In the brilliance of the aquarium

The memory of my childhood—frequenting a fish and reptile exhibition in my city and sketching winged creatures and moray eels—inspired the creation of this story. I plan to submit this illustrated book to the exhibition.

Sofia saw a poster at the school bus stop—it depicted large fish of whimsical shapes and bore the large title, «Fish and Reptile Exhibition.» One fish stared right at her, as if inviting her over.

Back home, she sat and sat and sat—waiting for the adults to arrive. The sound of heels at the doorway gave way to the rustling of slippers: her mom immediately began pacing anxiously. «We have a shift tomorrow morning; we have to get up early, ” she said. Dad was digging through papers while pacing around the house with the same nervous energy. „We’ll go, Sof! Not today.“

She waited until her parents fell asleep, slipped into a yellow pineapple t-shirt, polka-dot purple leggings, blue sneakers with glowing laces, and star-shaped glasses, and snuck out of the apartment. The ginger cat in the yard greeted her—she was surprised that it was talking. She told him she was going to an exhibition, and he decided to accompany her. Along the way, he nudged a small, shiny pebble with his paw, which she picked up for good luck, and they walked together to the entrance.

The aquariums glowed with green, blue, pink, and yellow light—it was mesmerizing. She darted from one to the next, wanting to see everything. «Oh my goodness, the audience again! A fan again!» The girl turned and spotted a striped fish. «Look at that outfit—a total mess! Stripes, polka dots, pineapple… Do you want to look like a coral reef? Cute.» «You’re like a beautiful zebra!» Sofia pressed against the glass. «Since you approve, I’ll swim another lap—for such an enthusiastic spectator.» They chatted for a long time about the costumes until the light pulled her toward the next aquarium. There, plying through the water was Piranha, toothy and swift, who shouted, «Hey, Rainbow, tap the glass—it’s a race challenge!» Sofia tapped her finger and ran along the glass, while Piranha zipped in circles inside, kicking up bubbles. «You’re a real rocket!» Sofia laughed. «And you’re not a coward. You’re lucky I’m full today.»

The game went on too long, and Sofia thought that her mom and dad would really enjoy playing like that. She wanted to invite them, but realized she couldn’t—she was lost. At that moment, a fluffy and affectionate Axolotl swam up to the glass: «Can I touch your rough seaweed?» (Meaning her hair). «It’s beautiful… like my gills! Are you an axolotl too, but you grew up and learned to walk? That’s great!» Sofia looked at him, almost in tears. «Oh dear, what happened to you? Don’t worry—even if you scrape your leg, it will regrow, and it will be stronger than before!»

They reached the aquarium, where the Surgeonfish was cleaning a rock with its sharp tail: «Girl, are you lost? Give me your pebble, and I will draw the exact path home on it.» The Surgeonfish scratched the route onto the rock, and Sofia, pleased, took it back as a talisman, now knowing the way.

The pebble led her to the stairs, where a clownfish was by the aquarium. «You’re not from our reef, but I feel like we’re alike! You look like you escaped from your own reef too!» Sofia smiles: «Maybe I did escape… I just really wanted to see all of you. And, it seems, I got a little lost.» «If I find my home, you can too.»

As soon as she reached the doorway, everything was flooded with light. Her mother’s voice ushered her out: — Sonya, get up, or we’ll be late for the exhibition! Sonya smiled and got out of bed—it turned out that next to her pillow was that same little stone from the night before, inscribed with, «We’re waiting for you!» She slipped it into her pocket and rushed to get ready.