Finding Little Allison, the Sea Turtle, in the Middle of the Seas

My mother was doing that thing she did. That thing with the red rag draped over the sink, and the old basin had been sunken in the deep sand before I was hatched from the place I only knew, and it had been a place of worship and where the elders sing songs. I remember watching these elders often would tear pieces of that old rag hinged onto that old sink, and not only tearing but chewing it like food. Seeing them do this ritual was like watching the sun go up and down, and then I recalled seeing them lift thier eyes to the heavens and would sing this song to the Great Sea Turtle. they sing, "We have taken sometime to understand you open your hand, we are filled with good but when you hide your face, we are troubled, and you take away our breath, we die and return to our dust..." I remembered the song's would last well through the day, and many of the sea turtles celebrate, and I would blaze like a great light that was infused on my shell by birth, and while I am swirling around to the sound of music and singing. I heard my mother calling for me. "Allison! O' Allison! Come to me." she called. I would waddle as fast as I possibly can, and sometimes seem to be so far to get to momma. "Momma, can I chew on the red rag that hangs above us?" I stared at the reflection of light shining on the red rag. "No baby, and your food is to eat this here jellyfish," softly speaking while padding my shell with thick bundles of seaweed to hide the brightness of the shiny stone infused in me, "you need to eat so you be strong for the trip across the great seas."

My parents were always concerned for me, and I would pretend to be sleep so that I can listened. Later that night my parents appeared to be gazing into the seas together, and watching the moon lit up the sky while I cuddled between them both, I can hear them wondering if we will survive the treacherous seas and the dangers that awaited them. My parents had this saturnine look for this trip. "there's no way we are leaving Allison on this beach," sadly my mother said leaning on father's carapace, "I had seen the way the others look at us, and their complaints has persuaded the elders to believe the lie." After listening to his wife my father responded, "I should have told you, and I am sorry for not letting you know the great fear sweeping this community about our daughter." My father's apology was supposed to diminish my mother's growing anger, but his words ring hollow to her, and she continues speaking, "So what are we going to do," my mother said shaking her head and screaming at my father, "are we going to give the elders and those who seek harm to our daughter over to their will, or will we do something about it?" My father said, not moving. "Honey, please-" "I am afraid for our only daughter," said my mother crying, "I am afraid for us" I remembered watching the ocean waves rushing up the beach in the night swallowing up sand before retreating back to the seas with my dad disappearing in the sea of blackness.

The following morning the elder did their usual ritual and eating from the red rag, but today was different. They were standing on top of the high sand dunes near and around the basin, and there all sea turtles gathered at the place of judgment a place called skull. I remembered hearing the crowd gossiping about my father being caught up in troubles by the authorities, and they accused him of a crime. While the judges waited for the chief elder, who is named, Lord Mildred and the judges came forth asking the guards to bring forth the prisoners, and there stood chained along with her was my father. The judges made them confessed their crime before the public, and badly beaten my father admitted. "I cheated on my spouse, and it was not the first time." he said not moving but gripping the skull with his bleeding flippers. The crowd was in an uproar, and many spatted on my father, yelling angrily. "Banish them from our presence!" they said as their voice grow louder, rising, and growing shriller. I closed my own eyes as I witness the cruelty from the crowd, and hearing the cries rising from my mother.

The judges turned their attention to the mistress for confession, and she confessed. "I have also cheated, and it was not the first time, she said frightfully watching as the guards move slowly towards her, "these children I have are from him," she said lowering her head, "and I am sorry for pretending they were adopted." The crowd screamed louder for judgment. "Banish them from us." they said loudly. Before the crowd could press in to harm them the chief elder arose and silence everyone with an unspeakable groan, and in anger snapping his neck motioning for the criminals to come forward. The crowd waited in silence for the elder to cast judgment on the prisoners, and he spoke. "Today I am heartbroken and disappointed in this great crowd of witness, and I am unhappy with the both of you for committing this act against this whole tribe by failing to live faithful and do the right thing before these little ones," Lord Mildred said, standing up, "and I judge you both whom I loved so dearly, but this day we will recognize you both before this skull as good as dead. Let it be known that no one will help you, nor ease your suffering or lend a hand, but you are cursed to us and will both eat dust until you perish from the earth. Depart from us, forever." he said, pulling his sash of seaweed tightly with his flippers. The crowd groaned for mercy as they were led away by the guards to the dry places for punishment.

