Water Games

“What’s it going to be, sister? You in or you fold?” the sinister sounding voice asked.

“Oh, knock it off, Max,” Cassandra said to the ugly looking Fangtooth. “You’re just mad because I bluffed your pair of aces last month and took home the pot.”

“Fold or play,” Max said. “Pick one.”

“It’s no wonder they call you the ogre of the deep sea, you nasty creature. For such a small specimen, you have a rather large mouth.”

“And for such a little ballerina, you have become quite a large pain in the -“

“Okay, enough you two,” interrupted Jackson, the forty-foot giant squid. “We’re here to play, not to trump the juvenile antics of newly hatched eggs.”

The jellyfish spun gracefully in the water, her translucent membranes swirling around her. She raised a perfectly plucked brow at the Fangtooth, “I see your ten gold coins, and raise you fifteen more.”

“I’m out,” the gulper eel, Clarence said, throwing down his cards on the rough coral table.

Jackson looked at his cards, each held with a different arm, “As am I.” I can’t chance this one.

“So Max, what’s it going to be, fold or play,” Cassandra taunted. “Pick one.”

“I just can’t read you. I fold. You win. Besides, it’s not like you can actually spend those here.”

Cassandra grabbed the gold coins. “Perhaps, but I’m holding out for that tiara you scooped off the Titanic.”

“That will never be yours,” Max replied. “That one stays in my stash.”

A large shadow fell over the table.

“Hi Mom,” Cassandra smiled up at the lion’s mane jellyfish floating beside the table.

“Hello, sweetheart. Boys. The weekly cloudy day card game, I see?”

“Yes aunt Bella, Cassandra just won again. She seems to be having quite a streak of good luck lately,” Max grumbled.

Cassandra smiled around the table with a fair amount of arrogance. “And I’m the lead ballerina tonight in our Salt Lake production.”

Max rolled his eyes, “And it’s so nice of you to tell us, I’m sure we didn’t get it the first ten times you told us all.”

“That’s why I’m here dear,” Cassandra’s mother said. “With the cloud cover over the sea, we can do an earlier performance. It will get dark down here sooner than usual today. That will allow for some of the young ones to come and watch. It is a school night and they shouldn’t be up too late.”

“You are all coming to see me, aren’t you?” Cassandra asked around the table.

“Of course we are princess,” Clarence chuckled. “Wouldn’t miss it for the all the underwater world.”

“Princess!” Max sputtered. “More like drama queen! I can’t wait until they do Rivershark and Jellynose. Then you’ll see her spew some drama.”
“Oh, you’re hilarious Max. Lucky you’re family or I’d spew some venom across the table just to shut you up.”

“Enough!” Bella demanded. “Come on Cassy, let’s go get you ready for your debut.”

“Okay. Thanks guys. I heard there’s more clouds coming on Thursday, shall we meet here again?”

“Sounds good,” Max replied and the others nodded their approval.

Max stopped Cassandra just as she was beginning to swim away. “Hey Cassy, you forgot something.”

She halted, hovering a few feet from the table as he swam towards her.

“Here, you’ll need this. You can’t be a princess without a crown.”

And her eyes sparkled brighter than sunbeams on the ocean’s surface as he placed the treasured tiara on her head.


583 words