Mainstream

By Jo Lee

The plastic-filled flood is coming...

 

"When Darter, a young, disruptive fish runs away in search of the rumoured fame and fortune of the Mainstream, he soon realises all isn't what he expected. The Mainstream is an environmental disaster, governed by vicious pike. Darter is caught and forced to perform in a circus Freak Show, filled with plastic-affected creatures.

The evil pike, Mayor Barb, uses Darter as a lure to attract rival invaders to enter his dastardly trap. Barb plans to blow his plastic-built dam, during the circus finale and flush these pesky intruders away to the salty river mouth.

Join Darter and the plastic-affected Freaks - Bud, Dollface and Two-Face - as these brave minesweepers fight to prevent the flood and save the Mainstream and all its creatures.

This environmental story raises awareness of the heart-breaking effect microplastics have on our waters, that is wonderfully woven into this fun-filled aquatic adventure. Mainstream is a tale that was inspired by the ongoing efforts, of conservationist working tirelessly to clean up our waters, and save those affected by the careless actions of man'kind'; an issue that will be topical for many years to come."

• Perfect for your little plastic ocean cleaning warriors aged 10+
• Covers the heartbreaking awareness of plastic and microplastics in our waters in a fun-filled story!
• Perfect for anyone interested in ocean pollution.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jo-Lee
• Release date: Apr 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224522293

Jo Lee

Jo-Lee is an author from Dorset, England. Typically specialising in writing his own screenplays, he ventured forth adapting his own scripts into novels in order to gain more exposure to his work. His ethos is to educate, entertain, empower, and enlighten his readers through the power of story.

Book preview

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to all whom work tirelessly

to make this planet a better place.

Ocean Cleanup

The Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit organization developing and scaling technologies to rid the ocean of plastic. To achieve this object, they use a dual strategy: intercepting plastic in rivers to cut the inflow of pollution, and cleaning up what has already accumulated in the ocean and won’t go away by itself. When the oceans are clean, they can put themselves out of business.

Trillions of pieces of plastic pollute our oceans today, and the problem is worsening. This plastic has a devastating impact on marine wildlife and ecosystems. Plastics can persist for many decades, continuously degrading into microplastics. These can be ingested by wildlife and later enter the human food chain. Plastic pollution is a global crisis requiring urgent action.

Ocean Cleanup technologies are deployed around the world as they conduct the largest clean up in history. For over ten years, The Ocean Cleanup has been researching, extracting, and monitoring plastic pollution in oceans and rivers globally – with millions of kilograms removed to date.

theoceancleanup(dot)com

Want to say hello to the author?

Facebook(dot)com/mainstreamthestory

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My family for all their ongoing support.

Donna Mintey for the cover illustration:

www.donnamintey(dot)com  

The Source

AT THE VERY FOOT OF THE BREATH-TAKING mountains resided the Upstreams. The Source. The most harmonious place where everything to come follows downstream. Veins of streams flowed down the breath-taking mountains, forming the pristine river source. The crystal-clear waters flowed in and around the fallen Aztec ruins built by man; secrets kept for thousands of years.

Underwater was like a whole new world kept from Man, for snuggled in and around the giant stone god heads and broken pillars were tiny driftwood ashrams, huts, schools, workshops, retreats, and spas that housed all the weird and wonderful vibrant marine life.

Practitioners demonstrated yoga inside to the old and young marine life. Monkfish performed Tai Chi on little bamboo mats.

Elderly fish ballroom danced nice and easy.

In a narrow shallow ravine where the river narrowed and bottle-nosed to a tight, dark corridor, a teacher fish called Ms Gill, floated before her school of fish and pointed into the darkness of the Shallows a little too overly excited.

And the winged ones can swoop in and take you away. And that’s why no venturing into the Shallows, okay? said Ms Gill.

All her young pupils gasped, nodded, and recoiled to the thought of being a bird’s breakfast or dinner. Even a frightened little turtle hid into its shell and trembled.

Most of the pupils residing here at the Source were a rare fish called candy darters. They were a colourful fish with vibrant orange and blue stripes.

Yes, missus Gill, said all the frightened pupils in unison.

Candy, a rare candy darter, rolled her eyes as her pet nymph on a leash (a larvae with six legs, wide eyes with small wing buds), called Instar, relentlessly gobbled up every micro-organism within the limits of its leash.

All of a sudden, from out of the darkness of the Shallows, came Candy’s twin brother called Darter. He was another rare candy darter, fully armed with a cape, a human’s little rusty sewing needle-sword and a metal bottle cap for a shield.

The class grew stunned and admired Darter darting towards them with his cheeky, determined grin, leaving a cloud of riverbed sediment behind.

Behind him, river prawns gave chase on their little legs, waving sticks angrily at Darter. Hey! Get back here! Give it back! they shouted.

Darter ignored the angry prawns, passing the class at lightning speed.

"Darter!" said Ms Darter, not impressed at all by Darter’s behaviour.

Can’t stop! said Darter passing in the blink of an eye, spotting Candy and Instar. Hey sis! Hey Instar! said Darter, slipping ‘something shiny’ in front of Instar who ate it in a blink of an eye!

