CHAPTER 2. FAILED ESCAPE
Nemo lay asleep inside the plastic Tiki hut, his mother and the other fish were getting the initiation ready. "Nemo wake up." Jaques called silently. " Huh what is it?" He asked sleepily. "Suviez Moi...Follow me." Jaques repeated in English to Nemo. Nemo swam behind the cleaner shrimp. There was so much he wanted to ask his mother but she told him it would have to wait after the ceremony. He heard chanting all of the fish were dressed in plastic fronds and chanted. Nemo swam up to where Gill, Bloat and his mother waited on the top of the fake volcano. "State your name." Gill said. "N-nemo." Nemo replied. "Brother Bloat proceed." Gill commanded. " Newcomer of orange of white. You have been called forth to the summit of Mt. Wannahakaloogie to join us in the fraternal bonds of tankhood!" Bloat stated. "Huh?" Nemo asked looking at his mom for a reply. "We want you in our club." Peach explained. " If you can swim through the ring of fire!" Bloat bellowed. Nothing happened. "The ring of fire turn it on...you said you could do it!" Bloat whispered to Jaques who activated the bubbles. A stream of bubbles came out of the machine. Deb had to hold Bubbles back from ruining the moment. They all chanted. Nemo swam through and bumped into Gill who smiled. "From this day on you'll be known as Sharkbait." Gill responded. "Sharkbait ooh hah hah." The others said. "All right sharkbait's one of us now and we can't let him go off to his death his mother here would never forgive us." Gill stated now serious. "What'll we do?" Nemo asked. "We're going to get him and his mother out of her we'll all get out of here." Gill said. "Gill not another one of your escape plans. They just never work." Gurgle moaned. " Yeah why should this one be any different?" Deb asked. "Cuz we've got him he's the only one who can get into that tube. What you do is get in there and jam the filter with a pebble then you get out through the tube. This tank will get dirty and the dentist will have to clean it. When he dose he'll place us each in individual baggies. We roll out the window into the bushes across the rode and into the harbor it's fool proof!" Gill explained. "He's not a very good swimmer Gill no offense kid but you have a bad fin." Gurgle said. "Gill you're going to let him get close to the fan that thing is dangerous. What if the pebble slips?" Coral asked. "Mom you sound just like dad he thought I can't do anything because of my fin either." Nemo groaned. "It's not your fin I'm worried about Nemo. You're all your father and I have left if something happened to you in there and we still got out what would I say to your father if I let you get killed?" Coral asked. " I'll be fine mom I can do this trust me. We have to try if I don't I'll die for sure when Darla gets me I don't want to go with her." Nemo said. "You're right Nemo you can do this. Just be careful I won't let Darla take you from us." Coral said. " Let's do it." Nemo said.
Coral and Nemo were with Gill looking out the window at the harbor. "You miss your dad don't you sharkbait and your mom misses him too I'll bet?" Gill asked. "Yeah." Nemo said. "I've been gone so long he believes I'm dead. At least he still thinks Nemo's alive." Coral sighed. "At least you two have someone out there looking for you." Gill said. "He's not looking for me he's scared of the ocean." Nemo replied glumly. "Don't give up on him Nemo. Your father may be timid but deep down he's very brave and has a strong spirit. You know he tried to take on the barracuda that killed your siblings and nearly got me all by himself?" Coral said. " That dosen't sound like him at all." Nemo said. "Potty break he just grabbed Reader's Digest we have 4 minutes!" Peach announced. "Okay that's your cue Sharkbait." Gill said. " Nemo..." Coral started. "Yes mom?" Nemo asked. "Just be careful okay?" She asked. "I promise I'll be okay." Nemo said hugging her. Then he jumped into the container. "here comes the pebble. Now you'll see a roatating fin jam the pebble between the blades." Gill explained. Nemo carefully nudged the pebble but whimpered when the fan glanced it. "Maybe this isn't a good idea Gill." Peach said. "Gill he could be hurt and we won't be able to get him out." Coral added. "He'll be fine. Just jam the fan Sharkbait." Gill coached. Nemo jammed the blade and wriggled into the tube to get out he was half way out when the fan started back up. "Mommy! Gill! Help me!" He screamed. "Nemo!" Coral yelled. The fish grabbed a fake plant. " Sharkbait grab on!" Bloat yelled. Coral and the others pulled Nemo out. Nemo swam into his mother's fins. "Shh it's okay Nemo. I'm here." She said soothing her son. "Gill don't make him go back in there." Peach pleaded. "No." Gill said realizing how careless he'd been. Nemo had trusted him and he'd let him down and nearly gotten him killed. "No we're done." Gill said swimming away. He looked at the frightened Nemo and his mother with a look of regret and swam into his idol head hiding spot.
"Nemo Darla won't take you and you won't be placed in such danger again. It's okay." Coral said. "Mommy." Nemo whimpered still afraid.