Melody pressed her nose to the glass, the cold surface sending a snake of a shiver down her spine but she ignored it. Everything was so bright and colorful, the greens of the seaweed, the blue of the water, the meriads of fish streaking through the water like rainbows.

Her eyes couldn’t seem to take in everything that she wanted them to, all the beauty that surrounded her only kept away by the thick glass.

She gasped suddenly as the biggest fish she had ever seen rounded past a large piece of purple coral. He stopped his current course in order to turn his body, his fins propelling him in her direction.

Melody couldn’t help placing her hand on the glass, said fish swimming even closer to her, his gigantic eyes focused upon her own.

“Flapper. That’s what I’ll call you,” Melody said proudly, patting the smooth surface as if she could feel his golden scales beneath her fingertips.

She stared on in awe for what’s seemed like an eternity, talking to her new friend with a new found enthusiasm.

She had just finished telling him her favorite food and in turn asked him his, when she heard a familiar voice calling her name.

“Melody! Come on it’s time to go!” He mother called, coming around the other side of the tank to find her daughter.

“Mom! I want you to meet Flapper! He’s so big and pretty!” Melody exlcaimed happily, skipping over to the older woman.

“Flapper? And who is Flapper?” She asked her daughter curiously.

“My new best friend! Come on!” Melody said as she pulled her mother by the hand to the other side of the tank. She felt that she successfully explained Flapper to her mom so that she would be prepared once they had the opportunity to meet, but Joan was very confused when her daughter showed her what she had been so obsessed about. The mysterious and magical “Flapper”, turned out to be only a tiny Squareback Anthias according the the plaque beside that particular aquarium.

Joan’s eyebrows raised as Melody introduced the pair to each other and seemed to habve a conversation between them that she was apparently not privy to.

Eventually, the pair had to return to the guys of their family, Joan’s husband looking at her with concern as they approached.

“You two go ahead but not too far, ok Andrew? Melody?” Dave instructed his children, the pair overjoyed at the prospect of seeing more of the aquarium.

“Yes Daddy!” The two called out in unison, giggling as the continued on their way.

“Are you alright? You seem confused,” Dave asked as he pushed the stroller forward, their youngest daughter ingrossed in her teething ring.

“Melody wanted to show me this colossal fish, but when we got there, it was just this little thing, barely bigger than a clown fish,”

Dave laughed good naturedly. “Is that all? I thought it was something worse!”

“I’m serious Dave. She had me worried,”

“I think there’s a much easier explanation to this than you think,”

“Oh?” Joan asked, crossing her arms. “And what would that be,”

“It’s simply seeing the world through the wonder of a child,”

One day their was a girl called Lilly at an aquarium with her mum. They were an activity where you had to answer some questions most of the answers was on the bonus facts but there were one question where it was your opinion and nobody usually struggles with that one except for Lilly the question was’whats your favourite fish?’. She looked at every fish except for one so she went and checked that one. She listened to it at first it sounded like bubbles but as she listened more and more it started to sound more like words. Then she closed her eyes and it felt like she was in the tank with it the she figured out what he was saying it was ‘close your eyes’said the fish. “You understand me? Oh I am Finny by the way”said Finny the fish.”Finny,Nice name”Said Lilly shocked.”I better introduce myself then,well I am Lilly!”said Lilly.Everyone thought the girl was going mad. She still was talking to the fish until her mum started tugging on her to say it’s time to go so she said her goodbyes and carried on walking round and she put on her list Finny the Fish nobody knew which fish was Finny so she started to explain who he was. She won a Choclate bar and left. The end

As she walked through the aquarium, the sound grew. And grew. And grew.

Horns then drums and then bass.

A loud vocal erupted, something like a mix between Bruno Mars and James Brown.

She looked up at her mom who was acting like nothing was happening.

“Mom! Mom! Let’s go toward the music!”

Her mom was puzzled. “What?” She shrugged and kept going.

And the music got louder and louder, until it was so loud that her ear drums started to rattle.

“Mom!!!! Don’t you hear this?” She screamed as loud as she could over the music.

“Stop shouting!” Her mom scolded.

The music stopped, and a large orange fish swam to the aquarium wall and said to the girl.

“What song you wanna hear next, little lady?”

Mr goldfish was a very large fish, he had shiny orange scales and big blue eyes. He was very different from the rest of his freinds. And so every day that children came to visit mr goldfish and his freinds everyone would stare at him. This made mr goldfish very uncomfortable, and feel out of place from the other fish. But one day a little girl came and visited all the fish. She had noticed mr goldfish was sad and asked him what was wrong. But mr goldfish couldn’t understand through the big glass wall. And so the little girl got a paper and pen and sent him notes to communicate. Since that day molly would visit mr goldfish almost every day and send him notes when he looked sad. Until one day mr goldfish looked sadder than usual. What’s wrong mr goldfish molly had wrote on the paper. The fish then explained how different he felt from the other fish. Molly looked shocked by mr goldfish’s response and wrote on the paper, don’t worry mr goldfish it’s okay to be different. Sometimes I get bullied beacause I’m different but I’m proud as you should be. After that day for the next few days mr goldfish became proud of his differences and showed off his shiny orange scales and his big blue eyes.

