Dolphins!

 

            Daphne moved through the water effortlessly. She swam several laps around her enclosure in a matter of minutes. She couldn’t wait for the next show to start. As a dolphin at the zoo, she didn’t have a whole lot to do. She looked forward to showing off her tricks and skills. It wasn’t that she loved doing it, but at least she wouldn’t be bored.

            Daphne jumped out of the water and dove back down. That’s when she noticed something strange. She had lived here for the past five years, and Daphne knew every inch of her pool. She swam over to where the water seemed different. What was that? The water was shimmering. Swimming through it, she felt her skin tingling. She wanted to find the source of this strange, sparkly water – after all, she didn’t have anything else to do.

            The water started swirling as Daphne continued to search. Bubbles appeared and obscured her vision. The water churned as she spun around faster and faster. Soon she lost track of which way was up as white water surrounded her. She closed her eyes as she started to panic.

            Suddenly, Daphne realized she was no longer swirling. She opened her eyes and nearly swallowed a bunch of water. Dolphins! She hadn’t seen another dolphin for years. She used to share her pool with an older dolphin who had passed away two years ago. Since then, Daphne had been swimming alone. Joy swelled inside her as she saw that there were more than ten dolphins swimming around her, watching her.

            “Hello, friends!” Daphne said excitedly.

            Smiles appeared on every face, but no one spoke.

            “It’s so good to see you! One minute I was in my pool, and the next I’m here! Where am I exactly?”

            One of the dolphins swam up to her with a confident and regal air. All the other dolphins looked to her expectantly as she said, “We’ve summoned you here to let you know of our plan.”

            “What plan?”

            The dolphin smiled reassuringly and said, “You have lived in a pool all your life, correct?”

            “Yes, I’ve never been to the ocean. Is this it?” Daphne looked around excitedly.

            “This is the ocean, but unfortunately, we can’t keep you here for long.”

            “Wait, what?” The happiness inside Daphne started to dissipate.

            “While we don’t have enough magic for you to stay here, we would like to give you a gift.”

            “You mean I have to go back?” The ocean around her was so much bigger than her pool – there was so much to explore. Did she really have to go back?”

            “We can’t free you from your prison, but we can make it a little easier for you.” The dolphin gave Daphne a small smile. “Just remember that you are a noble creature.”

            Bubbles started to form around Daphne again, and the sparkly water was back. “But wait!” she cried frantically. “I don’t want to go back!” But it was no use. The bubbles swirled around her to the point where she couldn’t see anything again. She stopped struggling and gave in to the inevitable.

            Soon, the water slowed down and the bubbles dissipated. Daphne was back in her pool, in the enclosure she had always known. She sighed as she thought of the vast ocean and the other dolphins. She slowly swam the length of the pool, trying to push away the bitter feeling of being stuck back here.

            Daphne had swum the entire length of her pool when she realized something was different. Another dolphin was swimming right next to Daphne, watching her. “Hi,” said Daphne uncertainly. “I’m Daphne, what’s your name?”

            “My name is Gypsy,” the dolphin replied. “I’ve been sent to be your guide.”

            “My guide?” Now Daphne was confused. She didn’t need anyone to guide her in her own pool.

            “Queen Callie sent me to tell you about your new home,” Gypsy replied calmly.

            Daphne had so many questions, she didn’t know which one to ask first. She decided on, “Who is Queen Callie?”

            “You met her today. She’s the one who is organizing this for all the dolphins held in captivity.”

            “I met a Queen?” Daphne breathed softly.

            “Yes. She wanted to make everyone a little more comfortable. She’s given you an upgrade in your living conditions.”

            Daphne looked around, saying, “Nothing has changed. This is the same pool that I’ve lived my life in.”

            Gypsy gave Daphne a secret kind of smile and said, “Look again.”

            Slightly annoyed, Daphne turned around to survey her pool and saw that it was gone! The ocean stretched out in front of her. She took off like a shot and realized that it wasn’t exactly the ocean, but her pool was much deeper and larger than it had been before. She swam back to Gypsy and said, “How is this possible?”

            “Queen Callie wants every dolphin to live their best life. She’s magically expanded your pool, and the humans won’t even notice. To them, it will appear to be the same as it ever was. Also, you’ll be getting a new pool mate.”

            Daphne really perked up at this news. “Really? Who?”

            “Me,” Gypsy said. “I volunteered to come live with you when you visited Queen Callie earlier today. However, I had a few requests.” She swam to a side of the pool and Daphne saw something.

            “Toys!” she cried joyfully. There were enough toys here to keep Daphne busy for quite some time. She definitely wouldn’t be bored anymore.

            Queen Callie gazed at Daphne and Gypsy through her magic portal. She watched as they played and she felt the satisfaction of a job well done. Now she only had a few hundred more dolphins to visit. She smiled as she got back to work.