Russa: Here's the next part.

Urchin dove to the bottom of the tank and watched warily as a tall, tan, muscular man strode in. The man yelled up at Sara, "What are you doing up there? Get down here right now!"

Sara stood up and crossed her arms, "Why?" The man, who Urchin figured was her father, crossed his own arms and called back, "Because it might attack you! You-"

Sara interrupted him, "His name is Urchin." Her father snorted, "Oh, so now you've named it?" Sara vaulted over the edge of the tank, ignoring the ladder, and landed down on the ground easily.

She put her hands on her hips and glared at her father, "I didn't name him, he told me. Urchin's just like you or me, except with a fish tail. And is it really necessary for his hands to be cuffed like that?"

Her father sighed, knowing he couldn't reason with her like this. He handed over a small key, "You can change it to the front. But that's all!"

Sara snatched the key and clambered back up the ladder. She beckoned to Urchin, "Come on!" He instantly swam up and allowed her to unlock the handcuffs. The merboy turned and held out his wrists in anticipation, but Sara seemed unsure.

She glanced at her father, then grinned impudently and tossed the open cuffs at him. Her father snatched them out of the air and started climbing up, yelling angrily.

Sara waved her hand at Urchin, "Swim down to the bottom! He can't reach you there!" The merboy hesitated, reluctant to leave his new friend to face her father. Urchin quickly submerged and searched around. He soon found what he was looking for and headed back to the surface.

The merboy held out a hand to Sara, "Come with me." She glanced at him, surprised, "What?"

Urchin shot her a serious look, "Do you trust me?" Sara hesitated, then nodded, "Yes." She leapt into the water and locked her arms around his waist.

"Take a deep breath and hold it." Urchin instructed. He waited until she had, then flipped over and dove. He swam quickly for a hole he had found in the rock. The merboy towed Sara through a small tunnel and into a little air pocket inside the stone.

Sara released her hold on Urchin and swam to the ledge on the side. She clambered up, leaning on the wall. Her shoulders shook uncontrollably. Urchin reached a hand up, wondering if his friend was okay.

Sara suddenly burst out laughing, "That… was… AWESOME!" Urchin relaxed and laughed as well.

All of a sudden, the chain around his neck tightened and he was pulled backwards down the tunnel. He didn't even have time to call to Sara before he was forcibly dragged back to the surface outside.

Sara's father was holding the other end of the chain, a long pole with a hook on the end lying on the stone beside him. The man dragged his surprised captive up and out of the water, throwing him down onto the rock.

Urchin tried to get back into the water, but Sara's father stomped down on his tailfin, pinning him in place.

The merboy cried out in pain. Sara's father glared at him and growled, "If you've harmed a single hair on my Sara's head, I'll kill you! I'll keep you out of the water until you die! I'll-"

A voice came from the water, "Father!" The man spun to see Sara, seemingly okay if sopping wet, glaring at him. She cut the water easily and climbed up onto the rock. She knelt down next to Urchin, "Are you okay?" The merboy, frightened into silence, nodded wordlessly.

Sara whirled on her father, "How dare you! Get off of his tail, right now!" Her father lost it then, "You will not order me around, young lady! I am your father, and you will treat me with respect! I told you to only move the cuffs in front, not free it!"

Sara matched him in anger, "I told you already, his name is Urchin!" In the staring contest that followed, Urchin decided it was time for him to speak. He glanced up at Sara's father from his position on the ground.

"Sir," he said politely, "Would you please get off my tail?" The man was struck dumb with surprise. He stumbled backwards off the merboy's tail.

Urchin flipped it experimentally, then squirmed in a very undignified manner to the edge of the rock. He slipped off into the water.

Sara smiled triumphantly at her father, "See? He's just as intelligent as me or you." Her father shook his head, "I never thought…"

Sara stomped her foot, "Exactly! You never thought! We have no right to keep Urchin locked up like this. Free him!"

Her father shook off his confusion, "No. This discovery could earn us millions of dollars! We could be rich, no longer living in a tiny little cottage in this tiny little town!"

Sara looked shocked, "You'd condemn a sentient being to a life behind bars so that we could be rich?" Her father just shrugged and turned away. He climbed down the ladder and left the building.

Sara knelt on the rock, "I'm sorry, Urchin. I'll set you free, I promise!" The merboy nodded, the chain around his neck clanking, "I know you will."

Sara's soft brown eyes met his bright blue ones, and something clicked into place. She quickly got up and hurried away.

Urchin stared after her, trying to figure out what had just happened. His messy blonde hair fell in his eyes, breaking his trancelike state.

Urchin dove down into the depths to think.