I remembered pushing through the crowd to see my father for the last time, but as the guards move them, he kept disappearing into the crowd. I cried for him to stop for me. "Daddy, don't leave us," I said crying, "Daddy, we love you." My father stopped to acknowledge my voice, and turning around to see me. He said. "I love you too, Allison-" "Move on, and we hate you too," the guard said rudely pushing my father forward. My father disappeared into the wilderness, and never to be seen again. The crowd watched as the last condemned turtle vanished into the wilderness. The sky began to turn cloudy with small rain drops falling on everyone's carapace like a waterfall. "Everyone return to your places," said the judges, "What are we going to do about, Allison? We had hoped she disappeared along with her father, for the sake of the tribe." My mother and I heard every word, as we watched the judges talk amongst themselves, and we definitely knew thier desire to separate me from my mother I was a risk for the trip into the seas. The judges glanced at us in a blatant manner. "Go now," they said. "I will not let you harm her in anyway," she said. The judges departed from us, laughing as they waddled away from us.

A storm approaches pushing towards the place where the sea turtles remained for a time. Meanwhile, pouring rain had carved a small river through the sand, making all scuttle for cover by retreating into their carapace. It was like the world stopped breathing when the roaring of the thunders was heard, and lightening flashing across the skies. There was strewn over the beach like rocky boulders were the turtles buried inside their shells. The seaweed laced around my shell slowly unraveled from itself exposing the shiny stone which shined so marvelously from me, and the light grew brighter like the sun and many of the sea turtles drew close to the warmth. The judges huddled in the darkness as the rain poured, plotting an evil plan to have me destroyed. The following morning my mother awoke to find all the tribe huddled close by us enclosed in their shell sleeping. A messenger was standing across from my mother. "The chief elder wishes to speak with you madam," he said, "don't be afraid to see him." My mother taking a step back and thought about what the matter could be about. "I wonder what they want with me," she said, "the answer will be no, if they want me to leave Allison alone with strangers. My mother awaken me to come with her to see the elder, and she rewrapped fresh seaweed around my shell. "My daughter comes with me," mother said. The messenger smiled as they departed to see the chief elder.

The messenger squinting from the sand as we all waggled up and down, and over the wet sand dunes that had not recovered from the rain the day before. Moreover, the thick debris and seaweed littered our pathway which made it very difficult and more aggravating for moving by sand. We finally reached the chief elder, Lord Mildred, standing on a large sand hill and the four judges behind him on that same hill. " I am happy you all arrived safely here," said Lord Mildred, "my judges tell me your daughter may be a risk to our tribe traversing across the great seas to the north, and I am committed on ensuring the safety of us all and even to you, Mary. Therefore, your daughter, Allison will remain here on this beach all the days of her life." My mother was listening but not accepting that report and she responded, "My Lord," Mary said tearfully, "what mother would just leave her child alone to survive off of what? Answer me, and how is she going to feed and protect herself?" My mother was fomenting anger towards the judges for poisoning the elders with this nonsense to keep me on this beach. The judges snapped at my mother. "You have a problem with that?" My mother had a hard time holding her tongue and would rather speak on revealing what is on her mind instead of remaining silent like she did before them, and the judges had hoped that Lord Mildred would banish my mother and I from the tribe, like they did my father. The judges were one in the same voice and spoke in such manner. "You know your daughter will leave us ripe to be attacked by our enemies in the seas, and she will attract the humans our way to bring us all into captivity," the judges, moving slightly as small portions of the sand shifted downward like an avalanche.

My mother kept silent until she felt the shifting of sand moving away from under her flippers a thundering sound could be heard and felt in the distance, but it came closer and closer. Suddenly, appearing from the sand dunes like hundreds of slow moving boulders covered with sand and seaweed moving towards us. We heard a great shout thundering among the mass of sea turtles, and they shouting for my mother and I to come with them to the great seas. In the gloom stood a multitude saying, "Mary and Allison must come with us to the great seas!" they said. I saw the judges disturbed and afraid of the great shout coming mightily from the crowd, creating a thunderous sound resembling rushing water in the presence of Lord Mildred. Lord Mildred with a great cry inter fuse itself with the crowd as he gazed lovingly towards my mother and I. "Mary and Allison will you come with us to the great seas." he said. My mother looked at me and we embraced each other, and I began my own dancing, sidling left to right by the melody coming from the multitude. "Momma, thank you, mommy," I said happily. "No, baby," she said, "we thank this multitude gathered around us," she whispering, "I am happy for us and the Great One has given us favor with the multitude."

