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Anna weathered the sudden and unexpected disquiet within her mind without showing any external sign of the turmoil she had just felt, but the experience left her with a sudden and urget need to use the bathroom. Though the facilities she usually used were right next door she asked for, and received, permission to use the restroom where she now was. It was at the top of a flight of stairs, on the far side of a doorway which also appeared to offer an elevated view of a large room which lay just beyond. She didn't know for certain because she had nver been anywhere upstairs or in back before. Despite the curiousity thus fostered she only glanced to the left long enough to notice the presence of a large pool, before turning right and through another door. After taking care of business within she was just heading back out the door when her mind was jolted by the same sort of urget message she had 'heard' earlier.

And this time she had no difficulty understanding the message.

Or who was sending it.

Angela swam slowly about the pool, her mind slowly sinking further into depression, though she did manage a smile when a man entered the pool room to offer her a fish for breakfast. Still refusing to speak to any of her captors, she did nod her head when asked if she was hungry, whereapon he tossed it softly in her direction. There was no look of hostility on his face, indeed, he watched her eating for a few moments, until she submerged to continue feeding.

She was still underwater, and almost done, when she heard footsteps on the balcony which overlooked the pool. Curious, she surfaced for a look, but by then whoever it was had disappeared from her view. Not wishing to give her captors any more satisfaction than she absolutely had to, she submerged again for some minutes, until curiousity finally got the best of her and she poked her head up again. What she saw absolutely shocked her; though she enjoyed superior vision underwater, she was now rather nearsighted above, but there was no doubt in her mind who she saw, and now she gave forth another silent scream.

'Anna, help me! They are going to sell me to an aquarium...'

Up on the balcony the younger woman stood, wide eyed and slack jawed, as if in shock at what she was hearing and seeing. Then she stared back with a hint of comprehension, and Angela made another mental entreaty.

'Please get me out tonight. I think they will send me away tomorrow...'

How she got out of the building without giving any hint of the emotional turmoil she was then feeling Anna never could recall afterward. She tried to carry on with her work at her own place of employment, but could not focus as neccessary, and about an hour later went home sick, with apologies to her coworkers. Once home, she tried to relax and ponder how to free her mother from her predicament, but ended up spending a good part of her time pacing about restlessly. She considered calling the police but decided against doing so; calling them could not only inadvertantly reveal her mother's secret but that of the whole Mer colony. And she shuddered at the thought of Angela being sent to a research facility instead of being released back into the ocean. Ultimately Anna concluded she had only one option: she would have to free her mother by herself.

But how?

Going in through the front, or any other door, was obviously out during daylight hours. Nighttime was the only feasable time, but security cameras were sited all about the premises. She would need some sort of disguise. She then recalled going to a beachside Halloween party a couple years earlier in a ninja costume, complete with mask covering her head and leaving only a narrow slit for her eyes. So convincing was the costume even her mother, watching surreptitously just offshore, did not recognize her. That the mask rendered Anna unable to speak intelligably only heightened the impression.

It was past eleven in the evening when Anna set out in her pickup, already dressed in solid black except for the mask lying on the passenger seat, and a wheelbarrow in the back. Due to the streetlights in front, and the security cameras, she planned to park in a rear parking area two buildings away and don her mask before exiting her truck.

A block from her destination, a transformer blew and the surrounding area was plunged into darkness. Anna welcomed the unanticipated turn of events, but further uncertainties still lay ahead. Parking, she loaded up her wheelbarrow, then pushed it toward the rear of her mother's prison. The door there, she guessed, led directly to the pool, but she remembered it had no means of being opened from the outside. Still, she chose to try it first before seeking other means of entry. She also thought of some of the ninja legends, and how they could slip in most anywhere without being seen. Perhaps her costume would confer that ability on her tonight.

When she reached the door she noticed it was just barely adjar, and after some careful tugging with her gloved fingers, it swung open. The placement of a small rock ensured she would not be accidentally locked in. The interior too was dark, but her eyes quickly adjusted after she entered. Almost immediately she spotted her quarry, a cerulian-haired mermaid apparently asleep near the bottom of the pool. A splash with a hand brought her to the surface where a black apparition greeted her.

"Who are you?" Angela asked, her voice reflecting a mixture of hope and fear.

"Mom, it's me, Anna" her daughter replied, though Angela only heard an unitelligable series of mumbles. "I've come to get you out of here."

Somehow Angela understood her daughter and immediately climbed out of the pool. Anna handed her a towel, then emptied the contents of a bottle into the water. When Angela declared herself dry enough, Anna gave her a large poncho she had bought on a trip to Mexico the year before. Angela eyed it with reluctance.

"Must I?" she now asked.

Anna nodded her black shrouded head emphatically. Ever since her mother became a mermaid she had disliked wearing clothing, even during their nocturnal meetings. Tonight though, she appreciated the need to be as inconspicuous as possible. Her hair was distinctive enough as it was, no need to add uncovered breasts to the mix. She put the ponch on without further hesitation.

That done, Anna lost little time getting her mother out to the truck and in the passenger seat. After reloading the wheelbarrow in back, she seated herself in the driver's seat, removed her mask, and asked "Where to? The cove where we have been meeting?"

Angela shook her head, then said "No, take me to the bridge. I'll dive in there."

"Mom, are you sure that's safe, with all those rocks?"

"I've swum there many times, I know just where to dive...and in the future we will meet at the parking lot down there..."

Eventually Angela did convince Anna she knew what she was planning to do.

The two women had just reentered the street when the lights came back on and alarms started blaring in various directions. Shortly after they got on the main road a number of police cars, lights flashing, zoomed past in the other direction. None seemed to pay them any attention even though Anna's truck was so mud-covered thanks to an earlier intentional detour the license plates could not be read, and even the color could not be easily discerned under the lights.

A few miles further they reached the bridge in question. Anna stopped on the wide shoulder at the point her mother indicated, shared a hug, then Angela slid out tail first, poncho and all. After crawling to and sitting atop the railing, she smiled and waved to her daughter, then turned and dove. The last Anna saw of her that night was her silver tail and white caudal fin. A moment later she heard a splash and breathed a huge sigh of relief; her mother would soon be reunited with her fellow mers, who were no doubt much worried by her disappearance.

(Sound of telephone ringing early the next morning)

"Hello?"

"Ed, we have a problem."

"What is it? Is the mermaid sick or something?"

"Uh...I don't know. We can't see her at all, the whole pool is covered in suds...foam...it's almost halfway to the ceiling."

"I'll be right over..."

When Ed arrived, he and the manager first pondered how to get rid of the foam, then checked the security cameras, but noticed nothing out of the ordinary.

Neither noticed until later that the clocks were fourteen minutes slow, or the identical gap in the security video coverage...