shelly story

“Okay, girls. One story before bed. Come; sit.”

The girls sat around their father’s feet.

“You’re slouching!”

“I am not.”

“Ow! You’re pulling my arm! Can’t you sit right?”

“Can’t you lean back? I’m not as stiff as you are!”

“I’m not stiff! This is how you should sit.”

“Girls! Get along or you can go to bed without a story.”

Silence.

“Once upon a time there was a little girl who was born with a turtle shell on her back.”

“Like we were born holding hand?”

“Yes. No one knew why she had a shell; neither of her parents had one. She had a happy childhood. She would play in the grass with her puppy and was absolutely the best at hide-n-seek.”

“Like we are at Red Rover”

“Right. When she would sleep, she would huddle in her shell – it was wonderfully warm – and she had the most pleasant dreams.

One day while playing hide-n-seek with the other children, Colbin, the town bully, because fiercely jealous of how good she was. He started throwing rocks at her beautiful shell and calling her terrible names. The other children who had all been friendly before started playing this new game. Shelly – that was her name – did not understand what was happening. When on of the rocks hit her in the head, she began to cry. The rocks and insults came faster with every sob.”

“What did she do?”

“She did the only thing she could do. She ran away from the mob, tucking her head in her shell until she reached the end of the clearing and plunged into the Sunless Forest. No child had ever ventured past the forest curtain, not even Colbin, but Shelly entered without thinking. She had to get away.

“Why didn’t she just hide in her shell?”

“Well, a shell is very tough, but it is not unbreakable. Shelly knew she couldn’t just stand there and take that assault.”

“Okay.”

“The children did not follow Shelly. The sun was setting, and it was almost time for supper. After some discussion and a little worry, they headed home. But Shelly did not come out of the woods. Even after the sun had sunk fully below the horizon, she still ran on through the woods, thinking she was still being chased because the sounds of the Sunless Forest sound very much like an angry mob. She ran so deep that the mob suddenly surrounded her. That is when she finally stopped and realized where she was. The world became strangely quiet. She took a stop in the direction from which she had come, but a field GROWL stopped her. She quickly hid in her shell, pulling the small bag her mother always made her carry. She spent the night listening the creatures sniff her shell and walk away.

Okay, girls. Good night!”

“WAIT! What happened to Shelly?”

“No one knows. She never returned from the forest. Her parents leave a candle lit in the window and watch for her to come down the path. And the children of the town were never given dessert again once the adults found out what had happened.”

“That’s not fair! Shelly’s life is ruined or ended and the kids only lose their dessert?”

“Yeah!”

“Well, if Shelly had run to her parents, she would have been safe.”

“I don’t think she was thinking that far ahead. She just needed to protect herself.”

“Those kids should have treated her better.”

“Girls. It is time for bed. We can talk about this tomorrow.”

As he closed the door, one of the girls began to sing softly:

Lost little girl, no way to find
Always felt slightly behind
Parents let her go astray
And wonder why she ran away
Her home is dark beyond the sun
Survival is her only fun
Why did those children beat her down
Bruises painting her like a clown
Now she waits inside her place
For someone to see her face
She will not fail, she will not die
No more waiting idly by
And seeks her fortune and seeks her life
She will prevail in this strife
Don’t weep for her for you will see
Shelly will have victory!

The girls dreamt all night of the courage of Shelly.

This is from a story I've been working on for a few years but haven't been able to find the right voice to tell it.