[The Day Log of an Adopted Fish]

I spent my time writing on this instead of finding time to write my blog, so I decided to make it useful and be my blog. I will make edits to this version when I fix up my draft, so if you'd like to see the final project, be sure to check back for the polished edition. The title is still up for debate, but this is the one I liked best so far. I hope you like what I wrote. It's only supposed to be a short story, so it moves fast. I had to squeeze a lot of plot into a short time frame.

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August 21st

The Ol' Switcharoo

     I swear that one day, they're gonna start putting innocent fish in prison for taking a leak in your neighbour's algae garden; the world was just that hectic.

     It's like this morning. I woke up in some stranger's home with some other fish I've never met. I never thought it'd happen, but I'd been adopted and I had to face it now. The fact kinda hit me like a ton of bricks, though. It must've happened sometime while I was asleep.

     They had pulled the "Ol' Switcharoo" on me.

August 22nd

A Human Thing

     Today, I met two boys, Jack and Alex. They were exactly two years apart, Jack being the older brother. From the chatter I overhear, both me and the stranger that resides in the bowl with me were their birthday gifts.

     Jack, the older boy, liked me for my silver colour and orange-red tinged fins and decided to claim me as his. He decided my name to be Michael.

     Alex quite liked the other fish's almost transparent body colour because he found it astounding to be able to see his spine and named him Jordan.

     When he did, the two adults laughed. Then, the two boys joined in. There must've been something funny about Jordan's name, but whatever it was, I did not quite understand it.

     Must've been a human thing.

August 23rd

Jenny

     Today, the adults let Jack and Alex begin to feed us. When they dropped the food at the top of the bowl, I rushed to the colourful flakes and munched on them. Jordan, however seemed to fear the kids. Maybe he just wasn't used to them, yet. I left some of the food flakes for him to eat, but he stayed near the bottom of the bowl until Jack and Alex left. I asked him why he did and he just told me that he didn't trust him like he did Jenny, the girl who took care of us at the shop with the bright lights.

     Do I have any reason to trust the boys either? The food I ate could have been poisonous. These people could have sick and twisted minds and adopt fish only to poison and kill them. Maybe I'm just over thinking this ordeal.

     One thing for sure is that I miss Jenny, too.

August 24th

Trust

     The boys started school today and their mother fed us this morning while they were away. She looked a lot like Jenny and had her same light brown coloured hair which must've explained why Jordan was less hesitant to swim to the top of the bowl to eat.

     Jack was entering the eighth grade today. He came home with a lot of schoolwork and Alec did as well, or at least more than he was used to since he just started middle school.

     While they were busy with homework, the mother decided that she would feed us tonight as well.

     I think I can trust her.

August 25th

Forgotten

     The mother's summer break ended today and she started up work again. She left for work earlier than the boys did for school and came home late, too.

     No one fed us at all today. Jordan and I are really miserable right now seeing as there is no food in us. I'm in a lot of pain right now, and I'm sure that Jordan is, too.

     I feel so forgotten.

August 26th

Bliss in Death

     This morning, I couldn't seem to find Jordan anywhere. The father realised that no one fed us yesterday. He put extra flakes in the bowl for us to make up for it.

     When I swam up to eat, though, I saw Jordan belly-up. I was devastated and didn't want to eat. But my hunger took over and I knew that I would die too if I didn't.

     I guess it's kinda cheesy to say that Jordan was in a better place now, but it was true. His death ended his pain, just starving like he did.

     I guess that there is bliss in death.

August 27th.

Goodbye

     Today, I overhead Jack say that he would clean the bowl before he started his schoolwork. I guess he felt conscious about feeding me now that Jordan was gone.

     When he puts me in the sink, I'm gonna jump. I'm afraid that Jack and Alex might forget to feed me again and I'd starve like Jordan. I don't think I'm strong enough to be able to take that pain again. I'd rather die swiftly and effortlessly than fight starvation and deal with the excruciating feeling in my gut from the other night.

     This is my last post.

     Goodbye.