The School Field Trip

Little One woke in a flash, their eyes snapping open with instant recall.

Today was the day of the school field trip! They'd been waiting for so long to see these dangerous animals up close. There was no better way than through the safety glass at the aquarium.

Little One raced down to start the day, no prompting necessary. Barely a pause to say goodbye, but that was long enough for Mom to insist on breakfast. It was a meal Little One finished in record time, unable to stay still long enough even to chew.

With a mind as uncomfortable in stillness as the body, Little One wondered if the animals ate breakfast. 'If they do, what type of food do they eat? What time? Do they eat near the glass? Can I watch them? Will my school be there then?' Little One thought all these things and more! They had always felt drawn to this particular animal with a cautious curiosity.

The harrowing tale of Uncle Walter was a regular bedtime story of warning to all the children in the family.

It cemented in their mind the dangers of a close encounter. Uncle Walter had simply gone out for an early morning swim. He swam those waters every morning, but that morning, he'd gone out alone. He ignored the rule of always swimming with a buddy, a recipe for disaster!

According to family lore, he was swimming along, humming, and thinking of the day ahead. Without warning, the animal seemed to come from nowhere. It filled everything his eyes could see. Moments before, there had been a vast space Uncle Walter shared only with his thoughts. Then everything around narrowed to a darkness of fins and shadow. From the motions of the animal's monstrous bulk, the sea floor stirred into a plume of camouflage around them.

Uncle Walter had never been so terrified in all his life.

He searched for escape in all directions. All he saw between shadows and fins were occasional glimpses of the beast’s smooth dark hide. He could only hope the murky cloud concealed him from the predator. He knew of others who’d been eaten by this remorseless beast. Uncle Walter shut his eyes, preparing for the same fate. He cursed his careless decision to go swimming alone that morning.

Uncle Walter would always pause at this part of the story. He’d say, “It's so true what they say about your whole life flashing before your eyes when you're about to die.”

As Uncle Walter waited to be eaten, he thought of his entire life, beginning with his first memory of his parents.

Memories of his parents made him smile, replacing his scared feelings with happiness. Then, thinking of happy memories from later in life reminded him his was ending, and he deflated in sadness. Finally, he came to the memory of deciding not to skip his swim that morning because he didn’t have a buddy. As he remembered the moment, all his muscles tensed, and he got angry at himself.

No one likes to be mad at themself for very long, though. He moved that anger onto the beast so fast he didn't even know it. With that, he came full circle back to the moment he shut his eyes and prepared for the agony of sharp teeth. Only this time, something was different. Now he was angry, not afraid. And all at once, three trains of thought collided in Uncle Walter’s mind. The first was a wave of determination to fight for his life. At that same moment, he decided to snap open his eyes, prepared to face the beast in battle. As he did, he both saw and felt the most welcome realization of all. Everything was silent and still.

The murky cloud was thinning as the dust settled back to the ocean floor.

Once again, he was alone in the vast space with only his thoughts.

Uncle Walter would stop here, chuckling before he said a final good night and left us to rest. He’d finish the story with his parting words. “And those thoughts told me to get myself back home as fast as I could swim!”

The tale of Uncle Walter’s close escape instilled a great respect for the danger of these beasts. Little One, also had a great curiosity about them. Now, finally, the day had arrived!

Standing close to the safety glass, Little One stared in awe, mouth agape, never looking away. They watched every movement of the giant animal, every turn of its body, making note of every detail. As they did, their mind dwelled on the one thing they would never know. “I wonder what such a giant beast thinks when they look at me?"

So far, the animal had watched every move Little One made, every turn of their body, seeming to note every detail.

Time seemed to freeze around the pair while they inspected each other. There almost seemed to be a sense of perception shifted, and a life forever altered, on both sides of the glass. Then, as though in mutual understanding, Little One and the animal each turned and moved along. The experience had a profound impact!

Yet, to the casual observer, it likely looked like any other day at the aquarium. It looked like every other time a small child stood on one side of the glass at the aquarium while a large fish swam in place, staring back. For a moment, each having a glimpse at the life, and perspective, of the other.

*...but, whether the story takes place inside or outside of the glass is up to you.