"No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world."

~The late and great Robin Williams R.I.P. 1951 - 2014~

This is the only photo of Shaky we have, always exploring especially around the base of 'his' Greek urn , the bubble curtain and the plants.

I want to get this story on flickr so I can move forward as I am not over it yet.

AS IF flu, vomitting for eleven hours, ambulances, paramedics, going to hospital and dying and coming back thrice wasn't enough, something to me, far worse happened this weekend.

We only had our first aquarium/ fish tank in August this year. Shaky was the first to arrive. It became a joke and I didnt mind Fluffy telling people how our first fish chose us. We were in the large pet store and I walked over to this tank full of small fish and shouted "Coo-Eee". This little fish came straight to the front of the tank and looked straight at me. "Thats him!" I declared. People think its funny and I guess it is but its true. He 'knew' me and chose us as his keepers.

No matter what other fish we had it was always "Is Shaky alright?" even while we would be away I would have that little fish on my mind. He was toboth of us special. He got known as Shaky because he had a particular shake whenever he heard our voices. Shaky could be asleep or hiding at the back of the tank beneath the foliage and when I would walk into the garden room and say "Wheres Shaky?" out he would come!

It has been said that fish don't know anything or sense or feel or...Love. Shaky Loved us as we did him. He was the happiest fish I have ever known. Where by the others woud gracefulkly swim around, he would play in the bubbles, dash into the urn, dive under bridges. I never went to bed at night without saying "Goodnight Boys" followed by "Goodbye Shaky, see you in the morning".

In just a few short months Fluffy and I had built up a good sized collection of fish including four algae eating shrimps around at most half an inch long for our 140 litre tank.

Then some weeks ago something started happening. We began losing fish. I know its quite natural to lose one or two at first and i had to stop myself getting to attached to them. It was when we came back from Wrexham when I was ill that things didnt quite add up.

We had a shoal of around fifteen neon tetras that were really happy when we left and all the fish got along together very well. There was one neon tetra left! We wondered if perhaps the seven day feeder hadnt worked out. Maybe the larger fish had got there first before the neons did?

The following day the last neon had vanished also.

We did a count and found that one by one TWENTY FOUR fish had mysteriously gone with rarely any trace of a dead fish in the tank.

Then last week, I called Fluffy: "Have you seen one of the algae eating shrimps?" And Fluffy came and looked in disbelief fo rthere was this three inch shrimp darting all over the place. We hadnt seen him much, only a small two incher and one other shrimp that still is only an inch long. The other two had vanished too.

By Thursday I sat coughing and spluttering (Ive got bronchitis now!) watching this very quickly growing fish having lots of fun. After not seeing him at all there he was wizzing all over the place and he loved the air curtains. Then he would hide mysteriously somewhere then out he would come again....

We lost two cloud mountain minnows......

By Friday I couldnt believe my eyes. In complete disbelief how Fluffy and I watched this Monster grow. He had grown like another half an inch to an inch OVERNIGHT! That night he had a ball playing for hours and I said "Shaky is my favourite one and always will be, but Ive got to say its fascinating to watch this one!" and he became my "next best" which isnt really fair on the other fish is it?

He became known that night as "The Kraken".

Saturday morning, 7am. After another terrible night trying to get my breath and no sleep, I got up to visit our fish. I screamed out "Its Shaky!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He hasnt any fins...his tail has been ripped off!!!!" and Fluffy rushed to my side. Shaky was still breathing and trying to come to us as he could hear our voices.

Fluffy placed him in some water in a glass bowl. I looked down at our favourite and most beloved fish. "Whatever" had done this had done a real good job! His dorsal fins were ripped off, his beautiful tail, and it want the fact that his left eye had been gorged out, but half his face and his mouth had been butchered too.

I had been feeling depressed before hand as I was so fed uo feeling poorly ad this threw me into a depression for sure and I didnt care. The only thing I cared about was our Beloved Shaky.

