Color Me Orange (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Fan Fiction)

Chapter Three: Splinter

     I woke up, feeling more exhausted and pained than I had ever experienced. It felt as though I was inside-out.

    Gradually, I got off of the cold floor that felt like stone, and I realized that I must have been in some kind of dojo.

    There was a large, healthy, growing tree that was in the center, towards the back wall. Under the tree was a mat where someone was meditating.

    Except, it wasn’t a person exactly. It was a rat.

    As I got up to my feet, the rat immediately woke up as if I made a large noise to wake him.

    “Um, hello?” I asked, not sure how to respond. He hesitated to reply for a moment as if he were trying to get back to his sense.

    “Yes. Hello.” he said, getting up from the mat where he was meditating. It was the same voice from the sewers.

    “You knocked me out.” I commented, and he nodded. “Sorry. You couldn’t know the way to this place. There’s plenty of danger out there.” he replied, and I looked at him with wide eyes.

    Was he some kind of psych? Did he know that I had come here just for that reason? To know how to get to this lair?

    The rat noticed, and he quickly added, “Of course, I don’t believe you are a threat.” I sighed with relief.

    “There are other dangers you wouldn’t believe.” he said, pouring tea into small cups on a small table.

    He came over and offered me one. I accepted, taking a slight sip. “Well, I met you.” I said a little too loudly, and when he glanced at me, I wished I took it back.

    “I mean that you are something people wouldn’t believe, not that you are a danger.” I saved.

    The rat seemed to understand, and he opened the door that led out to another room. I walked up to him.

    “What’s your name?” I asked.

    “Splinter. What is yours?” he said.

    “They call me Ellie.” I replied.

***

    Splinter and I talked for a while, each second weighing on me. He wanted to know more about me like what part of the city did I live, simple things like my age and what I liked to do. I was more reserved about my answers, telling him what I wanted him to know, but there was one question that stunned me completely off guard.

    “Do you know how to fight?” he asked. I didn’t really understand why he wanted to know the answer to that question.

    “Like defending myself?” I asked, and Splinter nodded. How was I suppose to answer that question?

    “I can throw a knife.” I replied. There was a long pause as if he were thinking. “Give me your arm.” Splinter instructed, and I hesitated for a moment, not sure on what he was getting to.

    Slowly, I rolled up my hoodie sleeve and spreaded my arm out to the rat as if to give him a handshake.

    He pressed his hand against different parts of my arm like the elbow, wrist, and close to my shoulder. His touch was cold and slightly furry. Splinter’s nails were sharp, and I knew he could scratch anyone’s eyes out like a cat.

    “Yes. I think that could work out.” he concluded, removing his hand, and I rolled down my hoodie sleeve, placing my hand back on my lap.

    “What could work?” I asked. “Give me a moment.” he said, getting up from the couch, and going into a separate room that I hadn’t gone into yet. There was an entire complex down here. I didn’t think I would ever be able to explore each one.

    Splinter came out a few minutes later, holding a bow. Instead of him coming to the couch where I was, I got up from my position, and ran to take it.

    “Is it real?” I asked, touching it lightly with my fingertips. Splinter nodded. “It’s delicate to me. I carved it by hand.” he explained.

    Then why give it to me? I thought to myself, giving him a strange look. We were strangers to each other. Why give me a weapon?

    Splinter seemed to read my mind. “You must be wondering why I would give you such a precious weapon.” he said in more of a question than a statement.

    I nodded, waiting for him to explain.

    “That is a mystery to me as well.” he replied, but before I could question any further, “Come, we have much to practice.”