Sunday Morning-Coral

"Do you think this shell makes my tail look fat?" asked Sapphire, my doctor.

"Baby, you don't look a day over 16." I said in my Oprah Winfrey voice.

"Oh…well…I guess that the pink stripes do make me look a bit younger. You know, I am glad it looks good since I spent all my shark teeth on it." Shark teeth are one of the many things that are traded in this underwater suburb.

"There is no way you have spent all your savings on that crappy shell! Did you have too much shrimp?" I asked while reaching towards Sapphire's forehead as if taking her fever. I guess that she got mad since right after I said that she turned and swam to the bathrooms. Mermaids tend to do that a lot, they are very sensitive. I guess that everyone would have taken that pretty hard, especially if all you have is each other. As I sat there thinking to myself, I had no idea what was about to come and change my thoughts, my feelings, and pretty much my life…

Sunday Afternoon-Coral

I sat up to the sound of a siren. Sapphire came briskly swimming out of the bathroom and looked straight at me as if expecting me to tell her what is happening. All I managed to do was shrug my fins. Then, her look changed, she had on a confident face that I have never seen on her. She grabbed some knifes that are mainly used for surgical procedures; she then turned back to me and grabbed me by the middle. Was she going to cut me?

No, she was going to use them as defensive tools, but I did not know that yet. I wailed and screamed at the top of my gills, thinking that she had gone mad. Sapphire covered my mouth and right at that instant the lights went out. Wait. How can the lights go out if the only light in the ocean is the sun which was supposedly always out at 12 noon? It was then that I knew what was going on; I shivered at the thoughts that were racing through my fishy brain. Since you probably have no idea what is going on then I will explain in two simple little words…FISHING BOAT! The one thing that was almost impossible in this coral reef since this area is prohibited to all boats who wish to make a couple hundred dollars by risking and taking our lives.

Sapphire knew that if she was caught, she would be breaking an eternal rule. I, Coral, have not ever, ever, ever seen a life being taken by one these murdering floaty things. Sapphire pulled out her mother's purse which is made of two simple shells that have the exquisite color of a pearl. She softened her grip on my body (which was surely bruised) and put me in her purse. I wanted to say some pretty nasty words at that sapphire. All of these events where just so unexpected, so I ended up out of words (a rare problem). I was in complete darkness. Nothing was the same. I guess that the purse got hit because right before I completely understood what just happened, I was knocked out…almost…dead.

Sunday Afternoon…continued-Sapphire

Well, I guess that it wasn't the best idea to put Coral in that miniscule purse…but really…what else do you expect me to do?! I can't believe what I was doing…I mean…like…I had a knife in my hand for God's sake!! Normally I would be doing something good with this knife, like saving somebody's life, but this was different! I guess that I was a bit freaked out and maybe I thought that this would keep me safe. Well, right after I put Coral safely away, I darted out of the cave and met up with my boss, Mr.Aquary.

"Sapphire! Help everyone out of the a-a-area, lead them to North Island. Make s-sure that you check every room. Meet you there." As Mr.Aquary left, I looked back into the cave and knew that if I didn't do this, who would? I swam very cautiously as if expecting for it to all tumble down. It was still dark. I saw many fishes. I guessed that the best I could do was to grab them and shove them towards the exit. I grabbed these lives by the handful and I pretty much threw them while telling them to head towards North Island. It was a horrible sight. Children crying, elders wailing, I felt so depressed. As I neared the last room, I saw a young shark, he was probably a teen. I pulled him towards my chest and held him tight for I heard a strange noise that was probably made by the boat. I was about to exit when I caught a glimpse of what seemed to be the net…and in it…fishes. I pushed the shark towards the fleeing crowd of fishes who would surely get away. I told him to please hold on to my purse and to open it as soon as he got to the island.

I grabbed the foreign object which I assumed to be the net. I did not know what to do accept rip it. I scratched it with my nails and bit it with my teeth. It was working but not fast enough because the boat seemed to be pulling the net back in. I yanked my new shell off my top and slammed it against a rock as hard as I could. It broke but that is just what I wanted. I used the sharper piece to slice my way through the net. Everyone was coming out. Everyone was finally free…except…me.