Arthur went out for his grueling morning catch, casting his heavy nets in the rocky inlets just outside the harbor where the fish had reliably schooled for decades. When the rusty winch pulled the dripping nets aboard, his stomach dropped completely. They were impossibly light, containing absolutely nothing but vibrant green kelp.
Thinking it was a strange fluke, he tried again the next day with the exact same depressing result. The constant commotion had completely driven the massive schools of fish out of the protected cove. They had fled to deeper, safer waters. He hadn’t gone completely broke overnight, and his modest savings could technically keep his ancient engine running for a little while longer.
But the terrifying, undeniable reality of his situation loomed heavily over him. Even though the financial strain hadn’t ruined him just yet, it would absolutely devastate him in the long run. Without any fish left in the local waters to catch, what exactly was a traditional fisherman supposed to do?
The viral trend was actively threatening his entire future.