Untold Stories: Animals

Salmons

The cold stream of the sea is nothing to her, for the instinct have dominated her mind. All of her might is directed to one goal, creating offspring. An instinct that all animals on earth have it, planted deep in their heart. An undeniable need, no matter how big is the cost. A protocol that can't be broken, a hidden desire.

Her fins and tail wiggle to one direction, the river. Mating season is coming and the sea isn't friendly to new-borns. A life-changing journey that every salmon must go through in time. A tradition that have been passed down from generations to generations from thousands of years ago.

Misuko, the soon-to-be reproducing mother, struggling her way to the upstream. She has no choice as her conscience force her to do the tradition of salmons. With her fellow species, they swim blindly, just their instinct.

The high demand of sushi in Japan raises the level of danger she's having. Not counting the predators who loves to chew on their tender flesh. Their stomach rumbles, just with a faint scent of a drop of blood in the middle of the vast ocean. It turns on their primal instinct to rip out some flesh.

Misuko and other salmons are swimming together against the stream. With the agility and great determination, they try to enter the river bank. Parkouring between the lowered fish lines with their delicious fat worms, the temptation is really attractive. Those who have rumbling stomach that overpowered their mind found themselves stuck with an iron piercing the tempted lips. Sheets of nylon white nets entrap some big fat salmons which didn't watch their surroundings. The school of salmon is being reduced little by little, losing it's reckless members one by one.

The water have shifted from salty to bland. They have already been freed from the cruel cold ocean. The river went through a slightly dense forest. It's getting swallow little by little with more obstacle to pass through. Wrinkling grey pebbles with some skinny brown dead branches are ready to hit those who are unprepared. Not mentioning the rusty metallic trash that ready to pierce their fins and flesh. Stupid humans throw away their trash into the poor rivers, carrying it to places far far away. Plastic, metal, and even organic excess of human life cover the bottom like a carpet. Oh.... Homo sapiens, hath you forgotten that thou are only one of the millions of species on planet earth? Ah... the immense ignorance.

"Hey! I got a salmon!" Said by a fourteen-year old boy to his old father. Some people are sitting at the edge of the river, hoping for their lucky catch of the day. A wide variety of fishing rods and tasty baits, lining up for fishes dumb enough to eat their mischievous baits. Humans.... Giving something they love to eat so you can eat them later. Indeed, they're fit for survival, with the help of various tools.

Poor Misuko got distracted by one of the wiggly shinny colorful attractive artificial bait. At the last second, she avoided it but the metal hook leaves a painful scar. She slowly swims away, trying to recover her strength. Drop by drop, her blood diffuses with the water. She's lucky  for her scar isn't fatal. After a few pain-inducing minutes, her blood finally stop dripping. Despite the pain, Misuko is still determined with her dangerous journey.

A quarter of the salmon group have fallen in their journey. Due to traumatizing kidnappings or bloody murders by razor-sharp terrifying jaws. And yet, those who survives still continue their mission. No one stops to grief or swims back to the ocean after giving up.Dangerous predators and life-threatening monsters won't put off their flame of courageous spirit. Any kind of obstructions can be easily ignored as they swim.

Upstream they go, defying the law of gravity. If Isaac Newton saw them in action, he might change his theory on gravity. Up, up, and away! A waterfall? No problem. With a few leaps they jumped over it. Some of them need to try for more than ten times before they eventually did. Sadly, someone is waiting for them on top of the waterfall. Heavy damp fur won't stop this hungry bear from chewing some flesh. The smell of fresh salmons made the bear's mouth full of saliva. His firm position with the head lowered a little.  It's wide-open mouth is ready to chomp on some chewy body. One salmon leaps and fly, piercing through the air. But sadly it ends up as a meal as it fly directly to the bear's mouth. "Nom nom nom." One bear's need is satisfied. And that's just one bear, there's are still other ones, not counting the other types of predators.

Misuko is truly one lucky salmon. She missed all of the deadly jaws and sharp claws. Comrades falls one by one, grinded with sharp teeth and dismantled with deadly acid of the stomach. A long with other salmons, they heads to the promised place. Their faith is strong within them.

They are overwhelmed with some scent. At last, they have arrived. A calming stream with the perfect temperature. They dug some holes here and there, making the soon-to-be nesting place. Misuko hovers around one of the holes, laying fragile pink eggs. She waits by the eggs until the male fertilizes it. After they're finished, they sweep some brown mushy soil to cover up the eggs.

Of course, Misuko and the remaining salmons swims back to the ocean. But can they go back safely or being obliterated in the middle of the way? Well, who knows? Their life had been waged since the beginning. And once their offspring grow up into a healthy adult salmon, they will repeat the same brutal ritual as their parents and ancestors have done. Do they have any choice? The answer is no. Will they come back to the vast ocean alive and well? Who knows? It is a life-threatening mandatory journey of a salmon. Can't we just, as humans, appreciate and even( if possible) learn a thing or two from their determination to survive?