The tank was crowded, a small world confined and teeming with life. Fins fluttered, and scales shimmered under the harsh, artificial light. The monotonous hum of bubbling water was ever-existing. Finn flicked his tail in frustration. Every day, every hour, every breath felt heavy. The tank was a prison, a suffocating space where hope dissolved with every ripple. Trapped behind the blurry glass, Finn longed for something more, for a glimpse of a world beyond his reach. But here, within these cold, narrow walls, there was no escape. Only the endless churn of the same, stagnant existence.

His partner, Pearl, swam nearby. Her bright red scales were a sharp contrast against the dull crowd. In this suffocating, lifeless world, she was the one flicker of light that kept him going. The only boon in the bane of his existence, Pearl was the single grace in this bleak life. She was a quiet reminder that, even in the darkest places, there could still be a hint of something more.

Finn glanced at Pearl. Sensing his gaze, she returned a gentle smile–the only tether holding him to this god-forsaken existence. He had never seen a god, but he knew the devil all too well. He had watched the world turn upside down for his tank mates. Their souls shattered the moment their partner was taken by the giants. What remained were hollow, empty eyes–soulless beings adrift in a cruel, indifferent world. Finn couldn’t wish such a fate on even his worst enemies. To see the light leave someone’s life, to watch them wither into nothingness–it was terrifying. And soon, they would give up, leaving behind nothing but a lifeless carcass, forgotten at the bottom of the tank.

And then, one day, everything changed.

A giant hand loomed above them, casting a dark shadow over the water. Finn swam away instinctively, but it was too late. A net scooped him up, and every breath became excruciatingly painful. He flapped his fins in a desperate attempt to escape, but there was no water to push against. In that moment, he realized that the world he had longed for was not the paradise he had imagined. It was a suffocating trap, and this would be his final breath.

Moments later, he was plunged back into water. It felt foreign and oppressive. Everything was stark white. There was no space to swim, no freedom to move. The water was barely enough for him to breathe, each gasp was a reminder of the nightmare he had entered.

He looked around, desperate to find some familiarity among the chaos. Two black fish swam nearby, their eyes wide with fear, but none were recognizable. Panic surged within him—where was Pearl? This is it! he thought, dread settling in his stomach.

Just then, he heard a splash. His heart raced as he turned to see. It was her! Pearl! He swam to her, joy flooding his senses, but that happiness vanished as quickly as it had come. Finn’s eyes darted around, anxiety creeping in again. Would Pearl also suffer in this bleak place? She was on the verge of tears, yet she maintained a strong facade. “Don’t worry, we’ll get out of this.” she said, her voice steady but gentle.

The thought of what she had already endured was painful. For the first time, Finn wished he was alone. He couldn’t fathom Pearl enduring this nightmare alongside him. And the weight of that possibility pressed heavily on his heart. Her voice, filled with optimism, felt like a fragile thread in the face of the dark reality surrounding them. He longed to shield her from the horrors they might face. The uncertainty hung thick in the air, as a constant reminder of their grim predicament.

As Pearl completed her sentence, a strong current swept them into a black void. “Pearl! Pearl! Can you hear me?” Finn called out, panic rising in his voice. “I can’t see you!”

“I’m here! I’m here!” he heard Pearl’s voice somewhere amidst the screeching of other fishes searching for their loved ones.

“Stay where you are! Don’t move!” he shouted, desperation clawing at him. “We don’t know what could happen next!”

“Yes, yes, I won’t move” she replied, her voice quivering, as fear lingered in the air around them.

Soon, a faint stream of light pierced through the darkness from above. Finn could hear the rhythmic sound of water dripping slowly. Drip, drip, drip… As his eyes adjusted to the light, he frantically searched for Pearl. When their eyes finally met, he rushed towards her. in the small, confined space, it didn’t take long for her calming fins to touch his. It filled him with a sense of relief and connection amidst the chaos.

Finn finally took a moment to survey his surroundings. Fearful faces surrounded him. He spotted two other couples nearby. One was a pair of jet-black fish, and the other was a set of vibrant orange fish. They all appeared to be from different tanks, their eyes filled with wariness as they exchanged glances. One of the black females had a stunning, moon-shaped fin, and Finn noticed her swollen belly, suggesting she was pregnant. Sensing the aggression radiating from the black-tailed couple, Finn and Pearl instinctively moved a little farther away, their hearts racing with unease.

After what felt like endless hours, light flooded the tiny area, illuminating everything around them. Suddenly, a strong current swept them into a new space. Finn felt it instantly–the cool, open water of a pond filled with the fresh scent of sunlight. As he was propelled by the current, he bumped into a soft surface. It was a small shoot of a plant eagerly reaching for the light.

He looked around the pond, noting that except for this single shoot, it was barren. The bottom was covered in soft soil and dotted with a few stones. Moss clung to the rocks and the surface of the walls. In the shadows below, a dark abyss loomed where sunlight could not penetrate.

Besides the six of them, there was no one else in sight. The pond was eerily quiet, with no sounds echoing in the distance. Finn sensed Pearl hovering beside him, and they exchanged smiles–a fleeting moment of joy amidst the uncertainty that surrounded them.

The days passed slowly at first. Finn and Pearl explored every inch of the pond, darting through the ripples and resting on the smooth stones beneath the water. There were no barriers to confine them, and the sunlight filtering through the surface felt warm against their scales. The dark abyss snaked around the pond’s border like a tunnel, offering perfect hiding spots for retreat.

Despite their newfound freedom, Finn couldn’t shake the feeling of emptiness–just the barren soil, clear water, and pervasive silence. Still, it was undeniably better than the crowded tank.

Yet, as time went on, something began to change.

More green shoots began to appear along the pond’s bottom. These tiny, fragile plants soon grew taller and sturdier, reaching towards the surface. Leaves unfurled, and thin tendrils stretched gracefully across the water. The barren pond was slowly coming to life. Algae and moss coated the rocks in a soft green fuzz, while the plants swayed gently in the natural currents, creating a peaceful shelter.

Laughter filled the air as tiny black-tailed fish darted about, hiding and playing everywhere. Finn could hear Coral, who was pregnant again, scolding her youngest—the little one had inherited her mother’s striking jet-black moon-shaped fin. The once-empty pond had transformed into a vibrant world of its own, alive with colour and energy.

Finn swam along, enjoying the morning scenery, with Pearl always by his side. They had space now–the space to explore, to rest, to truly enjoy the life surrounding them. The murky tank felt like a distant memory, and this–this felt like home. He couldn’t quite explain it, but as he glided through the newly transformed world, a sense of belonging enveloped him. In that moment, he knew it–this was home.

— The End —