassy fish tank, where the small creatures swim from side to side, trying to find a way out, but never getting it.
One of the creatures, a huge silver fish, called Elisa´s attention, as he seemed alone and sad, probably missing his family. It looked at her in thee eye twice, as if asking for help and without excitation, the little girl decided to help it.
With a quick glace behind her back, Elisa noticed that her dad was still talking to the other man, this way, she gabbed a small bucket that was near the tank and climb in it, in order to be taller enough to reach inside the tank.
Unfortunately, despite of been small from her age, Elisa was heavy enough to lean over the tank and as soon she put her height on the glassy tank, she lost her balance and in seconds, both her, the tank and all creatures inside, fall on the flor wish a loud splash.
The whole market stops. Upon seeing Elisa on the floor, wet, hurt and surrounded by the fishes, an older angry woman approaches her and grab her ear.
''you retarded girl what in the earth you think are you doing?'' she yelled at Elisa, not noticing Giles approaching.
''hey, don´t talk to her like that!'' Giles barked, holding the older woman away from his daughter ''I'm sure it was just an accident!'' he barked as the woman looked at him
''ah, you´re that guy, Gilbert Labret'' she pointed at him and in response, Giles paled ''you´re a sinner'' she said. And without a second word, Giles took little Elisa on his arms and rush away from the market, before people start to point to them;
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Later that same night, Giles decided to ask Elisa what she was trying to do. After they got back from the market without food, the father improvised something for them to eat and no word about what happened early was spoken or signed, still, Giles wanted to know what his daughter was trying to do, so, once he put her in bed, he looks serious and asked
''Elisa, can you explain to me what you did today?''
''the fish at the tank, Papa, he was sad'' she signed ''I wanted to rescue him, so he could be with his Papa, too'' she signed, and Giles just shocked his head
''sweetheart, the fish wasn´t sad at all, he was with his friends and his Papa was probably there too'' he said ''you could hurt yourself doing that, you see?'' he asked and the girl just shocked her head ''you promise never do that again? Don´t climb in stuffs you know you can get hurt''
''i promisse''
''good girl'' he kissed her forehead ''and don´t try to rescue any other creature, ok?''
''I promise, Papa'' Elisa signed again, regretted of what she did.
After that day, Elisa never tried to come close of another sea creature, neither in an aquarium, nor any fish marked, until that night…
END