Frederick had always wondered what life was like outside the bowl. It drove his wife Lynda mad. But Frederick couldn’t help it. The way the morning sunlight refracted through the bowl filled his mind with a curiosity that would go unsated.
Back at the pet shop it was the same. Frederick was the one who would throw himself against the glass, always eager for another glance at the children that would tap his tank for a reaction. Their world seemed huge through the magnified glass, specially ordered from the supplier to make his stock seem bigger than what they were. Frederick thought that maybe there was room for a fish such as himself in that world. When Frederick was finally taken, the remaining fish breathed an audible sigh of relief that made the pet shop owner think the filters were playing up again. A forward thinking fish such a Frederick was bad for morale.
When he met Lynda he was just a small fry, full of hopes and dreams that were just too worldly for the likes of a goldfish. Lynda was at least a month older than Frederick, and she let him know it. Lynda soon brought him back to reality. She convinced him to settle down, quit dreaming, and start a family with her. He was a tad disappointed when she ended up eating their young. He started to dream again.
All day long he would stare through the reflection of himself through to the world outside. There was a vase of tulips on the table by the window. Frederick used to stay awake at night dreaming of what a tulip smelt like, forgetting the small fact he had no olfactory senses. As he swam slowly back to the plastic castle where he and Lynda had made their home, Frederick fought back the tears that would come despite the ph balance of the bowl. He was an unhappy fish.
One day he approached Lynda as she was feasting on the mildew that covered the pebbles at the base of the bowl. He told her in a steady voice that he was leaving. He knew that Lynda had done her best by him, but there was something that Frederick just couldn’t ignore. His dreams.
Lynda raised her eyebrows at Frederick, but given that goldfish have a permanently startled expression this had little effect. She shook her head sadly at Frederick. She knew his mind was made up. Lynda watched him as he swam slowly to the edge of the bowl. At least now she would have a chance to crack onto the plastic scuba diver that had been giving her the eye.
Frederick was quivering with excitement. His lips broke the surface of the water and he felt the dryness of the air touch them. It was at this auspicious moment that he remembered he hadn’t packed his lip balm.
Without a backward glance at Lynda who was batting her see-through eyelids at the scuba diver, Frederick flipped himself out the tank. As he soared through the air, he opened his mouth to taste the freedom that enveloped him. He landed in one of the tulips, and lay there flipping for a few moments. His last thoughts were reflecting that tulips were incredibly overrated. He was a fish you know.
Conrad Stryker
‘He was a tad disappointed when she ended up eating their young. He started to dream again.’
I got a kick out of this. Hell, I got a kick out of the whole piece. The tone reminds me alot of Vonnegut (Or, maybe Doug Adams) and that’s a very good thing.
The only thing I might note is that the last line seems a little extemporaneous. By the time I reached the second paragraph, I’d already figured out that Fred was a fish. The line before that, about his last thoughts regarding tulips, was already a pitch-perfect ending to the piece.
LeislEgan
Hey thanks! I agree about the last line, I meant it to underline the absurdity that a fish would even strive for freedom, rather than clue in the already informed reader. Glad you liked it.
Ruth Anne McCa...
I liked the tone of this piece very much. The humorous spin on a sad event was refreshing. Great work!
Gary Murison
Nice work. You have a great talent for prose. Best wishes
Philip Rogan
Very sad really, true the world is tough on romantic dreamers like Frederick. Poor bastard.
keet
WELL DONE,SWEET WORDS…..10 OUT OF 10.
yt sumner
oh this is so awesome. I laughed out loud a few times, and not just because I have unhappy fancy goldfish. Some of those lines made me feel very jealous that I hadn’t thought them up. gold.
ArcadiaTempest
This was funny, ironic, entertaining, a really wonderful fishy ‘tail’. :))) Your simple lines that spoke volumes – treasure bowls :) x
Cathryn Swanson
An enjoyable read.
Poor Frederick :0
BlaizerB
a really fun read.,
cheers
Brian Humek
I loved this. Loved the eat their young line, the lip balm, the living in the castle. Great understated humor.
Thanks for sharing,
Brian
Lisa Jewell
Exceptional writing, you’ve entwined this tale superbly..
Rex Inkpen
thank you, a very silly, funny, faux tragic piece.
Narcissus17
those hilarious lines go well with all the other stuff. He was a fish you know.. that was brilliant- thanks!
dimarie
Brilliant!
You have a great talent for words :)
Margaret Harris
Love your sense of humor…very entertaining…talented writer…Thankyou
jenxie
kept me interested- nice.
Mardra
“He was a tad disappointed when she ended up eating their young.” I know it’s been pointed out already, but . . . that’s fr#@kin’ brilliant :)
jemmanyagah
Ha have never gone there imagining the life of a goldfish. Enough trying to figure out humanity.. :)
Johnsart
Brilliant story.
Steve Malcomson
Cool story! ironic, funny, romance, cannibalism, tulips… it has it all.
samsprinkle
I HAD to favorite this. It’s satire left me chuckling. My only complaint was the last line. It was not necessary.
Karen Hazelwood
This is really good. It’s a great little story full of humor and insight. It would make a nice little children’s story. I’m sure you’ve thought of it. I’ll have to check out more of your writings.
Good one!
Karen
Cassidy JK (Ra...
She convinced him to settle down, quit dreaming, and start a family with her. He was a tad disappointed when she ended up eating their young.
OMG. HAHAHA. This is a really awesome fish tale.