Mermaids in Miami
Copyright© 2026 by Rachael Jane
Chapter 13: The Announcement
The morning begins like any other. Naida slips into the aquarium with a graceful dive, her body relaxing the moment the water closes around her. Nerida squeals with delight and swims straight into her arms. Nerissa follows more slowly, her expression softening as she watches mother and daughter reunite.
For a moment, everything feels peaceful. Then Brian appears at the edge of the tank. But today, he isn’t smiling. His shoulders are tense. His eyes are troubled. He kneels beside the water, waiting for Naida to surface.
She senses the shift immediately. ‘Something’s wrong,’ she whispers to Nerissa.
Nerissa’s tail flicks anxiously. ‘What is it?’
Naida swims up to Brian, resting her hands on the platform. “Brian?”
He takes a shaky breath. “Naida ... we need to talk.”
She understand his words, but not his meaning. However, she understands the tone. Her heart tightens.
Brian gestures for her to climb out. She hesitates. She hates leaving the water after only just arriving, but she pulls herself onto the platform, dripping and unsteady. Brian wraps a towel around her shoulders, then sits beside her.
He speaks slowly, carefully, as if trying to soften the blow.
“The water park is closing.”
Naida blinks, confused.
Brian tries again, using gestures. He points to the building around them, then crosses his arms in an X. “Closing. Finished.”
Naida’s breath catches. “No ... no.”
Nerissa hears the panic through their bond. ‘Naida? What’s happening?’
Naida swallows hard. ‘I don’t know yet. But I think it’s something bad.’
Brian continues, voice tight. “They’re selling the animals. All of them. Including...”
He looks toward the water. Naida follows his gaze.
Nerissa. And Nerida.
Naida’s heart stops.
“No,” she whispers. “No. No!”
Brian nods grimly. “They’re being sent to an out of state zoo. Far away. Maybe out of the country. I don’t know yet.”
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