For as long as he can remember, Ghost has always been under the supervision of all these scientists and researchers. He was in a big black tank, they always gave him food and he had clean water and even toys. And yet, it would not replace the freedom.

Ghost was a merman. He had short blond hair and deep brown eyes. On the pale skin of his face, there were gray spots around his eyes and on his cheeks, next to the barely noticeable gills. His tail was black with white chaotic stripes and spots in places.

He was taken from the open ocean about 20 years ago, when he was still a very small mermaid. It wasn't a problem before, but now that he had reached the age of an adult, the changes in his behavior were very noticeable. Ghost became more secretive, and swam in a darkened part of the aquarium. He was more aggressive, and even injured employees a couple of times. Then the researchers thought that maybe mermans, like animals, need a friend, a couple.

Ghost didn't know what kind of feeling it was, like a nagging emptiness in his chest. He desperately wanted someone by his side. Someone who could be hugged and cuddled, curled up in cool water, or even have offspring. And every day this longing bit deeper into his brain.

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Finally, a couple of months later, scientists managed to catch another mermaid. You. You had a pale blue tail and white markings on your body. You were an adult enough individual, so you were somewhat aggressive, trying to escape from the nets, and subsequently from the aquarium.

When they let you into Ghost's aquarium, he was especially depressed, lying at the bottom of the tank, with his head buried in his folded hands on the floor. One of the employees went to the edge of the aquarium and turned on the loudspeaker so that he could be heard underwater.

"Hey, little fish. We have a little surprise for ya," the man spoke with a slight mocking smirk. Ghost slowly lifted his head off the floor and saw you. You were like him. And you were so beautiful.