The boy put a finger to his lips and pointed to the Merlion playing in the sea. They watched for a bit, deciding what to do next. They felt too weak to follow straight away and so the pair let it go, hoping for another sighting the following day. Then they would follow and find the full pack.
So they ate, missing the Merlion disappear, slept, then waited on the beach, their eyes on the sea waiting for their quarry. When it returned, the boy returned to the Merlion’s back and the pair swam out to sea, keeping a safe distance, waiting for their chance.
It came when the Merlion went under and didn’t surface. The Merlion hesitated, not knowing how long they might be underwater but the boy assured him it would be okay and they followed in pursuit, seeing the other Merlion enter a dark tunnel far below the surface of the sea.
The explorers entered the tunnel, the Merlion moving quickly along the pitch dark tunnel’s length looking to minimise the amount of time the boy had to hold his breath and so hoping it would be straight and not too long.
For the boy the tunnel seemed infinitely long. He thought of his father and if he’d ever see him and his home again, hoping it would not be too long a wait to breathe again.
Fortunately it was not and the pair emerged into the lagoon from which the zookeeper had once stolen the Merlion.
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