Pond People

Flash had been at the top of the bowl when the hand appeared.

After a day skulking in the weed, the temptation to stretch his tail had been too strong to resist. Molly’s warning reached him, but he was too far away to grab the weed before it left the tank. He’d have no trouble following the others on a fish.

He thought he’d try riding Goldie, the fairground fish, but she had been spooked by the hand in the water and wasn’t about to suffer a mirling on her back. After Goldie threw him, he dropped instead to the pond fish at the bottom.

A plastic bag appeared at the surface. Water flowed in, and it was removed.

The tiny net easily scooped up the lethargic pond fish and Flash, tucked behind the pectoral fin of the black one lately named Shadow. They were tipped into the water-filled bag, which now rested in a jug on the table.

He settled at the bottom of the bag until Goldie joined them and the bag was tied at the top to be floated in the tank.

Eddy was first up to investigate. ‘Are you OK, mate? Can you get out of there?’

Flash waved out and grinned at Eddy as Molly joined them.

‘He doesn’t look particularly worried.’ She eyed him through the bag. ‘You’ve seen this before, haven’t you?’

He would have liked to see Flo out there worrying too, but it was Walter who swam up next. ‘The man’s gone. What’s Flash doing in there?’

He relented. ‘Don’t worry, Walt. He’ll be back to let us out when our water temperature’s the same as the tank’s. It’s what they did in the pet shop.’

Molly nodded. ‘The cold water did make us gasp. Grandad’s still gasping.’

That would be where Flo was, looking after Grandad.

Eddy stayed to make faces through the bag, and Flash was glad of the company. It helped pass the time and stopped him thinking of the pet shop.

When the kitchen light came on, Eddy hid in the weed while Father untied the bag and let its water mingle with the tank’s. Flash wanted to shoot out to freedom but held back and tucked himself under Shadow’s fin.

It took all his self-control. The carroty Flipper rallied in the fresher water and swam a short way before settling on the gravel, but Shadow didn’t swim out. Father shook her from the bag when he pulled it from the water, and the black fish sank to the gravel floor.

At the bottom of the tank, Flash left Shadow’s shelter and joined the other mirlings where they had gathered behind a stone.

He was too exhausted to stay awake for long. The others were already asleep when he gave up trying and slept as if he were safe back in the pond.

Molly was relieved to be out of the bowl and no longer exposed on every side.

Behind the tank was a wall, and the mirlings could move around behind plants and stones without being seen.

Molly told Amber they should stay out of sight at the back when the family were in the kitchen. She hoped the others were taking notice.

Shadow roused herself from the gravel as the morning brightened, and Molly’s spirits lifted too. She recognised the little black fish as one of last season’s hatchlings. Bethany was the first of the family to notice Shadow’s revival and shrieked the news to the rest of the house.

Even with so many places to hide, Molly was uncomfortable with the attention the tank received. It wasn’t only Bethany; Andre had resumed his search for the baby fish that didn’t swim like other fish. He would stare into the tank until the whites of his eyes reddened, and even Flash was careful to stay out of sight.

Flo confided to Molly that she quite liked Andre, even if he was human. ‘But his eyes are m-making me nervous. I wish he’d stop looking for us.’

But as time passed, the children spent less time staring into the tank. Molly began to relax and take in her surroundings.

When evening came, the family moved into another room. Venturing to the front of the tank, Molly’s eyes were drawn to the window, still bright in the kitchen’s half-light.

She imagined herself out there, watching through the water as the sky darkened, but the longing became too much to bear. Turning away, she saw other eyes reflecting the window’s light.

‘This would be a good time to practise swimming on our sides so that our swim thrusts look more fishlike.’

Flash rolled his eyes and shook his head sadly.

She vowed to keep her thoughts to herself in future and swam out to put as much distance between them as the tank allowed.

She found swimming on her side was easy in short bursts but keeping it up confused her sense of direction.

Grandad couldn’t get the hang of it at all, but he didn’t swim much anyway. The others were soon swimming almost as fast on their good side as they did normally.

Flash, of course, swam equally well on either side, although he clearly resented being told to by Molly.

But if one of them were spotted, it would put them all at risk.

At least now they could breathe properly and recover. Each had their own way of settling in.

Flash continued to swim with the fish, recklessly risking discovery and leading Eddy into danger with him. Grandad took a long time to recover from the bowl, and Flo spent much of her time fussing over him. Amber wanted to explore everything. She tired quickly, but Wally was still hard-pressed to keep track of her.

Flo prepared meals for everyone and made sure Grandad ate something. Flash and Eddy scavenged for food near the surface and brought their findings to the clearing at the back of the tank which Flo had appropriated as galley. Two hollows fashioned among the stems of the screening plants allowed Grandad to rest nearby during the day, and Flo to be on hand at night when everyone slept.

Sylva had discovered a dark area of the glass wall that threw back her reflection. Before breakfast each morning she could be found there, combing out her hair and arranging her armlets and necklaces of plaited grasses. Neither Walter nor Flash seemed to notice her efforts.

Molly had never felt so alone. She missed the sky.