The Turtle Boy

Chapter Two: Trapped in 'Frisco

The morning was ripe, cheery, fun. Max had been awake long before the sun arose, however. The sand hand not been very comfortable, even less so than his stiff mattress at home. He had attempted, at least, to use some of his school-books as a bed, but found most were ruined by dawn (including his favorite: Twits). Max made a hasty decision to leave his stuff there and just take his bag, swinging it up over his arm like he saw big kids do.

Before he left, Max wrote a note to his mommy, just in case she came looking for him. He tried his best to author something that could tell her he was on an adventure, and would be fine. He tucked in through a crack in the deck and trotted out into the sunlight, basking in its warmth. Max loved the light, the true beauty that it brings to the Earth. The water twinkled like little stars, tiny pockets of joy riding the early-morning tide. Max decided to have a little fun before he returned to his house, running down the shining beach, jumping in the receding waves. He laughed even as he tripped over shells, or stepped on painful rocks that his school shoes could barely withstand.

After an hour (that felt like many glorious days to Max), Max decided to go on home. He sat on the shore to let his pants dry. As he began to walk back to his mommy, humming her favorite song. "'Cause sometimes it seems like this world's closing in on me, and there's no way of breaking free. And then I see you reach for me," the song went. Mommy said it was a metaphor for her and daddy's love. 'Who will reach for her now?' Max wondered as he climbed back up the bluff that leads to his curb, the one where he had spent so much time sitting and contemplating.

He walked down the road, taking in everything on the long walk back. Max frowned at the flaws in his way. He was trapped, captured by his age, tantalized by his dreams, destroyed by his failure. He sighed. Max was in jail, with no way out, dying alone. He held back tears as he approached his house. Max opened the front door slowly, knowing his mommy would be sleeping, which is how he found her.

Sleeping.

"Mommy?"

Something was wrong.