“Finding Marlin”

Author’s Note: This is a Take Ten to Write story and has not been proofread for errors. If I feel inspired or if there’s interest in the story, I’ll post a revised, edited, and extended version at a later date. Happy reading!

Prompt: “A duck detective looking for some fish he lost.” — suggested by Mary

I can’t believe that I lost him again. I had one job, and I messed up.
I guess it’s time to repeat the usual steps. First, go to the places he usually hangs out.

Now, lesser detectives might prefer to bring backup with them, but I’m experienced enough to be able to go by myself. I’m certified in multiple forms of martial arts, so I think that I’ll be able to take care of myself just fine.

As I head down to the pier, I get the usual suspicious glances. Of course everyone thinks that I’m a cop; I forgot to take off my hat. Plus, my feathers are way too smooth to be a regular down here.

Ugh, I hate getting my feathers ruffled. But I guess I don’t really have a choice.

I take off my hat and give my feathers a good shake. For good measure, I shrug as if to say ‘Just trying to keep up appearances outside the pier’. Luckily, the others relax and let me pass.

I head to the very end of the dock and look around. I notice some of the usual suspects–kois and carp at the bar, impatiently pounding their fins on the table to get the bartender’s attention; fancy goldfish dancing around for entertainment; and the sketchy barracudas at the edges, overlooking the area–but no sign of my fish.

Letting out a sigh, I call over the bartender, earning some nasty looks from the waiting fish. Luckily, as a duck, I get priority.

“Hey, have you seen Marlin lately?” I ask.

The bartender shakes his head. “Not since last week.”

I curse underneath my breath. Last week? The trail must be ice cold by now. And it’s my fault for dropping the ball. I can only hope that he’s not in any trouble. Oh, who am I kidding? Of course he’s in trouble.

“Thanks,” I tell the bartender, dipping my head before jumping into the water.

His house is next. While I don’t expect him to actually be there, I’m hoping to be able to find some clues about where he might’ve gone.

It takes me a while to get there, mostly because of the new rapids down by the forest from the flooding last night. Surprisingly, Marlin’s area is quiet; I’m used to the ruckus of families gathering for dinner around this time.

No, something’s wrong. It’s too quiet.

A loud crack makes me jump and I flutter my wings, letting out a shout. A huge monster appears through the trees, wielding a long pole as a weapon.

Now, while I may be comfortable with various forms of martial arts, none of them have prepared me for fighting an enemy of this size.

Another creature appears beside the other. This one’s smaller, and it lets out a high-pitched shriek as it jumps and claps and points at me.

I’m not proud of what happens next, but I’ll defend myself by saying that I wouldn’t be any use to Marlin if I ended up in a duck pie.

Final Comments: This one was a lot of fun. I didn’t really have any idea what I was going to write in the beginning, but as I went along I started forming more of a story in my mind. If I were to write this type of story for real, I’d definitely do some research though.

Overall Rating: 😆