"We want you for ransom money. That's all, kid. We need the cash, see? You'll get out of here alive." A tall man said, pushing the tied up Kaito into a dark room. However, one thing struck fear deep into the heart of Kaito.
"Probably." The man said, a smirk growing on his face.
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"This is it. This is the day. They're finally opening the tank to the public." Kaito mumbled, covering his eyes with his hands. "But is this a relief? Just a bunch of people taking pictures of me and staring, and news crews reporting the newest discovery while I hide behind a rock… And a bunch of children, slamming fists into this small tank…" Kaito picked up a handful of sand and threw it at the painted wall of the tank. There was only one way to see out, and that was towards the hall that spectators were to stand in. He stared out, squinting as workers walked by, cleaning the glass and mopping the floors and generally preparing for the new day where hundreds… Possibly even thousands of people came in to see this amazing new thing, a new object for them to gaze at and tell their friends about. Kaito jumped and yelled as something large was dropped into the tank, and he slowly turned around to see what it was.
"Hey, Kaito! Some nice fried halibut for breakfast today. We want you to feel good on your first day, you know? Seeing so many people may shock you, so we want you to be okay." Standing above the tank was Al, smiling wide and laughing a bit as he spoke. Kaito had only known him for a few days, but he already felt comfortable around him.
"Th… Thank you." Kaito said as he grabbed the halibut and took a bite. It had immediately gotten cold and soggy, but Kaito munched away anyway. Once he devoured the last bite, he swam up to Al and finally smiled for the second time in a month and a half. "You're really so kind to me. Do you think… You could get some more of this for lunch, but I swim up to the top? It's kinda… freezing." Kaito laughed a bit, but it was clear that it was too cold as goosebumps formed on his human skin from the frigid air.
"Well, sorry about that, kid. I'll get the heat turned up soon. Opening is in fifteen minutes, and there's a line down the street, so I'd get mentally prepared for a big crowd. We'll only let in about thirty at a time, so hopefully it won't overwhelm you. Good luck, kid!" Al gave a thumbs up and walked away, leaving Kaito with another smile. He closed eyes and swam down, sitting on a rock and preparing to take a short nap.
"Sorry about this, kid, but you've seen our faces. We can't end up arrested, now, can we? I'm sure drowning isn't as bad as one would think, you know?"
"Mommy! Look! He's got a blue tail and everything! It's so cool!" A little girl yelled. Kaito stared down at his tail after hearing this, then gently touched the shimmering blue scales. He then stared at the child for a moment, blinking slowly before finally swimming away behind a rock. Many people groaned, but Kaito simply ignored this and hid.
"This is too much. So many people gawking at me… I hate this. I want to see my family again. I want to see M… M…" Kaito stopped and his eyes widened as he realized that he had forgotten the name of his brunette best friend.
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Well, another short chapter down. I wrote this during study hall and history class, so it was rather rushed. I know I take a while between chapters, but this story is really uninteresting to me. I'll continue to work on it, since it makes y'all happy, though. ouo Please review, as it motivates me! Constructive criticism is always welcome as well.
-Zaito