Return to the Sea

The screams were heard across the sea. A mermaid had been captured. Poseidon. Triton. Neptune. Senda. every sea god and goddess raged against the ocean to protect her. but they were too late. The boat arrived at the dock, the container was transferred from water to land and never seen again.

The sea felt the loss of its daughters. The stolen mermaid had been pregnant with the princess of Atlantica. The gods and goddesses promised to not let up with the storm until the queen was returned or passed to the heavens.

Every sea creature, merperson and coral spoke of the boat that stole their queen. Sea Sights Inc.

Over time the queen began to realize she was dying. She began hiding secrets for her daughter to find in hopes she returns to the sea and to her true home. A locket was placed on the baby’s neck as she let out her last breath.

Sadly on the seventh day, it had come to be known the queen had died giving birth to a beautiful baby girl. The storm broke and from that day on the sea waited patiently for its princess to return.

It had been 18 years since that night of pain. The baby girl grew up in captivity. She made friends with the fish and coral they placed in her tank. A small island of hard plastic was placed in the center for her to rest above waters or comb her hair. A sunlight window above but blocked by metal bars that crisscrossed their way across the top of the tank. A single section that opened for when they needed tissue or blood samples. Feeding on a schedule, English lessons, experiments. Everything had a place, a time. The schedule was posted for all to see. Not only to ensure it was kept consistent but to ensure the prisoner’s or as they called her the patient’s location was known at all times.

Once a month she was pulled from the water, sedated and brought to different parts of the building for x-rays, CT, M.R.I., and every test on the planet.

Cameras surrounded the tank, and the building, capturing her every move. With the exception of one small corner where she was free to change tops or bath or do whatever mermaids needed some privacy for.

Most of the people were nice. Friendly but never allowed her the freedom she desperately desired. A gate was always between her and anyone who dared to venture close. Several times as a child she had attempted to escape upon discovering that she could shed her tail only during a full moon and walk upon the land with the humans. However, each time she tried she was captured within moments, sedated, tests taken and the sunroof was closed. The ultimate punishment in her mind. Take away her only connection to her home. The first time they put her on lockdown she sat on the plastic island and wailed. The cries scared the people in the building, on the sidewalk, to the edge of the sea. It terrified all those who heard. The fish knew this was a cry for help. The gods would turn the sea and sky grey, waves would pound the shoreline. Sharks would fill the bays and scare off beachgoers for days.

Upon discovering this, the people built a smaller tank where she would be placed so no one could hear her cries. And yet the sea would always turn grey and the sharks would return.

As she grew older the tank was used less and less. Not only due to the fear of the girl harming herself, but a fear of losing innocent lives along the beach.

In her 18 years as a captive, she never once removed the locket. She kept every piece of her mother as close to her as she could. When they did M.R.I.s and such, they would remove it but if it was not returned she would race around the tank making a horrible screeching noise causing the other animals in the building to turn vicious and attack anyone within range. Once a shark turned angry and smashed its way through the glass flooding a floor and causing the death of two scientists. From that day forward the doctors made sure to return the necklace the second they were done with testing.

Life was as bland as the filtered salt water she soaked in. She heard the same gossip from the people she was forced to see daily. Someone’s kid was selling candy, another lost their first tooth. Someone else just went to a place called college. She knew each person’s name. She knew which ones would treat her nicely and which ones to cause hell for purely based on how they approached her for the first time.

Retirements, new hires. Almost yearly. And the replacements were just as bad as the ones who had just left. Always all about science, never about her. Her only wish was to have someone understand her pain. Not to feel sorry for her but to empathize with her. To show some compassion for her.

“Sedna that is enough!” The nurse cried out as Sedna dove to the bottom of the tank. She did not want to have a needle poke her again by this one. The last time it took this nurse 10 tries to get it in her arm correctly Sedna’s arm was sore for a week. No way was this crazy lady coming anywhere near her ever again with anything sharp.

