Random Short Stories

Personal Space [🪽]

{this one's for all of you out there with younger cousins who don't understand personal space}

Crayfish trudged back toward camp, her muscles aching from the day's patrol. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple.

Her muscles felt taut from a relentless patrol, and her mind buzzed with an overwhelming cacophony of sounds—the chatter of fellow warriors, the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze, and the distant splashes of the ocean.

The familiar scents of fish and damp earth filled the air, grounding her amidst the whirl of her thoughts. She longed for one thing above all else—peace. She longed for a moment of peace, a time to shake off the day's chaos and breathe in the familiar scents of her home.

But as she crossed the threshold into camp, her hopes quickly dissipated.

From the den, the unmistakable sound of her younger cousin Terrapin's voice floated through the air—loud, excited, and inescapable. Crayfish felt a flutter of anxiety in her chest as she spotted Terrapin, a bundle of energy at just nine moons old, already sprinting toward her like a bolt of lightning.

"Crayfish! Crayfish! Crayfish!" Terrapin squealed, her wide eyes gleaming with uncontainable happiness. Before Crayfish could even take a step back to brace herself, her cousin slammed into her with the force of a tiny freight train, wrapping her limbs around Crayfish like a vine.

"Oof!" Crayfish staggered back under Terrapin's excited grip, her heart racing. The thudding of her pulse reverberated in her ears, the chaos intensifying as Terrapin began to wiggle and bash her head into Crayfish's chest.

"Hi! Did you catch anything on patrol? Did you see the Harpoon Isles? Are you going to tell me everything about it?" Terrapin's questions tumbled out in a rapid fire, her voice rising in pitch with each word.

"Um, hey Terrapin," Crayfish managed, forcing a smile as she gently tried to pry Terrapin off her feathers. "Can you, uh, give me a moment? I need to unwind."

But Terrapin's grip only tightened as she bounced excitedly, blissfully unaware of Crayfish's growing discomfort. The noise, the touch—it was overwhelming. Crayfish felt her breath quicken as she attempted to manage the feelings swirling inside her.

After what felt like an eternity, Crayfish finally found her footing and disentangled herself from Terrapin's hugs. "I really need a little space, Terrapin. Just for a few moments, okay? I've had a long day."

"But you're my favourite warrior!" Terrapin responded, pouting, and from the corner of her eye, Crayfish spotted their aunt, a stern yet kind figure who happened to be finishing up a conversation with another warrior.

"Still, I need a minute," Crayfish reiterated, her tone gentle but firm as her anxiety bubbled up from the depths of her being.

"Why do you keep saying that? Just let me hug you! Come on!" Terrapin bounced on the spot, tail flicking impatiently.

Before Crayfish could say anything further, the sound of paws against the sand came over. Turning her head, she saw her aunt, Discus, making her way over with the grace of a seasoned warrior. There was a flicker of concern in her eyes as they met Crayfish's.

Crayfish took a deep breath, knowing she had to say something to put an end to the relentless squeezing. "Hi, Auntie Discus," she coughed out meekly.

"I hope you aren't troubling Crayfish, dear," Discus said, her tone lighter than air but her eyes sharp.

Terrapin gave a dramatic gasp. "No! I'm just loving her!"