The chief elder turtle was pleased to know that all will be well for us, gasping as Lord Mildred watched as all the male sea turtles hauled themselves back to the seas to wait for the females to return to the seas for a time. my mother and I hauled ourselves back to the old sink, and normally my shell is wrapped in flax of seaweed, but that day I played in the sand like the rest of the young turtles. I watched as the male turtles disappeared into the water by the middle of the day. I remembered how my father and I would play with a red ball left on the beach by a human, and we would play on and on until one of us gets tired or hungry, but father would usually return to the seas while mother and I remain on land, and it had been fun then, and since he is not here to play with me, it has been difficult. It is my hope he is well and that he never forget me and my mother. The crashing of the wave from the beach disturbed me and I hauled myself back to mother for protection, and I am hungry for some jellyfish.

I finally arrived to the place where my mother was resting, and she wanted to know if I enjoyed myself with the other turtles, and understanding that I am allowed to go on this trip like everyone else but I believe it will takes sometimes for the other turtles to get used to my unique stone infuse on my shell. "No momma I did not play with any of the younger turtles," I said sadly with my head down, "I suppose they will play with me, soon." "Baby, don't rush it," mother said, "they will accept you little by little, and don't you worry about anyone." My mother was fast to sleep, and later I was sleeping near her for the day really sapped our energy and we needed rest for the trip tomorrow. The following day i was pushing on my mother to wake up, and after she awaken from her sleep she saw like great boulders moving towards the seas, for it was the moment we looked for navigating up the northern coastal areas of the Americas like our ancestors done. Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles departed the beach to make the voyage across the Pacific rims and partly traveling below the surface of the ocean waters, and it was so beautiful to witness the large caravan of sea turtles gliding gracefully like great ships across the seas. My mother and I were place in the rear of the group while the larger turtles provided security for the right and left flank. The elders was positioned in the front center, and his messenger was navigating behind them, he needed to be near the front to be an added protection for the tribe moving through hostile waters which could encounter sharks and other prey. The sea turtles traveled far north of California Coastal areas, but slightly inside the middle portion of the Pacific. A storm was brewing over them, and many of the turtles were thrown off course, but the remnant that continued following Lord Mildred were mainly us and many were the female sea turtles. The turtles reached portions of Washington, and then veer towards the Alaska Keys towards the western parts, and before they can get on the beach, they encountered a team of sharks lurking in the waters. these sharks attacked Lord Mildred, crushing his shell and tearing off all flippers. We watched in terror as the chief elder was mortally wounded by a great shark, and the two larger turtles managed push and carried him by hooking their claw like hooks on to his carapace to get him on the beach.

We tried to haul ourselves toward the beach, but were intercepted by the sharks and they attacked us again. The waters littered with dead or dieing sea turtles, and we were separated from one another by these ferocious shark attacks. Sharks continued smashing and crushing shells of the fallen turtles that had not washed on shore. The sharks attempted to pursue me, but I swam below to hide under coral rocks hoping this will preserve me, for it will soon be a bad one if I didn't find a way of escape. The shark in the shadow was not far from where I was hidden, and I swam from the corals to a cave, and the shark swam after me like a torpedo, but another shark pursued me and bitten all but one flipper, leaving me swimming in circles. The sludge mingled with blood, and crushed shells and other debris was found around me. No ones knows how long I swam in that way, but I remembered that song the elders and the people sang each morning, "We have taken sometime to understand you open your hand, and we are filled with good, and you hide your face, and we are troubled but you take away our breath and we die, returning to dust." I sung, shaking from the pain. The night was moving quickly over the waters, and I was alone in the waters and my stone brightly lighting the area where I remained.

The following morning a whaling boat passed through the massive debris and the sailors witnessed a massacre, observing turtle corpses dangling partly in the waters, but one of the fisherman saw something shiny on one of the turtles. "Hey, over there," said a whaler pointing toward the shiny object. the shiny stone on my carapace just dazzling in the sun like a mini star, but the ship kept moving through the debris, and I remained swimming in circles while my strength decreased, and only was able to eat small fish and insects that was attracted by the light beaming from my shell. Meanwhile, at the fisherman wharfs at Gorky's bar, a fisherman sipping on beer from the mug. "Maybe what we saw in all that debris was some sort of precious stone," he said drinking the beer in one gulp, "and hopefully we can dislodge it from its shell without killing, that poor son of a gun." The other fishermen were aware they saw something shiny in the waters, and suggested they go back out there and find that turtle with the shiny stone, for it may be of value to us. The bartender, Julius, he stood listening to the fishermen conversation as he cleaned a soiled shot glass for the next drinker. " I can probably get these guys to bring me, and I put them to sleep and find this turtle, taking the stone from its shell," he said grimly, "no worry on trying to save this turtle, it would just be another dead one." The bartender explained to the fishermen that it would be disappointing moment to journey far to only find nothing, but dead turtles. The fishermen was compelled to let Julius the bartender to come along on this expedition to see for himself, and they prepare for the journey bringing needed supplies for the trip.

