Just below the Surface

She stared through the glass into the deep, dark eyes of the sun-colored fish. The fish stared back, watching her with an intensity that penetrated the membrane of her irises and left her feeling naked and vulnerable. A chill rushed through the woman's body as she tried to pry her eyes away from this strange creature. She shifted her gaze slightly and was captivated by the myriad of moving colors circling the tank. They danced around the sun-colored fish with a grace and humility worthy of a queen. The woman stood motionless, mesmerized by the fluidity of movement before her eyes. She knew that not many other people in the room were paying attention to the antics of the aquatic life. Their attention was focused on the bustling activity in the crowded lobby. The food. The wine. The static. There was a time when she reveled in this kind of activity. A time when the noise and fake smiles fueled her with excitement and energy. A time when she would have been too busy to notice anything outside of herself. But that was before she almost lost everything that mattered to her. Now, as she stood in the middle of chaos, all she knew was that she longed for the promise of freedom and serenity offered to her by the hypnotic eyes of the creature behind the glass.