elusive Valentine Wish
short story ... continued (3)

Could this be another diver? Not that he knows of. Could this be a whale or a dolphin or Cetacean family? Even though dolphins live near Florida it will be impossible to see one within a cave formation. Or is it his imagination? No, it is not his imagination as he could see the big thing moving still closer to him. It was frightening.

Even though his mind screamed at him to escape, his body stayed motionless and frozen. He has never felt this way any time in his life. In the meantime the unknown thing was moving closer and closer and appearing to be heading towards him. It was almost coming into the visibility range he has with his artificial light. Suddenly his mind froze, his eyes got hooked, he forgot to breathe – It was… a.. g.o.r.g.e.o.u.s.. g.i.r.l!

Mark was terrified. A girl? And that too at this dangerous part of the world where no one wants to come. He stayed motionless focusing more. But why is she not having a mask? No scuba apparatus. No breathing tank. Is she alive? Mark was even more terrified. Yes, she is alive. He could now see her face more clearly. Her eyes are open and really looking at him. Mark could not believe what was going around him. He forgot where he was and the purpose he came for. Something chilly was running through his spine. Is she smiling? Yes, she is! Is Mark seeing it right? She did not have a leg but a fish tail! Before he could make sense of what was happening, the girl (with the fish tail) swam past him and into the other end of the cave formation. Suddenly something struck in his mind – It is a mermaid! Did he see a real mermaid? Mark stood awestruck!

A flashing light on the highway brought him back from his thoughts. The flashing light was reminding the drivers about the upcoming exit to Leon sinks. As Mark prepared himself to get off the highway his mind wandered back to his past.

After that mermaid sighting, he tried explaining to his colleagues, researchers, and friends that he really saw a mermaid and it is real. But till this date no one believes him and they quickly dismiss his sighting as a fantasy. Unfortunately he was so shocked on his first sight that he forgot to take a picture. So there was no evidence to prove his sighting.

After that first sight, he went back inside the cave for many more dives to complete the project but he never saw the mermaid again.Many times over the period of 25 years he has wondered why did the mermaid came to sight only to him and only once. This added unnecessary complexity to his life as he could not make others believe in what he saw. But, in his heart, he knows that the mermaid is true and he strongly believed that there is a new world under the water and human beings are refusing to believe.

From that day onwards, every year, for the past 25 years, he makes a visit to Leon caves on the Valentine day hoping to see the mermaid again!

Will he get his elusive Valentine wish one more time? Will he be able to prove the humans about the new world under the water? Wish him good luck!

The characters, settings and happenings are fiction only.