Darter winked back at Candy. She giggled at her brother disappearing into a thick sediment cloud whilst Ms Gill coughed and shook her head at the little troublemaker with disappointment.

Meanwhile, the yoga studio was all nice and quiet and full of peace and quiet. The Yoga Practitioner laid on a little bamboo mat in front of her class and got into the mountain pose, ...and into mountain pose... The class of varying marine life young and old imitated when Darter darted through at serious pace, disturbing the peace.

Meanwhile, the Martial Arts teacher, Sensei Master, demonstrated a kata in his karate dojo in front of his students. ...Remember to breathe... he said when Darter came barrel-rolling through the ‘air’ like something from The Matrix, disturbing the peace as he parried imaginary enemies with his needle-sword whilst blocking imaginary blows, exchanging them for imaginary strikes and feints with his invisible imaginary enemy.

I am the mighty Karkinos! said Darter to his imaginary enemies, On guard, you prancing pike!

Darter was fast and nifty with his sword and shield.

Young Darter! Stop disturbing the peace! said Sensei Master also not too impressed at all by the sudden distraction.

In another bamboo hut, Darter’s father, Papa Tom, another rare candy darter, meditated in pure silence. His room full of students sat quietly in front of him also in meditation, when Darter’s rusty needle-sword flew past the class, past Papa Tom and twanged into the wooden wall next to his father’s restful pose. Papa Tom didn’t flinch a muscle, trying to ignore his over-excited son.

Darter stood proud, chest puffed out with his hands on his hips, and his cape waving in the disturbed swell caused by the needle-sword. Let that be your final warning, ya dirty, pesky, slimy pike, or I’ll cast one out of the Mainstream downriver to the salty river-mouth where I shall turn you all into a sizzling mush like salt on a snail!

A little river snail on his little yoga mat gasped and hid in its little shell to the salty thought.

Darter! said Papa Tom, peeping with one eye at Darter, reminding himself to remain cool and calm and full of peace. Son.

Darter pointed out the rest of his imaginary enemies.

It’s your luuuuucky day! He snapped out of his imaginary bubble and looked around at the silent and shocked class and felt somewhat silly.

Come, be in the stillness, said Papa Tom, patting the spare mat beside him.

Darter headed to the mat beside his father and groaned with frustration. Aww, where’s the adventure in that?

The allure of the Mainstream has gotten to your gills again, said Papa Tom.

Darter sighed and swam beside his father with wide, hungry eyes, still dreaming of the Mainstream. But it’s the place to be! said Darter, flexing a non-existent bicep, for a gladiator, that is.

Papa Tom simply patted the mat beside him. Enough was enough.

Darter sighed, sat in meditation pose and squeezed his eyes shut as Papa Tom continued with the meditation class.

Even then, Darter couldn’t sit still. His focus and attention kept wandering off, dreaming of the Mainstream. He soon became restless, clicking his bones loud and tapping his pearly-white teeth annoyingly.

Darter, you’re embarrassing me, said Papa Tom, doing very well in keeping his cool.

Darter huffed and puffed like a little child, crossing his arms, and squeezing his eyes shut, when from out of the blue came a little splash!

Darter peeped with one eye to see razor-sharp baited hooks with wriggling maggots floating before them all. The alluring barbed ends glistened in the pristine water like a diamond.

Um...p-p-papa? said Darter sheepishly.

Shoosh! said his father, not being aware of the danger.

But they’re back. The Gods.

Papa Tom peeped through one eye to see the lined baited hooks before him.

Fear soon spread like wildfire. Gasps arose from everyone.

Again, they lure us into greed! said Papa Tom horrified. Everybody, keep calm and stay away!

Screams all around. Every creature bolted, hid, and peeped from all the cracks and gaps, yet Darter stayed in the face of danger. He swam daringly, spellbound up to a glistening hook.

Darter! whispered Papa Tom firmly. Don’t touch! Don’t...take the bait...

Darter remained looking up with sheer wonder, I wonder what it’s like to take the bait? he said out loud but mostly to himself with curiosity as he basked under the blinding sun beaming through the rippling waters of the Source onto his face.

Outcast

DARTER’S LITTLE DRIFTWOOD FAMILY HOME NESTLED between the lush-green wavering reeds. Inside the cosy kitchen, Darter’s mother fish angrily crossed a chalk-like piece of limestone across yet another tally on the ‘naughty board’ slate covered in previous tally strikes.

Another strike! said mother fish. Oh, Darter. You know what this means.

Darter and Candy sat crossed legged on bamboo mats. Instar tugged and pulled on his leash trying to chomp at all the passing microbes. Papa Tom laid out four little wooden bowls. Ah, the ‘reflection pillar’ never works for him.

Never seen him dart so fast, said Candy pulling on Instar’s leash whilst remembering the moment she saw her brother chased out of the Shallows by the prawns.

Give it back. Whatever you’ve taken, said mother fish, going into the Shallows taking what is not yours.

I know, it was Candy’s. Right sis? said Darter smugly, revealing his empty hands. Candy