~Wow, I can't believe you're still here, Fishy Thief. I admit, I would be bored by now. Business must be rather slow at the moment.~
Her voice was a welcome distraction from thinking about food. I had no idea where she'd been, but without the conversations with her, I'd been having trouble thinking human.
~That's an understatement.~ I said my sail fin perking up as I focused in on her.
She grinned. ~You agree with me? Well that's a first.~
~There's only so many times I can search the gravel for food.~ I said offhandedly swimming closer to her. ~Have a good vacation?~ Now, now I could figure out her name.
She grimaced. ~It wasn't much of a vacation.~ She perked up again. ~Wait, you missed me!~
My fins clamped against my body. ~What? No. I did not!~
Her eyes lit up. ~You did, I bet nobody talked to you while I was gone did they?~
I mentally rolled my eyes. ~I'm a fish. Who would talk to me, but a crazy person?~ I glanced at her name tag, and my heart sank.
I had a problem.
I couldn't read it. The name tag. I saw it, saw the word on it. Yet, nothing. This was totally inconvenient. After so long talking to her, I couldn't just ask what her name was now.
~Yes, a person would have to be crazy to talk to you...out loud.~ She shrugged. ~You wouldn't be able to hear anything I said. But Mindspeak? Not so much. But still, you did miss me! Admit it.~
When the sun turned green. ~Why would I miss you? I finally got some peace and quiet.~
~Ah, that must have been so relaxing. Day after day. Unable to focus on much more then when you're going to eat next. Come on Fishy Thief, you hated it.~
~I can't really hate anything when I can't remember what it was I should hate.~ I said more sullen then I wanted to be. I was so sick of being a fish.
~Ah memory loss is a horrible thing.~ She leaned forward, her hands on the lid of the tank. She smiled. ~Maybe I can fix that.~
My sail fin perked up a little. ~Ha, unless you can convince your mom to put the fish section on clearance, I really doubt it.~ But if she could, I would do nearly anything.
~Well, if you ask me the right question, I might.~
~Question? What does that have to do with me being a fish?~
~Not much, but asking the right question does help.~
I spun in a little circle my tail swishing back and forth. ~You're just playing with me.~
She shook her head. ~No, playing with you was not talking to you for the past month and a half.~
I went still. That long? She'd been gone that long? It hadn't felt like a month and a half!
~Ah, you didn't realize it was that long, now did you? My mom wanted you to get a full measure of being a fish again. So I acquiesced. But, if you ask me the right question, your fishy life will be made a bit easier.~
~Uh...~ I'd been put on the spot. Ask the right question? For what? Some mysterious 'easier fish life' event? Would I be able to have a longer memory or something? ~Have my friends all made the change?~
~Wrong question.~
~You're not answering them now?~
~Call me impatient. Or call me under mom's orders not to tell you much more.~
~I don't know what to ask!~
~Well, ask until you stumble upon it then.~
What could I ask? ~Have you been sick?~
~Wrong question.~
~Have I already asked the question?~
~Wrong question and no.~
~Are my friends alright.~
~Wrong question~
~How much longer are we going to be stuck here?~
~Wrong question.~
~Can you answer anything else?~
She tightened her smile. ~Wrong question.~
~What's with the change in attitude?~
~Wrong question.~
~Would you quit telling me wrong question?~
~Wrong~
~I know I know. Wrong question! Geez, is it something complete dumb?~
~Wrong question.~
My fins twitched angrily. ~How am I supposed to know what question to ask out of billions!~
~I can't give any hints.~
~Not helpful.~
~You're being difficult.~
~You're the one being difficult and cryptic!~
~Me cryptic? No, you're the cryptic one.~ She glanced away. ~Time is running out, keep asking.~
I hated time limits. Especially when I didn't know the parameters. Or the question to ask!
~Where have you been?~
~Wrong question.~
~Is your mom alright?~
~Wrong question.~
~Can I see my friends?~
~Wrong question.~
~How much longer are we going to be stuck here?~
She chuckled. ~You already asked that one.~
~How am I supposed to remember! I'm a fish~
~Wrong question. Three more, before time's up.~
Why did this suddenly seem like a life or death situation? I hadn't known it was 20 questions we were playing. Had I already asked 17?  
~Hurry.~
~Ah...~ What had I already asked? My fishy brain was coming back into play under the stress.
~Is there more magic going on here then I know of?~
~Two, Come on fishy thief. You can't be that inhuman.~
~Am I turning more fish then human now?~ I shot back.
~One.~
One last chance. I had to think of something. What had she said? Inhuman. So I had to ask a human question. What would a 'normal' human ask?
~Give up, Fishy Thief? I thought you were better then this. Ask. Come on. ASK.~
~I don't know! What is your name?! I can't think of anything else alright!~

She drew in a breath. Her eyes lighting up. ~About time Fishy Thief.~
My sail fin rose in surprise. ~Wait...What is your name? That's the question?~ I'd asked out of desperation, even though I hadn't wanted to ask her. Though I should have known that she would have known that I didn't know her name.
She grinned and nodded. ~Congrats. Though you might not feel like celebrating for the next little while.~
~The next little while? Aren't you going to tell me the answer?~
~No.~
~Why not~
She turned away. ~Because I suspect you will be caught up in other things for the next bit.~
~No it won't! Wait! Tell me--~ I cut off as a sharp jab into my side made my human mind go blank, allowing the fish brain to take over once more.

#Henry