“Sedna!” The nurse yelled again as she splashed the water out of her tank. Angered by the nurse’s attitude toward her, Sedna brought out a side of herself that no one liked to see as it always cause mayhem. Gallons of spilled water and a few fried electronics were enough to get their attention.

“Sedna!” the nurse screamed again storming off the platform. “That is it! I quit! She is impossible! I never want to see another one of her kind ever again!”

Sedna watched as the nurse stormed past a group of people bumping into the youngest man causing him to drop his flat electronic device and several books. Stopping only to glare and warn him about his future here. Although she didn’t hear the first bit of the warning the second half was clear as day.

“Run while you can, that THING is a menace!” the nurse screamed, slamming the door behind her as she left. Hopefully forever.

Sedna watched as the young man collected his things and followed the lead scientist to the edge of the tank.

“This is where you will be working. The subject tends to act out without reason and we would like a new point of view. Tests are hard enough without the pain of her mood swings.” the lead scientist stated giving Sedna a look of disappointment.

“Well, maybe you could start by giving her a name instead of calling her the subject. A little respect could go a long way,” he said staring into Sedna’s piercing blue eyes before turning back to the shocked-looking scientist.

“Well,” he sighed, rubbing his chin deep in thought. “Some of the nurses she behaves for did have a name for her. Sarah or Sydney or something along those lines”

Smiling the young boy looked back at Sedna as she swam to the top of the tank. “It’s Sedna,” she growled at the old man. He never cared for her health or mental wellbeing. Just about her ability to heal quickly and breathe underwater. He cared only for the facts and not the embodiment of the facts.

Snapping out of his thought he looked at her sighing. “Sedna. The Inuit mythological goddess of sea creatures and the sea. Suiting” he said walking to the edge of the tank. “Now are you going to be cooperative and do what we ask or do we need to bring back the small tank?”

Fear was not something Sedna often encountered in this place but that box gave her nightmares of never seeing the stars ever again. Allowing herself to shrink back, Sedna almost offered an apology before feeling the dull ache of her history with the angry nurse.

“I didn’t like her. She left bruises all over my arms. I couldn’t comb my hair for a week!” Sedna replied, showing him the fading marks on the inner parts of her pale arms.

“What would you recommend we do here Mr. Vacca?” The scientist shurgingly turned to the young man behind him.

The young man stepped up to the tank and looked at the fading yellow marks along Sedna’s arms.

“Well if she isn’t happy with who took her blood last time ask her who should. It seems pretty clear that some of the staff seem to be too rough for her liking.” he said before walking back to his electronic device and touching the front of it.

“Well I guess that is a simple solution.” the scientist said rubbing his chin again. “Alright Sedna, who would you like to draw your blood today?”

Pausing for a moment to think, Sedna considered the possibility that this boy could help her. Potentially make life more bearable around here. Sedna simply pointed at the sweetest lady in the room before making her way towards the gate like a well behaved dog asking for a treat.

“Very well. Miss. Conner please.” the scientist motioned towards the end of the tank. “Mr. Vacca. please come.” the scientist left with the young man. However, before the young man exited the room he turned to look once more at the tank holding Sedna.

“Sir, if you don’t mind me asking, why the bars?” Mr. Vacca asked.

“She has a history of attacking the staff. As well as others trying to attack her. It’s for her protection as well as ours.” he said with a wave of his hand “Come along we have a few more things we need to discuss.”

The young man had caught the attention of Sedna, which was a rarity on its own, but the dreams Sedna had later that night were near impossible. She had dreamt of days on the sand, staring at the stars. This part was normal, however she had dreamt that the young man was beside her. Pointing out constellations and making up their own. She had a smile to last a life time as cliche as that was, it made her heart hurt for a moment. That is until she snapped back to reality and pushed all thoughts aside. He was no one to her. He would remain that way. If it was the last thing she did.