The Fish Tank on Hoosac Street
The story of Boris the Blue Lobster
The day we adopted Boris the Blue Lobster, not long after Brian's 29th birthday, our fish tank (a very generous gift from our friend Nick) became a real community. Boris added color and excitement to the tank, roaming about tirelessly, like a long distance runner. (I guess he takes after Brian.)
For many weeks, Boris led a happy life...
... climbing the rocks and plants...
... and generally acting like master of his domain.
We even found him at the tippy top of the tallest rock once, waving his claws triumphantly in the air!
Boris also had an aggressive side. He would often snap his claws at Carmen, our fearless Electric Yellow Cichlid (below), who luckily has Flash's superpowers and is able to suddenly disappear from one end of the tank and reappear at the other!
One week in late October, Katey and Christine noticed that Boris was not acting like his usual self.
He was growing paler and paler. He was no longer found exploring the tank and climbing the rocks.
He was spending a lot of time in his small second story apartment that faces the back wall, out of sight.
The tank became a lonelier place. Even our shark, Alexander (the Great), seemed sad (below).
Katey and Christine expressed concern, but Brian just shrugged, "Don't worry, Boris is fine."
Halloween night, as we turned off the fish tank lights to go upstairs for bed, we noticed something awful.
Boris's body lay collapsed on the ground behind the rocks, below his apartment!
He was completely still and lifeless.
He didn't even have an interest in harassing Carmen...
... who boldly swam closer to investigate.
Christine was in shock, but still Brian was calm. "Don't worry, Boris is fine."
How can you say that, Brian??? Don't you see his crumpled body lying right there?
Then, a miracle happened....
A second Boris emerged!
The bright, blue, new Boris nonchalantly strolled past the pale, dead Boris.
Brian equally nonchalantly said, "He just molted."
Then Brian smiled as a thought occurred to him: "Halloween is over now, so he took his costume off!"
Christine laughed, but was still dumbfounded. The shell of the old Boris was completely in-tact, with every detail, curve, line, and bump of Boris's old body still present. How could it not actually be Boris??
The new Boris was off again, climbing the rocks, leaving his old self behind.
He walked through the tunnels...
... ran laps around the tank...
... horsed around with Carmen and taunted Jeff, the zebra fish (below)...
... and went back to his old basement apartment under the rocks.
Life was back to normal in the fish tank on Hoosac Street.
The End