Um... this is just a... thing I did. While I try to find my faith in myself to do ZD, Inevi, or one of my other projects.
Uh, hope you like?
Mother
Discontent gnawed at her, but she knew not why.
The turtle shifted atop her favorite sunning place, craning her neck out so she could see her newest batch of hatchings. They surrounded her, resting in the warm light from above. Many of them had survived this time. The male the tall ones had brought to her had been good. Strong.
In the distance she could see a distortion in the clear walls that surrounded her and her hatchlings. A tall one was approaching, followed by an even more massive tall one. A pink blur settled against the wall, startling one of the younger hatchlings. Then came the ever annoying buzz of tall one vocalizations.
"This one, oh, and this one... and these two too!"
"Right away sir."
Ah, so it was time once again.
She retracted her head into the protective cover of her body even as the blessed light from above disappeared. In the darkness she could hear skittering noises. Her young were probably trying to escape the grasping hands of the tall ones.
Useless. They would learn that in time. But not here.
Moments later, though it felt like an eternity, the sounds stopped. Then came warmth, the light from above was back. She looked about her.
Several of her young were gone now, taken by the tall ones. The remaining seemed to care not, already scrambling for the choice sunning spots left by their kin.
It was as it had been, and how it would be again. Soon she would have this enclosure to herself one more, then there would be another male. Another hatching.
She slid off her rock, making her way to the tepid water at the other end of her world, strangely exhausted.
It was time for a swim.
--
"Shell for brains, look out! Yer gonna hit--"
A loud noise. Movement. Falling.
She quickly pulled herself into her shell, but there was still pain as she hit a hard surface. She lay there, pulled up within herself. This was different.
This was frightening.
There was movement near her, a crackling noise. "...Ouch. Oh geez, Raph. I didn't expect him to throw me like that. I'm a turtle, not a volleyball!"
More loud noises, closer this time.
"...That's all of them."
"Hey. Whoa." There was pressure on top of her shell, then more movement. A tall one. A tall one had just picked her up. She moved her head forward a bit, curiosity overwhelming her fear.
"You smashed her tank, Mikey."
More movement. Going higher then forward. What was going on?
"So let's get'ta new one?"
The next few minutes were a blur. The pressure remained on and around her shell, the strange hum of tall one language was ever present, as were other, stranger, noises.
"And there is the filter! Okay, Mikey... put her in. Let's see if she emerges."
More movement.
Then none.
There was warmth above her, that soothing hum she could never could quite figure out, and the bubbling of water. Like home, but it smelled differently. Warily, she extracted her head from her shell.
Safe?
"And there we go! Yet another damsel-in-distress... saved!"
A loud noise. "Ya bonehead!"
"Owwwww..."
She craned her neck, turning towards that strange clear wall that defined her world. This had been an unusual experience. A frightening one. She found herself somewhat curious about the tall ones that had brought it about.
She blinked. What she could see... was certainly tall.
But not a tall one.
"Come on, guys. Let's go!"
Green slid across the wall, then disappeared. "Coming coming..."
Then all was silent.
Minutes passed, then slowly, she made her way to what seemed to be a nice warm spot. It was over, whatever it had been. She settled down, still wondering at the waves of familiarity that prickled down her system.
Calm now, she settled down to rest. Over. Safe.
Somehow she felt content.