Tuffy Turtle's Arc

Chapter 1 of 6

Tuffy heard the cry from somewhere deep in the fog. He stopped on the path and tilted his head, listening. The voice came again, weaker this time, swallowed by mist. Someone was trapped in the swamp and running out of strength. Tuffy turned toward the sound without thinking. His legs were tired from the day's walking, but that didn't matter. Someone needed help, and that meant he had to go. He moved past the painted pavilion at the swamp's edge, the bright colors fading into gray behind him. He'd built it years ago so he could watch and listen from high ground. The ropes he'd strung along the safe paths hung slack in the mist. They were meant to guide lost travelers out when he couldn't reach them in time. But this voice was coming from somewhere off the marked trail, somewhere the ropes didn't go. Tuffy pushed through the thick mud, each step slower than the last. The voice called out once more, barely a whisper now. He squinted through the fog and saw the muddy patch ahead, disturbed and churning. Fresh tracks led straight into it. Someone had wandered off the path and sunk deep. He reached the edge and saw a small shape struggling in the mire, a young frog half-submerged and barely moving. Tuffy grabbed the nearest rope and pulled it free from its post. He threw one end toward the frog, his arm shaking with effort. The rope fell short. He tried again, leaning farther out over the mud. This time it landed close enough. The frog grabbed hold with weak hands. Tuffy pulled, his feet sliding in the muck, his shell scraping against a fallen log. Slowly, the frog came free. Tuffy dragged him onto solid ground and sat down hard, breathing fast. The frog coughed up swamp water and looked at him with wide, grateful eyes. Tuffy nodded once, then got to his feet. Tomorrow, someone else would need him. Today, he'd made it in time.