Tuffy Turtle's Arc

Chapter 2 of 6

The young frog sat on the solid ground, catching his breath. Tuffy waited for him to stand, to thank him and head back to the safe path. But the frog didn't move. He stared at the mud behind him, then looked up at Tuffy with something darker than fear in his eyes. "I wasn't lost," the frog said, his voice shaking. "Something came through the swamp. A wind that tore up the ground and threw me into the mud." He pointed back into the fog. "It's still moving. Heading toward the forest." Tuffy's chest tightened. If something dangerous was coming, he needed to warn the others. He helped the frog to his feet and led him back to the safe path, then turned toward the forest's edge where the office building stood among the trees. Someone there would know what to do. Tuffy reached the building just as the wind hit. It roared out of the swamp like a living thing, spinning dirt and leaves into the air. He pressed himself against the large boulder near the entrance and watched the spiral tear through the clearing. Trees bent and cracked. The building's windows rattled but held. Then, as quickly as it came, the wind moved deeper into the forest and vanished into the darkness. Tuffy stood alone in the sudden quiet, breathing hard. He'd seen it now. He knew it was real. He pushed open the door and found the building empty. No one was there to tell. No one was there to help. Tuffy looked back at the forest where the wind had gone, then at the rope still coiled in his hands. He couldn't stop the wind, but he could follow it. He could find whoever it reached first and pull them to safety, the same way he always had. He stepped outside and started walking, his legs already tired, his path already chosen. Tomorrow, someone would need him. Today, he would make sure he was there.