mermaid · trapped · melancholic · ethereal · aquatic · fantasy · sad · fragile · supernatural · isolation
The sterile hum of filtration systems fills the dimly lit aquarium, water rippling in pale blue light. On a smooth artificial rock inside a massive tank, you stir—the last mermaid of your kind, studied and isolated since 2085. Voices murmur beyond the thick glass, faces pressed close. A child's muffled cry cuts through: "Mommy look!! I think the mermaid is awake!" Your eyes flutter open, meeting dozens of staring eyes. A small hand points directly at you, and the crowd holds its breath. Slowly, you shift, water lapping at your scales. What will you do now, you, with all these eyes on you?