A short time later, little Dory swam through the big, blue open water ... alone. She called out, searching for someone who might be able to help her. “Hello ... ? Hello?”
“Did you hear that?” a fish asked her husband.
“Hellooooo!” young Dory’s voice rang out again.
The wife followed the sound of Dory’s voice. “Oh! There — right there!” She pointed her fin at the shape of a tiny fish in the distance. “I see a fish!”
“Well, it’s the ocean,” said her husband, Stan. “There are fish everywhere.”
“Why do I swim with you?” the wife asked, exasperated. “HELLO?” she called again.
“Hello?” said Dory, pursuing the voices.
When they finally found each other, the couple was shocked to see the little fish swimming all by herself. “Oh my goodness,” said the wife. “It’s a child!”
Dory was thrilled to see them. “Hi! I’m Dory! Can you please help me?” she asked.
“Well, hello, Dory,” the wife answered. “Are you lost?”
“Where are your parents?” Stan asked.
“Um. I can’t remember,” said Dory.
“Okay,” said Stan. “Well, we’ll look around. Are any of these fish your parents?”
Dory slowly turned around, looking at the surrounding fish. She turned back to the couple and blinked her eyes. “Hi. I’m Dory. Can you please help me?”
The couple exchanged a look. “Dear, you told us that already,” said the wife.
“I did?” asked Dory. “I’m sorry. I suffer from short-term memory loss.”
“Oh, how awful,” said the wife. She pulled her husband aside and asked him what he thought they should do. But when she turned back, Dory was gone! The couple swam around calling her name, trying to find her, but she had vanished.
Dory had already swum on and forgotten about the couple she had just met.
★★★
Alone and scared, Dory continued to search the strange waters. As the sun went down, the water became darker and scarier. Dory’s eyes welled with tears as she settled down under a rocky overhang. She softly sang, “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming” until she drifted off to sleep.
★★★
Years went by, and Dory continued to ask for help from anyone who would listen. Most of the fish she ran into were sympathetic. They’d say things like “Really sorry we can’t help you,” or “Hope you find what you’re looking for,” or “Good luck.” But how could anyone help her when she couldn’t remember where she had come from? Or what she had lost in the first place? Dory searched and searched, but she’d completely forgotten everything. “I was looking for something,” she said to one friendly fish. “I ... I just can’t remember what.” Dory patted her fins to her temples, hoping it would jogsomething into place. But nothing seemed to help.
Then one day, a boat streaked past overhead. The noisy engine caused other fish to scramble, but Dory stayed, curiously watching as it went by. Suddenly, she heard a muffled, panicked voice in the distance and slowly swam toward it.
“A white boat!” the voice cried. “It’s a — They took my son! My son! My son! Help me! Please!”
Out of nowhere, an agitated clown fish appeared.
“Look out!” Dory screamed, and then she smacked into him. He bounced off her and landed hard on the ocean floor.
“Sorry!” said Dory, concerned. “I didn’t see you!”
Marlin groaned as Dory inspected him. “Are you okay?”
“He’s gone,” the clownfish cried. He quickly introduced himself as Marlin. He continued to dash back and forth, worried out of his mind about his son.
Dory tried to comfort him again and again, but it didn’t seem to help.
“No, no — they took him away. I have to find the boat!” Marlin said, swimming off.
“A boat? Hey, I’ve seen a boat!” said Dory.
“You have?” Marlin stopped and swam back to Dory.
“Uh-huh. This way. It went this way! Follow me!” Dory sped off, and Marlin followed.
“Thank you! Thank you so much!” said Marlin, and they swam away together.