"I can see you're unfamiliar with your ability to communicate with sea creatures," chuckled the British crab. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Horatio Thelonious Ignacious Crustaceous Sebastian Pacifignus Ardetemis Hans Isaac Mercutio James Percival Angus Harold. But আপনি can just address me as Harold."
"Oh my God, I must be dreaming," Ariana pinched herself. "Crabs don't talk."
"Well, evidently they do," Harold insisted. "Darling, in the great scheme of things আপনি have only two options: accept that I am a কাঁকড়া and I am speaking to you. অথবা come to terms with the fact that আপনি may be mentally ill."
"The first one please," Ariana sighed. "So, um, do আপনি talk to people often?" She struggled to make sense with this bizarre situation.
"Of course not, আপনি silly girl," he snorted. He crawled onto a branch and looked up at her. "Crabs and humans can't communicate!"
"Now you're trying to mess with me," Ariana was becoming frustrated. "I'm a human and we're talking."
"Are আপনি sure about that?"
"Am I sure we're talking? Not really but I'd rather just believe that I've met a talking কাঁকড়া than assume I'm a total lunatic!" Ariana exclaimed.
"I meant, are আপনি sure you're human?" Harold inquired.
"Okay, now you're just being creepy so I'm gonna head home," Ariana hurried onto her bike and rode off.
The পরবর্তি morning, the sun shone through her bedroom window and she woke up to a clean slate. She dismissed her memory of Harold as a mere dream...which became increasingly hard to do as he was now sitting on her window ledge staring at her.
"For such a pretty little thing, আপনি sure snore like a truckdriver." Harold laughed.
Ariana screamed. "Get out of here! What do আপনি want from me?" There was a knock on her bedroom door. Jane peeked her head in.
"Honey, we need to talk about আপনি running off last night," Jane entered the bedroom. "Your Dad and I were really worried..."
Ariana grabbed Harold and hid him in the laundry hamper. "Oh, right...like আপনি even care about me? I heard আপনি and Dad talking about something dangerous and how I need to know. If আপনি don't tell me, how am I supposed to ever trust you?"
"It's complicated, Ariana," replied her mother. "Please try and understand. We want what's best for you. And sometimes as a parent, we have to decide when it's the right time to tell আপনি certain things...and your father's not sure you're ready..."
"I hate that আপনি guys are treating me this way," cried Ariana. "I have a right to know whatever it is আপনি two are keeping from me. And don't try to tell me nothing's wrong because very strange things have been happening to me recently."
Jane's eyes filled with tears. Ariana just shrugged and started getting dressed for school. As she walked to school, Harold crawled out of her purse. "Ugh, আপনি again?"
"I don't think you'd be so rude to me if আপনি knew that I know what your mother and father are hiding from you," smirked the little crab.
"What?" Ariana was intrigued. "Please tell me you're joking. A কাঁকড়া knows আরো about my life than I do?"
"You won't believe me if I tell you, I'm afraid," answered Harold.
"I'm talking to a crab," Ariana ব্যক্ত flatly. "I'd believe anything আপনি told me at this point."
"Well, let me ask আপনি this," Harold began to question, "How much do আপনি know about your biological parents?"
"Nothing really," Ariana answered. "My grandfather found me abandoned at the সৈকত when I was less than a বছর old. My adoptive parents wanted a baby but couldn't have one so he gave me to them and I've lived here with them my whole life."
Harold grinned. "Then I was right all along."
"About what?"
"It was fate that আপনি found me on the সৈকত last night," Harold exclaimed. "The moment I saw that seashell locket you're wearing, I knew আপনি were the one I've been looking for..."
"What are আপনি talking about?"
"Ariana, you're a mermaid."
(End Of Part 3)
