Hydrophobia

Upside Down World

                                                                           *Uncle John's POV*

The Killer whale show was a short one and for that I was grateful. Rose's new friend Jack was not in the back room when I came out and Sandy told me he would be right back. I changed out of my wet suit and waited. He came back 5 minutes later. 

"Would you accompany me to the dolphin tank?" He asked

"What for?" I asked standing up and following him out.

"There is something I think you might want to know. I've cleared the dolphin building and I'm sure once you see what I have to show you you'll be grateful I did." He said. 

We walked to the dolphin tank and he opened the gate to the top of the tank.

"Don't tell me she fell in again." I  groaned.

"No sir. But after what I have to tell you you'll wish that's all that happened." He said.

What he said worried me. What did he mean I'd wish that's all that happened?

He pulled me over to the side of the tank that was connected to the ocean. He then proceeded to blow some kind of powder in the water. As I watched a head came up out of the water. It was a human face. The nose was a bit long and fat and the lips were a tad to thin but it was nothing to major.

"This is Eel." Jack explained and nodded to the strange person.

What is he doing in the water? What kind of name is Eel? I wondered as the person pulled himself out of the water.

What I saw was like nothing I'd ever seen before. Although the man was almost human from the waist up, from the waist down he was a large fish. I'm not kidding! He had a fish tail! A long silver thing that looked well muscled and almost normal.  

"Mr. Francito, Eel is a Siren. One of two kinds of 2 kinds of Sea Dwellers. I am a Merman, the other kind of Sea Dweller. Although I am only a third of what I could be I am still classified as one of them." Jack said. "I know this is hard for you to take in but Rose, your niece is a Siren. Her mother or father must have been a Siren because she is only half Siren and half human, this is why she can stay on land and look like a normal human being. This is also why she is gone. She was taken by her kind. A man named Shark, the leader of an underwater Siren gang has taken her with him. Supposedly to his gang's base. They will attempt to have her join them with their outrages plans to kill off the humans and the merpeople. They are power crazy and both our kinds challenge their "Power." I want to ask your permission for Eel, Amanda, my cousin, Phil, and myself to go after them."

I didn't understand what Jack was talking about. I had heard of Sirens and Merpeople, but only in myths and stories. Even with this man, Eel, in front of me I refused to believe what Jack was saying.

"There is no way you can think I  believe what you are saying." I said, my voice shaking.

"Sir, I understand why you are having trouble believing what I'm saying. It's not something I expect anyone to just except. This doesn't mean it's not true. For Rose's sake though, I ask that you put away you doubts until a later time. If you don't it may be to late to stop whatever is going to happen to her." He said and I couldn't help but admire him. 

He really seemed to understand that this wasn't something that I was willing to believe. But for the sake of Rose he was asking me to trust him. I realized that although this boy had only known Rose for a sort while he was kind enough to help her when she was in trouble. He seemed to really want to help her and he had come here to ask my permission to do so. 

"For Rose's sake I will trust you and give you my permission to do as you see fit. Only until Rose is found thought. You seem sincere and I feel that Rose is really in trouble." I said giving in.

"Thank you Sir." Jack said grinning.

He turned to Eel and nodded. 

"We will be leaving now." He said. "One more question though, before we leave. When I bring Rose home, would it be alright if I asked her out?"

I stared at the boy who only last week I hadn't even known existed. I looked at him and though of how, even though he had swim practice, as Rose had told me, and other things to do, he was willing to stop it all to help Rose. Maybe this boy wasn't right for Rose but as far as I was concerned he had earned the right to try for her.

"Bring her home safely and you may." I answered.

His eyes lit up and he thanked me. 

"Come on Eel. We need to go get Amanda and Phil." He said jumping into the water.

At first he looked like he was in pain. I was about to jump in and help him but I noticed something odd. I looked down into the water an watched as his legs morphed together into one, sleek, muscular, blue, fish tail. I looked at him in shock. He had told me he was partly a merman but I hadn't expected this.

"See you later Mr. Francito." He called and swam off.

I sat down at the edge of the tank and stared after him. My world had just been turned upside down.

"Are you ok?" Opal asked as I walked back into the Killer whale building.

"I'm fine. Just a bit freaked out." I answered.

I had reopened the dolphin building after Jack and Eel had left. I didn't want anyone getting suspicious. If they had they might have climbed over the fence and seen what I had seen.

"You want to take a break? You look a bit pale." She said as I went to change back into my wet suit.

"No, I'm alright, for now." I said and walked into my changing room. 

We preformed 3 more times that day and then it was time for Opal and my date.