I journeyed through many different places, including a terrible garbage patch that I absolutely hated, to what sometimes seemed infinity.  The water was still warm and tropical. One day, I’ll be living in the place of my dream. I feel like it’s a real place now, and I just need to get past some obstacles to find it. There were many Bottlenoses here, kinder than the pod I met in the tropical islands.  However they showed no interest in me, and seemed really shy. The only time I talked to one was when I asked a young boy what the tall shiny things behind the beach were. “Towers” he said, “that the humans built. They are capable of creating not only that, but huge things that fly in the sky as well. Bigger than the biggest of birds! Look, there’s one up there now!”  I heard an extremely loud droning noise, painful to my ears. I couldn’t bear it, so I dived very deep. “Hey! Where ya going?” the child called.  He wasn’t fast enough to catch up with me.

This smart fellow followed me when I emerged from the surface. “Why did you leave so suddenly?” he asked.  I replied, “The noise of that flying thing hurts my hearing!” I was rather frustrated with him. “Really?” He looked a bit puzzled. “You must have very bad hearing.” Then he thrashed his tail. “If you want to be rude to me, I’ll be rude to you!” His mother caught him, who was scolding the young dolphin for exploring without being accompanied by an adult.  I dodged away from a boat’s sharp propellers, which gave me quite a shock when my flipper was nearly cut up by them. I could hear the voices of the boy and his mother. “I was just talking to her!” the little one said.  “What’s wrong with that?” His mother was furious. “AQUARIUS!  No more exploring without me or playing with friends, because you’re GROUNDED!” Before Aquarius disappeared underwater, he said something heart-breaking: “I wish you weren’t my mother.”

            My mother, Celine, was nothing like her. I wouldn’t say something that mean to Mum. He must really dislike his mother.  I disagreed with his stubbornness but I liked how knowledgeable he was about the humans. I stayed around the area, waiting for him to come back. He did, just before midnight.