Six days later, Julius and the fishermen readied themselves for the voyage to find a turtle, and hopefully find what it is that shines like a star in the waters. The dock loaders put more than enough supplies to last for a whole month out at sea, and another sailor and cook came aboard with some scientists who were studying, and researching sea turtles. This made the bartender unhappy that others came aboard for this trip, for it only means he had to find this turtle before the others. The boat traveled through the debris, but did not find the turtle due to the debris and seaweed. Later, that night Julius had just finished cleaning the area around his own bunk bed, peering through his pier glass. "I think I found you, he said grimly, "I am going to get started with my plan." Rushing up the pier had a lifeboat lowered slowly down into the waters, for everyone on board the boat had sleeping pills placed inside their beer mugs, and water. Meanwhile, Julius paddles the boat towards the shiny object, and he find hers scooping her out of the waters, he lays her on his lap with his chisel and hammer. Julius holds the chisel and smashes the hammer against it, cracking her carapace. The sharks had never left but has avoided the area due to the brightness of the stone on her shell. One scientist had not drunk his water so was never drugged by Julius, he saw him from a distance. "Hey, come back to the boat," he shouted, "you dirt brain there is sharks in the waters, and they are coming towards you." There were many sharks heading towards the life boat. The scientist ran to get help, and to warn the others that the bartender had evil intentions. The fishermen awoken and hurried to the pier to find Julius in a life boat chipping away at a helpless sea turtle trying to dislodge the diamond from her shell. The cook found a bottle on the bar that read for sleeping, and he gave the bottle to the captain of the ship. They all knew who had apparently done this evil, and watching the one who is about to be eaten by sharks. "Hey, stupid those sharks are encircling the your lifeboat," the captain shouted shockingly, "someone throw a life raft to save his butt!" They watched as the sharks encircled the lifeboat to close in on Julius, and the sharks one by one pierced holes into the life raft until Julius was no longer able to remain safe. Julius was terrified by the large number of sharks, his death sentence is imminent. "Hurry, and save me from all these sharks," he said, "I don't want to die, but I want to live!" Julius raised little Allison up above his head, and explained to the fishermen that if he died then he would destroy this turtle and make the diamond to be lost in the deep ocean, forever.

The fishermen attempted to steer the boat close enough to rescue Julius from his imminent death. "I am so sorry for bringing this evil man out to sea with us," the captain said, "but we can only do our best to save him from those sharks." Julius was becoming exhausted and fumbled Allison into the waters where she immediately swam in circle to avoid being eaten, but the light from the stone preserve her from being pursued by the sharks. Instead, the sharks fixed themselves on Julius who had doggy paddled himself to exhaustion, and now was only waiting for the end to come. Julius watched with hands held high with the chisel and hammer, and with a great shout told them to come and get me for he was ready for them. The fishermen boat maneuvered in close but a little to late for Julius, for the sharks had taken him under with the life boat, also. The only survivor was Allison. The fishermen cast a net safely to retrieve her from the waters, and a scientist took her in their arms and carried her into their lab room to nurse her back to health, and bring recovery from the trauma since she endure repeated shark attacks. Allison was special in their eyes, and they fell in love with her the moment they held her in their arms. She had only one flipper, and when they arrived to the wharf the scientist carried little Allison to a special treatment center for endangered species, and while she recovered from her wounds she was united with her mother. "Momma, I miss you so much," I cried, "I thought you perished with them." "Well, you are wrong," Mary said snapped babyish. Well, this is my story and the scientist all went to work to help me function like all the other turtle, and have given me artificial flippers that helps her maneuver like normal sea turtles and this was a beautiful moment to witness what humans can do for our kind. My name is Allison and is gratefully indebted to the people that are doing their best to save us from going away forever, and although this is home, and may never return to the wild again but I am content on living the long life with my friends, and brightening every moment of their lives.