I was becoming exhausted. My tail was like a noodle and my chest soar. My gills were stretched and it was hard to breath.

I had been swimming around for years in search of dad, yet I am still not used to swimming for long periods of time.

I slowed my pace, so as to ease my muscles of the stress. I looked up, my neck almost painfully stretching as I saw the surface of the water. It was beautiful.

But I had to get out of these parts of the ocean. The waters were much too clear and sometimes even shallow, and not only do these waters attract humans, but they could also easily spot me.

I was hoping I would find dad here, but I guess not.

There are still plenty of places I didn't search through, so there's still hope that I could find him. Plus, what if he goes back to one of the places I've been at?

What if he goes back to the house?

I know I move around a lot, however, in hopes that he may be there, I always return back to the house to check. It may take days or weeks, maybe months, before I return, but I still hope that just maybe, he'd be there.

As I swam to a nearby coral reef, I felt the waters move and heard an engine roar. I looked up to see a fishing boat disturbing the ocean surface.

I continued to swim, this time, as fast as I could. I couldn't let divers, if there were any, see me, nor could I let some fishermen capture me with their abrasive nets.

I scowled and turned back, now past the boat and hiding within the corals of the reef, as I saw a fat man throw in a large complex netting.

Just as it hit the sea floor, I got an idea.

I need a break. I've been searching for so long, I have to have to have fun every once in a while. So, why not disrupt this mans peace.

I smirked as I swam closer to the nets. They were close to the reef, but not close enough to get caught in the corals. I still had cover over me; I could not be seen by the man.

Besides, it appears that the man had disappeared back inside the boat.

I got out my blade. It was fitting. As long as my hand and as wide as three of my fingers, it fit me. Plus it was from my dad. He gave it to me saying that it was from my mother.

I dug the blade into the thin yet strong ropes and commenced cutting.

A few minutes later, there were holes everywhere. I even went farther out to the rest of the net, seeing as there were no signs of the fat man coming out anytime soon.

I swiftly swam back, careful not to get caught in the torne nets, and hid under some overhanging coral.

Just because I cut the nets, does not mean they don't work anymore. With each cut, there is a less chance he'll catch anything good. But, again, he could still catch something.

I waited for what seemed like hours. The fish around the area had grown accustomed to my presence a while before, so they swam past me without a care.

I felt, more then saw, the boat shift. The man popped out of the boat and began hoisting up the nets with a thin protruding stick of some sort.

The nets were lifted up and, though some fish were caught along the way up, there were few inside the net.

I smiled. I wanted to see this humans reaction.

Once the net was over the boat, I began to hear cursing. Or, at least I assumed that he was cursing, as he was red faced and dancing about the ship with his mouth flopping and foot stomping.

I laughed to myself.

It was time to go. The sun would set soon, and I had to be out of here before that happens.

I've been here several times to visit the beautiful fish and scenery more than to search for my dad, and I know that, at night, the sharks come out. They are viscous.

I had to curl around a few corals and fish to avoid running into anything before I had completely exited the reefs.

Once away from the clear waters, I began my search again.

Before, when dad was the one who hunted for our food; when he was still with me, I often stayed inside our home. There was no reason for me to leave other than to train.

I trained in the ways of fighting; offense and defense. It was especially fun when I trained with dad.

I'm getting sidetracked.

My point is that in the first few months of my search for dad, I had come to realize that there isn't much of my kind left. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen any other mer-person ever, other than dad, of course.

So, without dad, I'll be alone; I am alone.

I suppose that's one of the reasons I've lasted this long searching for dad. Family is everything to me. And, of course, I was prepared to fight if the situation ever called for it.

Dad could be anywhere, but that doesn't matter to me. I will find him.

With that last thought boldly passing through my head, another tails behind it.

Could dad have somehow gotten captured?

This also lead to another, more disturbing thought.

Could he be dead?

I didn't want to believe it, however, it was like an unwanted virus. Once I had that tiniest sliver of doubt, my whole head was filled with similar thoughts.

I guess it's time to head to the surface. Maybe I can find a way to get dad back if he's been captured.

I just hope he isn't actually dead.