That moment right before your alarm clock jars you awake is one of the most precious moments one can behold. You're totally relaxed. Drifting, maybe even dreaming. Content with life. No worries. No problems.
And then the next instant, the blaring of the alarm brings back all your worries, problems, troubles, stresses and life goes on.

I was at that stage. Just drifting. Relaxed. Vaguely aware that I'd found relief from my itching skin.

Then the chaos started.
Not an alarm.
Well. A clock. It was sounds of alarm though.
Barking, Screeching, Meowing, who knows what other animals.
Then.
Thunk Thunk Thunk.

It startled me into motion. 
I didn't blink.
I didn't even open my eyes. They were already open. I'd been staring without seeing. Lost in sleep.
They focused as I wiggled, trying to sit up out of the tub, when I realized. It felt more like I was on my stomach, But my arms and legs weren't cramped at all. In fact...I couldn't really feel them. I wiggled. Yes. Something moved. My mouth opened and closed as I twisted further trying to see behind me as I couldn't move my neck.
That's when I saw it. Something long, orange, and flowy. A tail. That's where my legs should have been from what I felt, but that...that wasn't legs!
I tried to blink to dissuaded myself from what I was seeing. But, I couldn't. My eyes could move, but I couldn't close my lids.
My mouth opened wide and I tried to scream.
No sound came out. Not even bubbles. No vocal cords. I had no vocal cords!
I twisted and turned in mindless panic until I hit hard against...nothing.
Wait. That was glass. I'd hit my head against glass!

I drifted back, my hit against the glass temporary stunning me.

Thunk. Thunk Thunk.
Banging. I shook my head -well wiggled my body...A fish body! What WAS HAPPENING TO ME! This had to be a dream. Right?
No. Something was making noise nearby, tapping on the glass.  I' hurt myself on that glass, it was basically like pinching myself right? Well, it better work because I didn't have fingers anymore to pinch myself with.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Wait, I wasn't hearing the tapping, I was feeling the vibrations through the water.

~I wouldn't do that too often if I were you. You're too pretty to bloody yourself up over a little panic attack.~

The voice resounded in my head, soft. soothing. Obviously trying to comfort me. But hearing a voice when I didn't really have ears to hear! Definitely not comforting. I twisted trying to find the sound, my stubby little arm fin things moving uselessly trying to do a doggy paddle.

~Don't fight the instincts. You'll swim much better if you relax.~

Relax. Ha! I forced myself to just tense up. to hold still, every muscle quivering. Not relaxing, but it helped me to clear my mind. A voice. In my head. Tapping on the glass of the tank I was in. The source had to be on the other side of the glass.
I saw it then. The giant smile. The big brown eyes. A human face inches away from me, only separated by a thin pane of glass. She was huge! Which meant that I was small. Probably the size of a baseball. I twisted, the arm fins spreading to help me turn like I was pretending to be an airplane. I swam away from her before turning, gathering my emotions. Cool. I had to be cool, calm, collected.
~WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!~ Okay, I wasn't in control at all, but let's pretend I was to help me feel better about this whole thing.

The face grinned at me. ~Well, aren't you quick at adapting. Much better then your friends.~

I mouthed at her before I remembered I couldn't speak. I couldn't even glare. The fin along my back flared upwards. I was overcome with fury. My crew. What had happened to my crew!

#Henry