Chapter 3: Friend or Foe

"How dare they call me strange!" Teresa growled. "They don't even have TV!"

Meanwhile, Dory and Marlin were frantically trying to find Nemo. It was easy to search the now empty streets.

"Hey, you and you're lady friend better get somewhere safe, don't you know there's a predator lurking about?" A neighbor warned them.

"I know, but I have to find my son!" Marlin panicked.

"I hope you find him before it's too late," the neighbor replied as he slipped back into his residence to hide.

Marlin didn't even want to imagine losing his son. He didn't know if he'd be able to go on living if anything bad happened to Nemo.

"Come on Dory! We don't have any time to lose!"

Nemo was still morose. He looked down into the infinite abyss known as the Drop Off. Suddenly, he felt a feeling of mortal dread. Beginning to grow concerned, he turned and started to make his way home. As he slowly journeyed to his anemone abode, he sensed an ominous presence. Marlin and dory found him, but he was not alone.

"Nemo!" Marlin hollered trying to draw his son's attention to the enormous barracuda behind him!

Nemo slowly turned around and stared down the throat of an awaiting assassin.

"Nooooooo!" Marlin cried, as he got ready to attempt to save his only child.

Just then, a yellow torpedo shot past him! The barracuda snapped at Nemo, but did not receive the juicy crunch it longed for. Instead, a earsplitting "Ker-rackk" was all that was heard as Teresa punched the barracuda hard enough to break it's jaw! While the predator shook it's head back and forth trying to figure out what had just happened, Teresa made haste in making sure Nemo was alright.

"You ok?" She asked him quickly.

"Y-yeah," he replied, still a little shaken up.

"Good. Swim back to your dad!"

"But what about you?"

"I'll be all right!"

The barracuda was furious, and lunged for Teresa, forgetting all about Nemo. She barely managed to evade it's assault and retaliated by sinking her sharp teeth into the bridge of it's nose. It thrashed about attempting to shake her. Teresa clenched her teeth tighter, even as her mouth started to fill with the monster's blood. Deep inside the barracuda's brain, it hatched a plan to get her off. The giant fish swam full speed toward the Drop Off cliff. It was going to smash her into the wall (I didn't say barracudas were bright)!

Teresa noticed the imminent danger she was in, and let go. She rolled down the length of the big fish's back as he swiftly passed by her. Immediately, detecting the release of it's nose, the barracuda turned in time to hit the cliff on it's side. When Teresa reached the tail of the beast, the barracuda reared it back and used it as a bat to knock her at mach speed onto a sandy ledge jutting from the cliff.

"Dad, do something!" Nemo pleaded.

Marlin searched around for anything they could used to stop the beast. A boulder caught his attention.

"Nemo, Dory! Help me push this over the cliff!" He ordered.

Slowly they all shoved the rock closer and closer to the edge. Meanwhile, Teresa was in sorry shape. She shook off the dirt and pain, and rubbed her sore head. Suddenly, her whole body was in pain! The predator had dove into the ledge at break-neck momentum. Once she regained her senses, she swam ineptly out of the way.

"Ok, now!" Marlin shouted as he, Nemo, and Dory sent the boulder tumbling over the cliff and down onto the head of the barracuda.

The monster fish roared in pain and darted for the Drop Off's summit to unleash it's rage on them. Teresa dashed behind it and snagged it by the tail. The barracuda was fed up with this game, and spun around to crush Teresa beneath it's jaws. She dodged it, and the giant killer crunched into it's own tail. While the barracuda screeched in agony, Teresa saw her chance. She latched onto one of it's gills and hung on for dear life. It thrashed it's head about again and again, but she wouldn't let go. More blood gushed into her mouth as her teeth tore into the barracuda's gill.

She knew she had done the right thing by choosing to save Nemo, but as she hung there, trying to survive the bloody battle, she couldn't help but ask herself, "What am I doing!"

Too tired to hang on any longer, she released her vice grip. The barracuda turned to her and stared. She stared back, and a long hush ensued. It was like they both were too exhausted to fight, but too stubborn to quit. The barracuda growled menacingly at Teresa, and she snarled back at it, revealing the two needle-like incisors that had the beast bleeding from every orifice. It swam off into the open water with a greater respect for the reef and it's little dangers.

Dory and Nemo rushed to Teresa to see if she was ok. Marlin stayed back completely stupefied by what had just happened. He didn't know whether to rush up and join Nemo and Dory in helping her, or run away screaming. But he did know he had to thank her for saving his son.

"T-thank you," he stuttered nervously.

Teresa knew Marlin thought she was dangerous, and now she had just proved that to him and everyone else. But she was tired of trying to make friends, and demonstrate to him she was nice. She didn't care if he liked her or not. All she wanted was to get back to the U.S.A.

"You're welcome," she growled sounding rather annoyed.

Teresa zoomed off to her makeshift dwelling.

"Wow, she's fast," Dory exclaimed.

"She's mad at you dad," Nemo pointed out.

"What did I do?" Marlin said pretending as though he didn't know.

"Well, she fell off her boat into a strange, new place. Now she's hundreds of miles away from her home in the U.S.A., and instead of comforting her and making her feel welcome, you call her names, and take her only friend down here away from her. I think you should apologize."

"Alright, alright."

Nemo showed Marlin and Dory the way back to Teresa house. Inside, Teresa laid on a crude bed of seaweed and moaned in agony. Marlin swam up to her.

"You look hurt bad, let me help," he offered.

"I don't need your help!" Teresa hissed and turned away from him.

"I'm sorry for how I've treated you. You risked your life for Nemo. You're not strange, or a deadly killer. You're just different," Marlin said attempting to make peace.

"Duh, Sherlock!" Teresa scowled.

Marlin was tired of her bad attitude.

"Look! I'm trying to be your friend!" He shouted.

"It's a little late for that!" She yelled back.

"This plan isn't working," Dory whisper to Nemo.

"I know. What are we gonna do?" Nemo inquired.

Marlin swam off enraged, and Teresa rolled over to fall the opposite end of the tank and grumbled.

"Dory can you go calm down my dad? I'm gonna stay and help Teresa, ok?" Nemo murmured.

"Ok," said Dory. "Later Teresa, feel better soon!"

When Dory had left, Nemo swam up to Teresa and started to bandage her wounds. "Mr. Ray taught me how to do this in school," he smiled.

"Oh really?" She said gently. "Well, I'm glad he did."

Nemo sighed, " Why weren't you nice to my dad? He wants to be your friend now."

"Because, that's not any fun at all!" Teresa snickered.

"Huh?"

"I was just playing with him. Your dad's funny when he's mad."

"Well, promise you'll be nice tomorrow. Or at least tell him you're just kidding."

"Ok. I promise."