Mutiny in the aquarium

"Just look at them". Jemima complained. "Every day they come here parading themselves, dressed up like some kind of spectacle. As if the fish, and especially myself, care what they look like".

"What are you grumbling about now Jemi. You can't stand to see anyone happy, can you". Balthar had listened to the shark complain for two years, and although she was his best friend, he was tired of the negative vibes.

"Don't you think that they are ugly, Balthar. I mean. look at this one, long red mane on her head like a horse. That one, hair spiked up like tree leaves, and that one has horns coming out of his head. These things walk on two legs, with two dangling fins to hold their food. They stick their bulbous eyes into our faces and taunt us. They look like monsters, and how do they even breathe without being in water. Shouldn't they be dead or something"?

"I know right, but those are not horns, they use the contraption to listen to music, like the sound that they play for us at nights to keep us calm. He replied, chuckling at the image, and heartily warming up to the conversation despite his earlier sentiments. "They are mouth breathers, they have no gills like we do, they have this thing called a nose to help when their mouths are closed. It's kind of interesting". Balthar explained. He knew this because he lived in a lab with some of them before coming here.

"The large ones are bad enough, but the wee ones, they are terrible. They are noisy, smelly and rather rude. Just this morning one was eating a drippy ice cream cone, I think I heard them call it. The little tyke stuck it on the clean glistening glass and really went to town plastering the goo all over, all the while daring me, me, a shark to come get him".

"What did you do Jemima"?. Balthar asked chuckling.

"I made the most angry face that I could muster and sailed towards the little bugger. He screamed like a banshee and ran hollering for his mother". Jemima rarely smiled, but the memory was an enjoyable one.

"That was kinda mean, but some of them are really rude and deserve a little scare now and then".

"Don't you ever feel like busting outta here Balthar. I mean they have had us circling around and around in this horrid glass enclosure for a long time. I sometimes feel like I'm in a prison with no foreseeable escape".

"It's not so bad here, and the aquarium is really large. We don't really get on each other's nerves here much. I mean, we have food, clean water, human entertainment, and it is way safer in here than out there in the ocean".

"That is because you just don't have any sense of adventure, you big lunk". Daisy the large rainbow fish had just swum up with a few of her group mates.

"You do know that I could eat you all up in one swallow, right". Balthar was glad for the company of other fishes, especially when Jemima was in a foul mood.

"Then who would you hang out with when Jemi was in a really big huff. I make sure to stay in the little fish habitat when she is, in case it crosses her mind to feast on her friends". Daisy eyed Jemima as she spoke.

"Do you want to leave this place Daisy. I do miss the wide, open ocean now and then. But, how can we do that. First of all, we need water, and in case you all haven't noticed, we have no feet like the humans out there, we can't drive those things with wheels ourselves, and we can't communicate with them". Balthar was not really fond of the idea of leaving.

"No, not me. I am literally fish bait out there. This place is good enough for me. But Jemima should be out there swimming in the ocean. If she stays here much longer she will go crazy and do crazy things, like eat us or something. Right Jemi"?

Jemima was not listening. They had put an idea into her head. They had just been fed, so she would be ok for a few hours.

The aquarium was full today, lots of people were milling around, peering into the tanks and jamming their fingers at the glass, poking fun at the denizens within the glass house. Some of them were nicer, she must admit, saying kind things about fishes and wondering if they were happy in the tank. She was appreciative of the words, a little praise can lift a fish's mood.

Jemima looked on for a moment. Contemplating the plan she had formed in her head. She swam to the far end of the huge glass enclosure, then came sailing at the glass with her head, scaring the fish and people alike. She rammed her head into the glass over and over again. The startled people backed away, some stood still with fright. After the fourth or fifth hit the glass cracked and her head was bleeding a little. People ran. Security started ushering people out of the facility. Word passed along that the large shark had gone mad.

Although Jemima felt an headache coming on, she made one last effort at the glass and it shattered. Sharks, fish, ornaments and water came tumbling to the floor. The water gushed fast and furious.

The employees opened the doors wide, the drainage system was greatly overwhelmed with the tidal wave of water, and people were being washed out the door. Thankfully no one was seriously hurt. While some people saw to them, other workers were busy scooping up fish and the smaller shark Balthar. Jemima was a whole different problem. She was too large for the portable tank which they had placed the others in.

"Bring the heavy-duty nets and the large adjustable table with the straps, we have to get her to the outside open pool as quickly as possible. Keep pouring some water over her, stop the bleeding with the can of stuff over there". Someone yelled.

"What the hell is wrong with this shark anyway. I have never seen something like this happen before". The manager was busy directing everybody.

"More hands over here"" Another voice shouted. It took a lot of people to get her onto the portable table. They tried to avoid her snapping jaws.

Although Jemi was having trouble breathing, she was happy that her plan was working. As soon as they got her to the pool, she would make her escape. In the confusion, no one would, hopefully, remember to close the gate in the pool that led to the ocean. She knew it well, they had kept her there when she first got here.

She was right. They gently eased her into the pool, and before they could get to the switches, Jemima sailed through the gate and out to the open spaces of the ocean. Thankfully she was no longer bleeding, she did not want to attract unwanted attention. The shark knew that she had to find a place to be by herself for a few days so that her wound would heal. The salty water would heal her head really fast.

Jemima dived deep, and swam for a while before resurfacing. She twirled a few times, tuned around to make sure no one was chasing after her. They had tagged her, she knew. They could track her. But where she was going, it would not be easy to find her. She would get rid of it somehow.

She hoped that all her friends were ok!

At this moment, she was free!

That was all that mattered right now!

The manager and workers stood watching with their mouths open.

"Does anyone else think that that shark planned her escape. Isn't it uncanny the perfect execution of a series of fortunate events for her to be where she is right now"?

The others were shaking their heads affirmatively. Strange indeed!

N.A.