The glass elevator dropped slowly, the lights dimmed as the view turned black then watery..glowing blue as they dropped into the sea. The tour guide stared blankly at the old man behind me, a rather stiff example of the species. He wore his mustache like a bowtie strapped above his lips. It twitched whenever he was going to sneeze..which he had for most of our tour. She, the tour guide, was staring at that mustache. Transfixed. But then the music started. Soft..typical elevator music, and she began. The tourguide burst into her introduction with far more fervor than what was required in this tiny glass elevator. Her voice was nasally, and far too well practiced. Still I listened. " And now as you see we have dropped into the ocean and all around you are the natural sights of the sea and its inhabitants. Dont be alarmed if you see anything unusual, the glass of the elevator is quite sound. " A small child pressed his face so firmly into the afor mentioned glass that it looked painful from my perspective. He made a small gasp, that sounded more like wet rubber as his lips slid with the movement of his body.He looked back toothly at his proud mother. " Mama! Its a Bananatee!" " Yes dear, its a lovely Manatee." She cooed. Our fellow passengers chuckled on cue. I couldnt stop staring at the saliva dripping from where our young budding marine biologist had pressed his face to the elevator wall. Then there was a blur. I looked closely, pushing junior gently out of the way and pressed my palms against the glass. Surely I had seen movement? I looked in the direction, expecting to see a school of tuna or a ray slide into view. There it was again. The tour guide was moving on, explaining different parts of the ocean. She directed everyones attention to a thriving patch of coral reef and everyone, but me..pressed against the opposite wall. My eyes remained glued in the direction of the blur. There it was again! I looked harder now. " Isnt the coral reef amazing" the tour guide said dispassionately. " Who cares about the coral, theres something out here..." I muttered. They werent listening. Annoyed by this, I turned my head and repeated myself. Again nothing. I restored my gaze to the view behind us..and gasped. My hands were white against the glass of the elevator. The blur was no longer a blur. It was a shape now. A long, curved, watery shape. The shape of a woman, though the most peculiar woman Ive ever seen. Her own palms were pressed against the glass towards me, and she peered at me sadly. Her skin shone, wet within the wet. Her hair glowed, a halo of movement around her face. All at once I wished the damned elevator glass was paper, so I could escape and swim away with her. There was such longing in her eyes. She very nearly smiled as I cleared my throat and made a mistake. I announced her to the others. " Theres..a woman..a seawoman." " Young man," replied the mustacheman gruffly," must you keep interupting." " Im bloody serious..theres a woman right here.." I turned from her, her eyes went gray as I did..and I tapped the mustache man on the shoulder. " Look" I said proudly. He did indeed, first at me, and that towards the glass. He was not amused. I knew before looking that she was gone. All I could do was shrug at the man. " Maybe it was a patch of seaweed?" inkraven words - self photo - self model - self boy Im selfish.