| The Long Journey Home - Introduction With this story, please disregard anything about where a fish is actually from and is they would mingle with each other. This is a story that I helped to write on Exotic Tropical Fish's Message Board, so I think that that gives me the right to publish it. Especially since it is no long on the website and it is lost. The Long Journey Home By Bala Shark, Betta, Bobar57, Dagny_T, Fishyface (That's me), Jack Dempsey, Slipft, Sparklz100, Titanicus, Umfishaholic, and Zaurusman. As the fisherman guided his boat across the lake, any more experienced fare would have noticed the ripples on the water caused by the wind, and forecasted a storm. Ralph smiled as he pulled up his second bamboo chute; a hole carved into it just the right size to trap the clown loach he was after; this one was not empty. He violently shook the tube until the two clown loaches fell out of it and into his bucket, the completion of his fish gathering mission. He inspected them carefully; between these two and the Tiger Barb, Guppy, Bala shark, Betta and Discus, this would certainly put food on the table for a week or more! With a smile, he turned his boat towards home, and proceeded across the lake. As his dingy slowly trolled back towards home, the wind increased and brought with them larger waves. He noticed this halfway across, and shuddered at the thought of a storm as he watched the dark clouds marching across the horizon. This could be bad, he thought to himself. But as he approached the shore of his home, nothing could have prepared him for the gust of wind that tore across the lake like a banshee, an nearly flipped his boat upside-down. He held fast to the small craft's sides, determined not to go overboard. He was too close to home to be toppled now, and in his mind he clung to a vision of his landlord's face when he handed him the rent in that 3rd world nation. To think that he'd abandoned his previous life for the simplicity of fishing, and to think that success was only yards away... As he approached the shore he leapt from his boat into the shallow waters to pull it ashore. He reached into the craft to grab his leftovers from a lunch on the water, then was suddenly taken aback. The bucket with his prized catch was gone! * * * Zaurusman the clown loach twitched and jerked as the tiger barb ran into him in the slosh of the bucket. Suddenly the "prison" he'd been released into was now also a fortress of instability as he fought to avoid running into the plastic walls that surrounded him. He rushed to the center of his "cell", to huddle with the others and try to stay in open water, but alas, the sloshing tore him away once again, only this time he suddenly found himself in open air before the water rushed up towards him. Past him flew a Betta; it's fins rippling in the wind before it made a splash on contact with the surface of the lake. He didn't have a moment to miss his favorite bamboo branch before he followed in its wake. Only moments later he found his prison mates before him, a few feet below the surface. They were all of them in a part of the lake they'd never traveled, and in for the adventure of a fish's lifetime. As they left the disturbed surface behind and dove deeper into the water, they all quietly wondered where they were, and what should become of them. And at that moment they formed a bond, as they were all temporarily exiled from their homes. All had a common goal: To go home. Zaurusman swam over beside Fishyface, ready to begin the group's journey home. And they all banded together, a motley group of desperate fish. They quickly took in their surroundings; they weren't on the north shore anymore. Meanwhile up on land a young boy was in his house looking at his aquarium when he realized something. That big old Jack Dempsey had to go. He was to big for his aquarium and he was terrorizing all of the other fish do to lack of space. The boy ordered him through the mail so he couldn't take him back. He wanted to get rid of him but he couldn't figure out how. Then it dawned on him "I'll take him down to the lake" he thought to himself. His parents were gone so now was the time to perform this operation. He got out his fishnet and netted the 10-inch Dempsey. He got his boots on and ran out the door and to the lake. It was starting to lightning so he had to do this fast for his own safety. He grabbed the Dempsey and kissed him on the face and said "See ya later big guy" and threw him into the water. Now the Dempsey was in a strange new place, a very big place, all alone. Which was nice because after living in a little 30g all your life with a big slob of an Oscar and a nipping little Kenyi. A little peace and quite seemed good. SPLASH! All the fish hid as quickly as possible, Titanicus the Guppy and his best buddy Dagny (Who was also a Guppy) took a little peak; there was a big fish! All the other fish were coming out slowly to see what it was, and then the Bala Shark swam forward and decided to check out this new fish. "Who goes there?" asked the Bala Shark, Umfish the Tiger Barb approached the Bala Shark as to give it some support if this fish might attack. "My name is Jack, and I'm a Jack Dempsey" the new fish replied, "Oh, Do you come in peace?" said the Bala Shark, "Sure" he replied, "Okay guys, it's all clear" The Bala Shark called out. Everybody was relieved, the Bala Shark brought over Dempsey to meet the other fish. "This fish's name is Jack, he is a Jack Dempsey, he comes in peace" the Bala Shark said, "Hi there, I'm Fishyface and this is my buddy Zaurusman, we're clown loaches" said Fishyface, "Pleasure to meet you two" Dempsey said, "I'm Bobar, I'm a Tefe Green Discus, Nice to meet you", said Bobar, All of the other fish introduced themselves and made the bond even stronger, as they would try to get back to the home waters. This would be the start of a journey for all of them. As their journey began, they came across another big ugly fish sitting behind a plant crying. Zaurusman, the clown loach went over to this big ugly fish and asked him, "why are you crying"? Then the big ugly fish replied "I am crying because my owner Debbie said I was too big for my tank, so she threw me in here". "I am a pleco named Herman and could really use a friend". Then Zaurusman said to Herman, well come on over and meet my friends; we are trying to find our way home. You are welcome to join us if you'd like. Herman was ecstatic over this and introduced himself to all the others. He joined the group and they all swam off, but for where? |
              
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