He dreamt of the ocean, the big blue sea. It’s where he wanted to be. Instead, he was stuck in a glass bowl. He swam in circles, day after day. He ate the five or six bland food pellets each morning, and he hid under his plastic castle whenever danger approached. He longed to be free. So when the time was right, for freedom, he jumped. He hit the hard cold surface, and the realization struck that he would not survive. As he lay there suffocating, he heard footsteps approaching. He was scared, but this time there was no castle to hide under. He had no choice but to let himself be scooped up and dropped back inside his bowl. The water warmed his scales. He took a deep breath as he hid under his plastic castle. The castle’s walls provided him with comfort and made him feel sheltered. He was back in his fishbowl, but this time at home.
Julia Aguilar-Pan
