Scare at the Aquarium

A man with silver in his hair and wearing a black leather jacket swung his leg over the seat of his Harley Davidson to dismount. Nestled in the sidecar beside him was an adorable Pomeranian made even cuter with the addition of red and black goggles that matched the motorcycle. The little dog jumped up into the man’s waiting arms and together they entered the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Rocco was Bill’s service animal, and he showed the proper credentials to the ticket taker.

Once inside, they made their way to the giant aquarium, called Open Sea, where 90 foot glass walls let viewers enjoy the ocean that actually came into the aquarium, bringing whatever sea creatures nature allowed that day.

There were not many visitors that day, but the acoustics of the place made every sound echo loudly. Bill’s nervous hands petted Rocco, and he felt his heartbeat slow. Rocco sensed his anxiety, and licked Bill’s hand. They stood close to the glass, watching the colorful fish swim by when a very large shark swam into the area. Rocco whined just a bit, and Bill patted his back, saying, “It’s alright, boy. He can’t get to you.” The shark seemed enormous, and it swam back and forth, sending fish skittering into the corral. Suddenly, the shark seemed to notice Rocco. It came straight at them, getting bigger and bigger the closer it came. Rocco whined, then ruffed a small barking sound. When the shark’s snout literally bounced on the glass trying to get to him, Rocco howled and jumped out of Bill’s arms, diving into a nearby bouquet of flowers ensconced in a large floor pot. Trembling, he peeked his head out of the flowers and Bill could see the reflection of the sharp in Rocco’s goggles. It seemed the shark had it out for the kind little dog.

Scooping the Pomeranian up into his arms, Bill tried to calm Rocco down, hardly realizing that their roles had been reversed. Bill looked at his aquarium map and quickly found the exhibit he was looking for.

Standing in front of the frolicking sea otters, Rocco made his little “speaking” sounds, showing his great pleasure in watching the dog-like creatures. They quietly observed the sea otters playing, chasing and rolling in the ocean waters together. Two otters lay on their backs, their hands touching as they floated.

When it was time to go, Bill placed Rocco back in his side car and banked him in with a soft, warm blanket. Rocco licked Bill’s face as he leaned down and Bill laughed. Yes, it had been a good time after all.

#FFFC

Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge #309