Draft

The Secret Goldfish

The goldfish was bright, cheerful, active, full of life. It sat out in the display stand of Pets 4 Cheep, in a clear bowl, with colorful rocks and a little sunken ship. And all day long, young children would stop and watch its frolicking antics, hoping, wishing that maybe one day, they would be able to buy it. One of these kids name was Olden. Now Olden was the very worst of them all. Everyday for hours, he would sit outside the store, tenderly watching the fish, which he called Ellie. Eventually, the shopkeeper, a kind old man, would send him on his way, only for Olden to return, several hours later. Olden knew that this goldfish was special. What he didn’t know, was that this goldfish was actually magic. As long as it was loved and cared for, it would live forever. The shopkeeper knew this secret, and watched the kids carefully, looking for which one he thought would be the owner. And to deter unwanted people from buying it in the meantime, he set the fish at an incredibly high price.
As Olden kept coming back, hour after hour, day after day, week after week, the shopkeeper saw that this was the most dedicated kid he had ever seen. And so one night, as Olden sat outside the store, telling Ellie all about the days events, the old man opened the door ever so slightly, and whispered, "Hey, kid. C'mon inside, I got a deal for you." After Olden had come inside, the shopkeeper quietly shut the door, and ushered the kid into a backroom, and left for several minutes. Olden waited patiently, but inside, he was itching to find out what it was the the shopkeeper had in store for him. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the shopkeeper returned, cradling something in his wrinkled hands. It was the Goldfish. The shopkeeper bent over, and told the kid all about the secret of the goldfish. As the kid listened enchanted, the shopkeeper repeated all that he had been told, on that one fateful day.
"It was raining outside. I had just closed shop, and was sweeping up, when I heard a knock on the door. I went over, and opened the door, and yelled, we're closed, out, when I realized that no one was there. However, they had left a bowl and an envelope. Inside the bowl was a fish, the very fish you see before you. And inside the envelope was a letter, explaining that this was a magic goldfish, and would live forever, as long as it was treated well, and loved. That was 50 years ago, and the goldfish has lived longer than any goldfish I've ever seen. If I give you this goldfish, will you love it, and treat it well?"
"Oh yes, oh yes.", Olden replied. And he meant it too. So the shopkeeper gave him the goldfish, and sent him on his way. However, as Olden made his way home, he tripped and fell, and hit his head on the sidewalk. He got up, sore and a little fuzzy, but was able to make his way home, and into bed.
The next day, Olden woke up with a terrible headache, and no memory of what had happened to him the day before. He looked to his side, and saw the Goldfish.
"Oh", he said, "I must have bought that goldfish yesterday". He was so proud that he was the one to buy the fish, or Ellie, that he ran around the neighborhood, announcing it to everyone he met. And everyone wanted to see it. And the goldfish thrived. So many kids flocked his house, to see his goldfish, that he set a rule, one at a time. And the goldfish still thrived. Eventually, he got so jealous that he had been the one to buy it, yet all the kids could still see it, he made it off limits to everyone but his best friends. And the goldfish still thrived. Then, he set the limit at family. And the goldfish started to droop. As he became more and more convinced that he was the one who bought it, and it was his, he moved it to his room, so no one else could see it. And the goldfish drooped further. One of Olden's best friends decided that he wanted to see Ellie, so when Olden wasn’t home, he snuck in and sat on Olden's bed staring at Ellie. Unfortunately, Olden came home, and caught his friend doing this unthinkable act, and decided Ellie wasn’t safe there. So he locked the fishbowl in a box, and put it in the highest shelf in his closet. After he put it up there, he locked the closet.
"There", he said, "Now its finally safe, and it will stay the same forever". And with that, he went downstairs. As Olden was walking down the stairs, he tripped, and fell down, hitting his head on the bottom. Suddenly, Olden could remember everything, down to the word.
"Oh no" he cried, "The fish!" But it was too late. Ellie lay floating on the top of the water, dead from lack of love.
Olden tried to go get a new one, but the shopkeeper wouldn’t sell him anymore. And for as long as he lived, Olden never forgot his secret goldfish.
Reflection
This story correlates to Holden and Catcher in the Rye in many ways. Olden is a metaphor for Holden, because Olden wants his goldfish to stay the same, just like how Holden is obsessed with childhood, and things staying the same. Ellie is a metaphor for Allie, because Olden loved Ellie, like how Holden loved Allie, and never forgot him.