Viola’s prison suddenly loosened and she wriggled with gusto. Untangling the fabric and pulling herself free as she became submerged. As she floated in this strange metallic tunnel there was only one option, to go towards the light. Something shifted closing behind her just as the metal changed to rock, then sand and plants. She was at the surface, they had let her go, and she was free!

She breached the surface, whistling with delight only to falter at the sight that greeted her. She had no idea where she was but she was still in a cage. The water around her felt like the surface, she could hear the fish and critters moving about as if in shallow waters but the sky told another story. The large clear material supported by metal which held back the sky. Except she knew the sky, she knew the stars and the moon. This was not the sky, this was the depths.

This was the part of the ocean below which her kin never ventured and yet… it was above.

The entire prospect was terrifying. She should not be here. She knew how dangerous it was. Too easily to get lost, the pressure too extreme, too hard to safely surface. Even Mother had not ventured into the depths. Viola had been warned when she was young and curious of its danger and she had heeded that warning.

This place was strange, however. It was the opposite of the depths. Viola could tell humans had created it. It was far larger than her previous cage and full of fresh food yet she was still cautious. The depths were far worse than land, it was far more dangerous here despite this strange place her captors had built. The power of humans was impressive, they conquered land and yet could venture into the depths further than her kin ever dared. It was terrifying.

A sound made her turn. The other side of this place was different. A semi-enclosed platform rose from the shallower water. Lying on the platform making a strange sound was Eva. Eva was here with her!

She wasted no time swimming over, concern bubbling within her. Eva was breathing strangely and making sounds she had never heard before as her body shook. She smelled no blood but her human friend could still be injured.

Viola pulled herself out of the water. A far more gentle but slower process than in her previous cage. Eva paid her no attention, either unaware or unwilling.

She whistled gently with concern, placing her hand on Eva’s back. The human jerked in surprise and Viola stopped, not wanting to frighten her anymore. Eva pawed at her face and mumbled her name with relief. She may have cried differently than Viola but Viola recognized her expression of grief.

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“What?” Viola asked. Eva’s words were unfamiliar on her tongue but she made do.

“They left me here,” Eva replied after a wheezing noise.

Viola frowned, had they forgotten her? How had they even gotten here? It had been impossible to keep track of her surroundings inside that little box. The only respite was when they had briefly opened it to poke and prod at her, she had been too woozy to resist.

Eva was still talking. Too fast and mumbled for Viola to understand. Something about flying and floating buildings in the ocean. Viola couldn't entirely keep up. One thing did stand out.

“He had the body of another mermaid. Like you but far bigger,” Eva continued, her arms wrapped protectively around herself. “He wanted… he wanted me to help him and I said no. He thinks you can somehow make him live forever and…”

Eva’s words became incoherent through her crying and Viola wished she had the words to ask for more. Especially about her kin. humans had taken Mother’s body, could they have put her on display like a trophy? The image made her feel sick. Would that be her fate as well?

Now she finally knew what Talbot wanted, longevity. That made her hate the man more, he did not understand the price of a long life. She would never give him what he wanted.

She trailed her fingers down to the scar where the humans had cut a piece of her away. If they kept that up however they might take it from her. Mother had told her of the dangers of taking such powerful gifts. Such greed corrupted even magic.

Eva was still trembling, practically vibrating. Viola did not know what that meant but it did not seem good. She looked around, noticing the three boxes which lay against the wall. Maybe there was something for Eva there. “Eva, look,” she urged.

Eva followed her finger. “The locker,” she gasped before rushing over, almost tripping as she went. Viola was still not used to the way humans moved on land, it seemed so precarious, especially for Eva who was fairly clumsy. Viola much preferred the gracefulness of the water though humans seemed to struggle just as much. Really it was a miracle they survived as well as they did.

Eva pulled on the locker, yanking it open after a few tries. It was empty except for a pair of… Viola didn't know what they were. They seemed almost like shoes but they were soft and shaped similar to flippers.

“Fuck!” Eva growled, slamming the locker closed. “Fuck fuck fuck!” Eva moved to the next box, this one smaller and brown. The box tore open as Eva pulled. She removed a smaller red box with large intersecting white lines. Then a rolled-up net, a small knife, and a clear bottle. The last item was most bizarre, a rubber band with two clear circular ovals attached. Something humans often wore on their heads. Viola was not sure if Eva was happy about what she had found as she moved to the final box in a frenzy.

If she and Eva were going to be stuck here they really needed to learn to communicate better. Humans were very confusing and she imagined Eva found her just as confusing. This prison was far nicer than the last one and she no longer was alone. There was life here, the water didn't taste like poison. Machines whirred but were almost drowned out by the ocean around them. It felt alive here and as much as she hated being kept in a cage it was far nicer than the previous one—best of all, fish, fresh salty warm fish.

Maybe Talbot had noted what she wanted, regardless conditions were far better. Furthermore, she had privacy, no humans constantly milling about. Surviving here would not be so much of a challenge and while she had yet to come up with a method of escape things were still looking up.