One Short Story A Day

September 12, 2024

Prompt: You and your family rescue a turtle who was hit by a car and nurse him back to health.

It was a warm summer evening when my family and I decided to take a stroll in the nearby park. As we were walking along the path, we heard a loud screeching noise followed by a thud. Curious, we hurried towards the source of the noise and to our horror, we saw a small turtle lying on the road, clearly injured from being hit by a passing car.

My heart sank at the sight of the poor creature, and without hesitation, I scooped him up in my arms. His shell was cracked and there was blood oozing from his wounds. My family and I exchanged worried glances, but we knew we had to help the turtle.

We rushed back home, with me cradling the injured turtle in my arms. My parents immediately sprang into action, gathering supplies and creating a makeshift hospital bed for our new patient. We carefully cleaned his wounds and bandaged them up, trying to make him as comfortable as possible.

Over the next few days, we dedicated all our time and energy to nursing the turtle back to health. We fed him a diet of fresh vegetables and fruits, making sure he got all the necessary nutrients to aid in his recovery. We also monitored his progress closely, watching for any signs of infection or complications.

As the days turned into weeks, we saw a remarkable improvement in the turtle's condition. His wounds began to heal and his shell started to mend itself. He even started to show signs of his playful personality, wiggling his way out of his makeshift hospital bed and exploring our backyard.

One day, as I was playing with the turtle outside, I noticed something strange. A faint, blue glow was emanating from his cracked shell. I called out to my family, and we all huddled around the turtle, mesmerized by the mysterious light.

As we watched in awe, the glow grew brighter and brighter, until suddenly, a portal appeared in front of us. We gasped in shock as a group of humanoid beings emerged from the portal, clad in shimmering silver suits and helmets that obscured their faces.

"Thank you for saving our fellow traveler," one of the beings said, their voice echoing in our minds. "We are the guardians of the universe, and we have been searching for this turtle for a long time. He carries a special energy within him that is crucial for maintaining the balance of the universe."

We were stunned by this revelation, but we knew in our hearts that we had done the right thing by rescuing the turtle. The beings thanked us once more before disappearing back through the portal, leaving us standing in awe and wonder at the implications of our actions.

From that day on, the turtle became known as the "Guardian of the Universe" in our family. We continued to care for him, knowing that he had a special purpose in this world and beyond. And as we watched him grow stronger and healthier each day, we felt a sense of pride and fulfillment in knowing that we had played a small part in a much larger cosmic tale.