The Tale of Carrot

Chapter 4

"Stupid, young fish... Always throwing up everywhere." Finn muttered under his breath while cleaning up Carrot's 'accident'. Well, somehow cleaning.

"That stupid, young fish could hear you, father." Carrot mockingly called out from across the cave. He was staring out into the distance observing the schools of goldfish roaming though the lake.

Finn tensed up upon hearing the term 'father'. "Don't call me that. That name is reserved for a select few fish."

That instantly got Carrot's attention. "Say what now?"

Finn sighed. "Gather around your elder. It's story time, dude."

Carrot stayed put at his end of the cave.

"Come on, gather around your dear, old Finn. I don't bite; I nibble." Finn joked.

"Ugh, fine..." Carrot reluctantly swam over to Finn.

"I have some baby fish of my own." Finn started.

"What? How?" Carrot asked. "That was a terrible way to start the story, by the way."

Finn snorted. "A fish and a fish fall in love and decide one day that they're ready to start a family together, so the girl fish and guy fish get entangle-"

"That is not what I meant," Carrot shuddered. That image did not need to be in his mind. "I meant you actually had a lover? That seems too surreal."

"That's a lil' bit harsh don't ya think?" Finn continued his story. "Her name was sort of strange. As strange as your name actually."

"My name is not strange."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night," Finn patted Carrot's head as if he was a dog. "She was an exquisite beauty. Her name was Meanie."

Carrot's jaw dropped. "How is that possible? She was in the bag of fish those monstrous beings kept me in!"

"How do you think I got here? Did you think I was born here and I'm just some elderly goldfish in a lake? There weren't any goldfish in this place before that bag of fish. I was in that bag. I'm not some random fish that lived in this lake for my entire life." Finn added. "Meanie and I shagged each other before being trapped in the plastic bag.

"I did not need to know that last part." Carrot was very disgusted by Finn talking about his activities with Meanie. "I guess I just never met you in the bag. I mean, we did have to endure that pesky being shaking the bag viciously. There wasn't time to talk. I was so afraid of dying in there." Carrot explained. "So why exactly are you separated from your kids and Meanie?"

"She was taken."

Carrot was confused. "Taken by who?"

"What, not who," Finn corrected. "My family was swimming peacefully one day and suddenly, a weird figure scooped Meanie up. I never saw her again. My children were scattered after that. A few of them were also taken and some couldn't take Meanie being gone and they just swam away-including my favourite daughter, Sashimi. I tried swimming after them, but it's just so damn hard to see in this lake," Finn said in frustration. "Hence why I crashed into you and sent you bleeding away. This lake is so murky and green, but at least it's better than being kept in a tank or bag. And we're already fortunate enough to still be here. Fish have been disappearing day by day recently. Some call the things that abduct us 'Takers'."

Carrot didn't know what to say. He was absolutely freaked out now by the so called Takers. "I wonder what happens to the fish that are taken..." Carrot contemplated. "Also, I'm sorry for your loss."

"It's fine dududududude. I miss everybody and all, but I have to move on from the past. That's my motto; move on." Finn spoke softly.

"That's a pretty overrated motto. Wait... Who even has their own mottos these days?" Carrot questioned.

"Quite a large amount of life forms do. You're just one of the few who don't have their own."

"I don't need a motto to live my life," Carrot stubbornly quipped. "Well, I'm going to go for a swim. I think I'm not too injured now. I can't stand staying in the same place for a long time, it just brings back the memories of being in a see-through bag with the world surrounding me and when I couldn't do anything about it. I guess this is goodbye."

Finn looked slightly sad. "Are you sure you want to leave already?"

"Like you said before, we all need to move on with our lives. I want to explore the lake and meet more fish. Well, hope that fish won't swim away from me in fear that I'll blow up from my orange-ness."

"Is that how other fish are treating you? They're afraid of interacting with you because they think you'll explode? Kid, that's the most ridiculous thing I've heard." Finn stated.

"That's how my life has been going so far. You're literally the only one who would swim away from me upon encountering me." Carrot said gratefully. "And I thank you for that."

"No problem, little dude." Finn said with a small, sad smile on his face.

"Now, it is goodbye time for the two of us."

"Goodbye little dude. It was nice to let it all out. I mean my story, not like, urine or anything." Finn joked.

Carrot chuckled. "Bye Finn." Carrot started to head out. He swam to the opening of the cave that was isolated from the lake slowly.

Finn contemplated going with him and exploring more of the lake. What was there to lose? He already lost his family once. He won't lose a newfound friend that quickly. Maybe he could be taken by the Takers and find Meanie. He quickly swam next to Carrot.

"Actually, may I join you? I'm just isolated from the world around us and I could use a son like figure."

"Eh, why not?" Carrot's mouth twitched upward slightly. "I don't see why you had to ask me, but anyways, welcome father. No more looking into the past for the both of us."

~-~End of chapter four~-~

A/N: Yay! Sarah updated! Why didn't I update earlier than now? Answer: I was lazy. I did not "lose inspiration" (I don't get why some people do). Sorry for any spelling or grammar errors and for the shortness. Also, I think I infected my class with a cold. Everybody's sick now.