Makoto and the merman
Chapter 1 - The meeting
I was invited by my father who works at a marine research facility because he said he wanted to show me something amazing. He told me it was one of the greatest findings in history, but he also told me that what I was about to see was highly classified and that I had to swear I wouldn't tell anyone about it. I was guided into a room with poor lighting and in the middle of the room there was a tank that contained a...
"A merman!?" I said and looked questioningly at my father.
"Yes Makoto, it's a merman! Isn't it amazing?" My father said very enthusiastically.
The merman had a chain around his left wrist that was attached to the ceiling of the tank.
"Why is it chained like that?" I asked my father.
"It's so he dosen't move too much when we examine him," he answered.
"Dosen't it hurt?"
"Well, he hasn't complained, in fact he hasn't said a word," my father said before joining the other researches.
The merman had a sad look on his face and I approched the tank. I was now touching the glass and the merman moved closer to the glass and his sad eyes looked right in to mine. I was just about to speak when I heard a voice from inside the glass;
"Who are you? I haven't seen you before," the merman said in a monotone voice.
I was in chock, he had spoken to me!
"I'm Makoto, and you are?" I asked him.
He was just about to anwser me when my father and the other researchers notised us.
"Is he talking to you? Unbelieveble! He hasn't said a word before!" One of the researchers said.
Now everyone was gathered around the glass and were looking at the merman who now had a slightly frightend look on his face.
"Say something more," another one of the researchers said.
The merman didn't say anything and looked at me again with those sad eyes.
"It seems it only wants to talk to you," my father said and looked at me.
"How about everyone except Makoto leaves and we'll see if he'll say something to him," my father said to the other researchers.
"Okay," one of them said. "We'll leave."
Everyone else leaved the room and I was the only one left inside. I turned back to the merman and he continued looking at me with his sad eyes.
"They're finally leaving me alone," he said while still looking at me.
"So what's your name?" I asked him.
"It's Haruka," the merman said.
"It's a nice name."
It was quiet for a few seconds before I opened my mouth again.
"Does it hurt?" I asked him and looked at the chain around his wrist.
"A little bit, but it's fine," he said with his monotone voice.
"Do you miss the ocean?" I asked him.
"Yes, do you think I like it in here?" he asked with a little irritation in his voice.
"I thought so, that's why your eyes looked so sad," I said and smiled at him.
"You have a nice smile," he said and I could see through the glass that he was blushing and I giggled.
"What's so funny?" He asked and a look of anger appeared on his face.
"Nothing really," I said as a response.
It was queit for a minute or so before Haruka opened his mouth again.
"Have you ever swum in the ocean?" He asked me.
I turned my head away and thought about the accident that happend all those years ago.
"Makoto...?" He asked me with a little concern in his voice.
"I'm afraid of the ocean," I said and looked at him again.
"Why?" Haruka asked me.
"I don't want to talk about it," I said and looked away again.
Suddenly the door to the room flew open and all the researchers came back inside.
"Did he speak?" My father asked me.
"Well, yes..." I began to say but my father grabbed my arm and started to guide me to the door.
"I need to know everything he said to you. Let's go somewhere else and talk," he said and continued to guide me to the door.
I turned around and looked at Haruka and he once again looked at me with his sad eyes and the raised his right arm and waved at me as me and my father left the room.