Abby has always loved marine life. She lived by the beach. Abby would spot sea shells or fish who accidentally hopped out of the water. She is very gentle and hopes to study the ocean one day. Abby’s family decided to go to the aquarium. “Abby look at this fish,” her dad said. She saw the giant goldfish staring right at her. An employee leaned down “do you like her?” “Oh yes shs is very pretty.” Abby smiled. “What’s your name?” “Abby.” How would you like to feed her?” “I can feed her?” “Come with me and I can show you.” The employee smiled. Abby’s family walked with her towards a door which lead to the big tanks. “It smells fishy” Abby’s little brother said. Everyone laughed. The employee lead Abby to the tank and handed her a veggies. “Fish eat vegetables?” Abby asked. “They eat all sorts of yummy foods. That’s why it’s our job to educate everyone on what a good fish diet looks like.” “Wow!” she smiled. “Now the next part is simple, all you are going to do is throw the veggies.” Abby took a deep breath then threw all the veggies. All the fish in the tank swam to catch the food. Abby even saw the goldfish from before. “What is her name?” “Her name is Jewel.” The employee grabbed something off a desk “and for a good job today I am giving you a medal for an official goldfish feeder, along with a Jewel stuffed animal.” “Wow, thank you!!” Abby jumped in excitement. “When I grow up I want to do what you do.” “Well Abby, we have a volunteer program that you can attend every weekend. If that is something you want to do.” “yes yes that would be amazing!” “Mom, dad, can I go too” Abby’s brother asked. “Of course you can sweetie.” Abby’s mom smiled. They left the room “thank you so much for joining,” the employee waved goodbye. Abby and her family waved. “Bye Jewel, I will see you next time.” Abby and her family left the aquarium ready for the next adventure

My friend Billy is a big fish, He enjoys eating foods out of my blue dish.

Sometimes, billy stares at me like he’s crazy! When he bites my arm, my head feels hazy.

Billy met my mom one day, “But someone took her away!” Said Billy, ketchup smeared over his big lips.

My friend Billy signed papers, is now my dad! “ My daughter,” he would say, “ Your sister rad!”

Im happy with my new family, Though sometimes, I feel him driving me to insanity.

Im still happy with my fishy dad, “ Your the best dad i’ve ever—”

Said five year old Martha Green, right before the man dressed in a fish costume slit her throat. News headline: girl is mistaken.

Lila watched the fish dart past her in the large tank. The dark coolness of the underground viewing area was her favorite part of the zoo. The seals would drift past and starfish lay silently at the bottom.

But today was different. Today there was a colorful yellow fish - a fish that looked like it was smiling at her! He watched her through the glass. This was the first time that a fish watched her while she watched him.

Sophie never stepped foot into an aquarium, you’d expect a seven year old to be fascinated by all the bright creatures swimming around you, but Sophie was never fazed. She was more reluctant than bored when it came to the topic of aquariums. Though today was a school excursion, and being a child who lives for the approval of her friends, she didn’t have much of a choice but to go.

She dragged and clunked her feet on the platform whilst sighing and groaning.

“This is kinda boring. Right, Ella?” Sophie finally mustered up the courage to speak those words, but left her friends in silence. For little bit, at least.

“No it isn’t Sophie. You’re just a scaredy-cat! Sophie’s a scaredy-cat everybody,” Ella mocked.

The truth is, Sophie was scared, she wasn’t good with people, neither was she good with many other things, including aquariums. This was all thanks to her reoccurring nightmare of glass cracking, water rushing, sharks biting and poor swimming. An accidental unlocked door or loose railing would mean that her worst decision ever would be going to an aquarium.

Sophie turned her head from the crowd to a small tank with a particularly large fish. It was a goldfish. He was bigger than all the others but still managed to swim freely. Sophie leaned against the squeaky railing and brought her head to the tank and smiled at the fish as he swam to her. She lifted her hand to the glass as the goldfish fawned over her. Sophie stepped back, her shoes now soaked and hands cold.

“Why are my shoes wet?”

Till it it her.

The accidental unlocked door.

The loose railing.

My mom finally took me to the aquarium after years of asking she finnaly took me on my 10 birthday as we got there i was so excited we walked in and my mom was just watching me she didnt talk to me much which was pretty strange but i was loving the aquarium i saw this huge fish it said on the tank shark and it was so cute then we got to touch some jellyfish’s and then i heard over the speakers “its not closing time pleas make your way to the exit” as me and my mom were walking to the exit she had tears rolling down her face i asked her “mommy why are you crying” she said dont worry baby everything will be ok as we got in the car i started filling dizzy and i told my mom she started speeding to the hospital next thing I know am waking up in the hospital bed with my mom crying and everyone around me i try to tell her i am ok but i look down and theres my body then i am lead to this brightlight by a bueatiful angel.

“Today’s the day!” They said. “What will we see?” They said. “I’m so excited, I feel alive!” They said.

All the children gathered around the door of the room. Today was “the day”, of course!

“Today we get to travel all around the world! We get to see tigers, lions, penguins, bears, otters, seals and so much more!” Mr. V said, “You all must be so excited!”

The doors of the room opened, and the children piled in.

“Soon, all of you will be on your way to a different country. Can we form a line, please?”

“Yes, Mr. V!” the children sqeaked with excitement.

And the children saw wonderful things! They traveled through zoos, aquariums, markets, cities, museums, and oh so much more!

Lucy’s favorite thing was the mountains.

Jake’s favorite was the sea otters.

Cole’s favorite was the art mueseum.

Mine was the aquarium.

I saw sharks and stingrays and fish and jellies and seahorses and turtles.

But best of all was the giant goldfish, with its beautiful shining body and fins. It was amazing. But it was a lie.

Of course we all saw lies, “The Day” was an illusion. The illusion that everything was okay. The illusion that we were so happy and that the animals weren’t all dead and that the world would be fine. But a dying, polluted Earth isn’t okay. And if it is, than it must all just be illusions.