RETURN TO THE SEA

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 criss crossed 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., every test on the planet.Cameras surrounded the tank, 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. 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 towards her was enough to cause her to cause a little mayhem. Just some spilled water and maybe some broken equipment."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 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, 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.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."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.The scientist turned to the young man behind him."What would you recommend we do here Mr. Vacca?"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?" maybe this boy could help her. make life more bearable around here. Sedna simply pointed at the sweetest lady in the room before making her way towards the gate. "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. but before he 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 trying to escape. She has also caused several injuries to our staff. 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. Days on the sand, talking and staring at the stars. Pointing out constellations and making up their own. It was truly a dream come true. 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.  The next morning, the new employee spent a good hour testing water samples, examining the whole room and asking everyone, except Sedna, questions about the facility and the procedures. A couple of odd looks and pointing fingers in Sedna’s direction were starting to have an effect on the young mermaid. The restlessness was setting in and she couldn't take one more point. “If you want to know something about me, why don’t you just ask!”Sedna screamed before diving down to the bottom of the tank.The anger had overtaken her body as she swam laps upon laps around the tank. Faster and faster. The young man had noticed the strange behaviour and started taking down notes. Upon seeing this Sedna became fueled with rage and proceeded to swim as fast as she possibly could.The water began splashing over the sides of the tank, her speed and power were causing a whirlpool to form as Sedna became angrier. She could feel the gross filtered salt water along her skin causing it to itch. The sand felt as fake as the people that filled the room. no one cared for her the way a family member or friend would. Why did these people take her away from her home? Why did they kill her mother?! “Sedate her!” “Get some towels! Hurry! The water is overflowing the barrier!” Chaos broke out unbeknown to Sedna as she powered through the tank. Nurses and scientists ran around the room trying to keep the water from getting on the cords or damaging The water was dosed with sedative to calm the young mermaid down. Emergent swimmers dove into the water to secure Sedna and lay her on land in order to watch over her breathing and other medical stats. That night Sedna had dreams of the sea, of the adventures she could be having, of the young man she had met earlier that day. Needless to say, she missed the home that had never been. This was her home. Physically she was stuck here, but when she was younger she heard a woman tell someone that "your home is where your heart lies" Sedna believed that her heart lies at the bottom of the sea.  As she laid on the plastic floaty getting the usual pain in her back from the rigid hard piece of junk the voices blended together until the young scientists and the evil old man came in discussing her. oh how she hated to be discussed mere feet away. it was almost as painful as a clam biting her fingers. "has she ever complained about the quality of the salt water?" the young man asked the evil old scientist. "when she was younger, yes. she hasn't said much now." the old man stared at the tank with anger."I believe her mood would cooperate better if we were to pump fresh sea water straight to the tank through tubes instead of this artificial seawater. has she had many medical problems?" the young man began typing things into his electronic board. thinking back sedna remembered promising to come back when she was called if they would just let her have a moment of freedom in the sea. She had believed for years that she was the only mermaid in the world until one day she overheard people talking about the others who appeared only at night to listen for Sedna to attempt to come onland and kidnap her, about the security breaches that had happened on full moons. The next few hours Sedna sat and listened to the evil old man and the new boy whose name she refused to acknowledge, due to the constant change of people after one of her tantrums until they had been there for several months at least. Even then she wouldn’t learn the names of those who had decided to treat her like a monster. Changes were discussed without her opinion but the young man would look over once in a while after discussing a few things. Sedna had hoped this was his way of confirming the changes with her so she would nod or shake her head depending on what was said. most of the time he would agree with her. but once in a while he would say something against what she said. Usually it was alright because it was a better idea than the last. but once in a while she would have to splash and throw a bit of a fit where the old man would look behind and give her a threatening glare.   as the days passed the changes were made. her tank was emptied, cleaned thoroughly and refitted to get fresh seawater pumped straight in. her plastic island was removed and replaced with a floatie bed that would be taken out and cleaned regularly. She was given several grooming items a few windows were installed to give her fresh air but high enough that peeping eyes would not land upon her. Although that was highly unlikely since there was a fence around the building with heavy security. Few made it past the gates and those who did were never allowed below the first floor.  the young man had continued to watch her closely to ensure her health and happiness wasn’t being negatively affected. she had grown to ignore him. her skin irritations began to disappear and her hair became a glowing orange. the color returned to her face. she began looking more and more beautiful. her voice became a problem with the male employees. she had learned to sing in a way that would cause the male employee to do most of her biddings. At first it was simple things like leaving the windows open overnight or bringing her an extra snack or meal until she started convincing them to bring her transport tank closer and almost making it out the lab doors. Each time she was caught she claimed she just wanted to see what was in the rest of the building. she had heard there was a starfish and other sea animals in tanks around the building. with disbelieving looks they would send women with her to return her to her tank. It soon became a problem where the men started wearing ear plugs if left alone with her.  all except the young scientist. He would be on the upper level late almost nightly listening to music on a radio and doing work. She could see the light of his computers and his coffee cup. She would spend time floating above the water humming or singing along with her favorite songs and grooming her hair. She later found out that the lab did not have a radio when she had requested music be turned on during the day. it turns out the scientist had been playing music from his computers to make her smile. Each night she would sit and hum along knowing the music was meant purely for her ears only. “Hi Devin” giggled the newest scientist. Sedna probably hated her the most. She always seemed to be sweetest when the young man was around but when he was gone she turned into a demon that sedna hoped to splash with something more than water. “Cassy, how was your weekend?” he was too nice for his own good. Sedna couldn't take much of her voice and would usually do something to get her to shut up. Usually a splash of water over the edge was enough to get her back to work.Today she couldn't be bothered. After they had installed the new pump system to get her fresh water, Sedna had made friends with a shrimp who accidentally made its way through the outflow pipe. They would spend hours at night talking about the sea. Each day the little shrimp would leave and visit her family and spend time collecting little shells for sedna. Once she brought sedna a pearl. Unfortunately during one of her tank cleanings, Cassy was working and stole the pearl from her tank. When Sedna accused her of it she started crying claiming it was her grandmother's pearl and that Sedna had stolen it from her. Earning sedna a night in the box. Sedna didn't want to harm the people on the beaches or cause any problems for her little shrimp friend, shay, so she stayed quiet and was rewarded with only half a night in the box instead of a full one. When she got out of the box that night Shay was waiting in the drain for her. The moment it was clear she came out and warmly greeted her friend.“I swear, shay I hate this place more and more everyday. Everyone has their own family and yet they don’t see that keeping me away from my family is wrong. Ya know if I even have a family out there.” Sedna cried.“I’m sure you do! If you want tomorrow I can spend the day asking about anyone who lost a daughter around the time you were born. Maybe they can help get you to your true home.” Shay offered.“You would do that for me?” Sedna asked. Shocked by the fact that someone else would be willing to do anything for her. Shay was her first true friend.“Of course! I want to explore the ocean with you! You’re my best friend!” Shay exclaimed.Sedna took off her necklace and opened the locket. A small photo of her mother lay inside.“This is the only thing I have left of my mother. Promise me you will take good care of it for me.” sedna said as she pulled the small photo out and gave it to shay. “I promise. It's going to be ok. I promise i'll find your family.'' Shay took the photo and said her goodbyes, promising that she would come back as soon as she found anyone who knew anything about her family before going out the drain