Sid's Story

"Come on, come on! Time to wake up! We don't want to miss the migration! Come….." A sharp pain appeared in my arm; I looked at it, and screamed. It was PURPLE! "AHHHHHHHH!" I tried to get up, and I realized I couldn't! 6 ropes were tied around to the rock. One for each leg, one for my stomach, one for each arm, and one for my neck. They do this every year. Doesn't anyone love me? I painfully moved my jaw over to one of the ropes holding my arms. I then starting chewing.

6 HOURS LATER

Finally! I undid the last rope around my leg, and stretched. Ah, that felt good. I always did hate the migration time. My family always decided to play tricks on me. For some reason, they always seemed to do it on the morning we leave to migrate. Funny, isn't it? They always seem to forget to wake me up, so we can go. This morning was another example of their tricks. They decided to tie me to a rock, and the ropes would cut off my circulation. Ha-ha.

I walked over to the little pool of water on the other side of our cave. I looked at myself. Other than the purple limbs, I looked dashing as always. The crooked teeth, the bulbous eyes, the rumpled beige fur, what sloth wouldn't fall for me? I finished staring at myself, and walked over to the outside of my cave, and listened. I could hear the stomps and groans of the migrating animals, even though they were over two miles away. If I hurried, I could still catch them. I brushed back my fur, and walked out to get to the herd.

I starting running towards the herd. I stopped after 50 yards, winded. I breathed in and out, trying to catch my breath. I couldn't breathe, need oxygen. Need, hurry, now please, must breathe. I looked up and saw a dark object coming towards me. I tried to focus, but my eyes were watering too much. Can't breathe. Can't. Need breathe. Please, hurry. Please………..

15 MINUTES LATER

I took a huge breath in as soon as I woke up. Wait, I can breathe! I breathed over and over again, feeling the sweet feel of oxygen. OXYGEN ROCKS! I looked around and realized I was off of the road. I painfully sat up, and started to walk. My arms and legs were still sore, but I trudged on. Ow, ow, ow. My whole body felt sore. I walked into the herd and walked for a while. I wonder who saved me? I thought, Why am I alive now? I thought about all of this, but it was hard to concentrate with the sounds of the other, larger animals around me.

I walked on and on, and was immensely tired. I suppose I looked like a handsome, but wilting flower. I gasped after each step. Everything hurt. Even my spleen hurt, and I'm not even sure that's possible. I tripped, and fell of my face. When I looked up, I saw such a beautiful thing! An actual dandelion! "OH, A DANDELION!" I picked it up and delicately placed it in my mouth. "YUM! That is so good! I thought the ice had wiped out all of them. Oh, that's SO good!"

"Should we kill him, Frank? He ate our salad!" I whirled around found myself looking into the eyes of a rhinoceros. "That little sloth ate our salad, Frank! Let's kill him!" Oh, no. That delicious dandelion belonged to the two HUGE rhinoceroses looked at me angrily. Ever since the cloud had come, most plants and trees had died. Even finding a leaf now was rare, but finding a dandelion was unheard of. The rhino must had found it, and decided to share it as a snack. I had eaten his snack, and now he and Frank wanted to kill me.

They started charging at me and I ran as fast as I could. They were gaining on me. I stopped just before I ran into the canyon wall. They had trapped me.

"What do you want to do with him, George?"

"I don't know Frank, let's kill him. I call his arms!" Suddenly a huge mammoth came between the two rhinos, and pushed them out of the way with his tusks.

"Hey, what are you rhinos doing? I don't like animals that pick on smaller ones. Besides, aren't rhinos herbivores?" The rhinos looked at each other, and ran away quickly. I relaxed.

"Thank you, thank you Mr. uh, Mammoth. You saved my life! I love you? I ran up to him and gave him a big hug.

"Ah! Keep off little sloth thing. I just saved you, now, leave me alone!" He started to walk off when I realized I recognized him.

"WAIT! You're the animal that saved me from an asthma attack! You saved me again!" I ran up to him, and was about to apply a hug to his fur when, he pushed me away.

"Yes, I know. BUG OFF ALREADY! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"Wait!" I yelled, "Are you migrating?"

"Yes, now go away." He started to walk away. Every couple of seconds he would look over his shoulder. I don't know what for.

I ran behind, and started walking with him. After a few minutes I ran up beside his tusks. I began to walk with him. After about 15 minutes, he realized I was going with him.

He sighed, "I'm guessing you want to go with me?" I nodded vigorously, and gave him my best smile. He cringed.

"Oh fine. Just please, please leave me alone. Oh, I know! How about you don't speak at all for the next 3 days? That would be very nice. Thanks." He snorted and continued walking. I walked with as usual, silently, of course.

I didn't know it at the time, but this was the start of a great friendship!

THE END