Even then, Shaky tried to breath and when he heard my vouce it broke ones heart: Even as mutilated as he was, he tried his hardest,on his side and also upside down, to do his little shake where once he had a tail and try his hardest to get to the other side of the glass dish.

Fluffy and I decided that none of the other fish could or would do that even though I wondered if the others may have been a bit jealous knowing how much Shaky got the attention! Then we realized, there was only one thing that could have done it. The Krakken. We did a search for shrimp on th internest and found a photo of one: "Can grow up to THREE FEET LONG and needs to live on live fish!!!!!!" And I had said how this monster had not only suddenkly grown revealing large pincers but seemed to look more like a scorpion or lobster. Fluffy went to the store to tell them what had happened. He returned to say that the manager told us to bring him back to the store. This we did the next day.

BUT for fifteen hours, Shaky tried to live on. He didnt want to die. He was happy and wanted to be back in his tank where he could play in the bubbles and around his plants. he wanted to live and hear our voices. No he would not give up the ghost and at midnight I crept in to the garden room and whispered "Have you gone now Shaky?" and even then, as weak as he was, he tried to do his little shake and tried his hardest to get tome. I could not bear it any longer, it was breaking our hearts to watch. So I watched over him awhile then whispered to him that we loved him and that he shoukd go to sleep.

The following morning, he had gone. But dont you thinkit was amiracle? How he kept going for so long? Wouldnt you think that he would have died of shock? The power of love eh?

My thoughts iof unconditional love change and turned sour:

Thought of The Day: Love but dont love too much. Man, woman or beast, love something or someone with all your heart and they either leave you or DIE!! So no. Don't love anyone too much.

But thats not really me. Just my sadness of loving Shaky, the happiest little fish Ive ever known being murdered thats all.....................

We put the Kraken into the bag. You can see him on the following photos. Imagine being trapped by those pincers! You would have no choice in the matter. We think that what happened, Shaky went on his travels and there, lying in wait, was the krakken. And that was it.

Like with any animal and any person, you cannot replace them. I went straight off that blasted fish tank, couldnt bear to look at it. But what we did was not even try to replace Shaky but put a couple of new fish with a similar temerament in his place if that makes sense.

The pet store were shocked, and it wasnt thier fault. I guess what had happend was that as a baby, the Krakken got in with the others somehow. You wouldnt tell him from other shrimps.

I also took shaky in a glass with us to the store but I wouldnt let them keep him. I brought him back so as to give him a proper burial.

So thats it. The story of Shaky. I feel better than I did but its going to take some time to look at that tank and not see Shaky......I'd grown accustomed to his face.

Well Shaky. We know you were happy with us. I am just so so sorry that this happened to you. I have no words for it. I am glad we were able to give you so much love and we shall never forget all those hours that you were determined to live, how you tried to breath and even swim just because you could hear our voices. You were not any old fish. You had style, grace. You had character and you were unique. You came to me when I first called and you wanted to be "our fish". You will never be forgotten and the love we have for you will never die.

Now dears, I have to move on and let go. Ive got to get well as today is our anniversary and even though I am not well I intend to dress up and enjoy it.

The Show MUST go on......

The world has so much to learn from this man..

#thoughtoftheday . Don’t ever underestimate the power of a strong will! . I never knew how I’d do whatever I am doing or achieved in life but what I always knew was that I want it and I take what I want, anyhow. . So if you don’t have your life figured out don’t fucking stress about it, just figure out what you want bad enough. . Comment with a ❤️ if you read the whole thing, would mean the world 😇 . . . . . . . . . . #saturday #thoughtsbecomethings #willpower #strongwilled #tigerprint #mensfashion #fashionformen #style #hugearms #triceps #menshair #hairstylesformen #lifequotes #motivationalquotes #weekendmotivation #writings #vision #aestheticpictures #retroaesthetic #blackandwhitephotography #blackandwhite

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