Rollie Pollie's Escapade

I was taking a stroll a while back on a day much like today, simply enjoying the few moments I had to myself. I love the feeling of having the sun warmed smooth rock like surface beneath me, but this time around it was chilly, which meant one thing…rain. Before I knew it I heard the rain begin to fall from the large white masses above me. I scurried as quickly as my ten little legs could take me to the nearest building. It looked different than the rest with its foggy white walls and I became a little hesitant, but I despise the rain so I took the chance and squeezed through a hole towards the front. I cleaned the soot off of my back with a small leaf I found on the ground. Then I realized I found a leaf while inside of a building. “Well this is odd,” I thought to myself. I looked up to something completely unexpected, to something I had never before seen. Especially not inside a building! The outdoors was indoors. The place was coated in green life of all sorts. I looked twice to make sure I was not still outside by accident and sure enough I was not.

Out of pure curiosity of this new wonderland I was in, I ventured forth, slowly, taking in my surroundings. I heard water trickling around me and I was thankful to be out of the rain. But the water’s natural melody was not coming from outside but in front of me. “What is this place?!” I followed the noise which brought me to a lake. I made sure not to get too close as I am terrified of water. I continue to walk over a rock-like surface similar to the one outside that separated the two bodies of water when I heard voices. I did not want to be seen so I darted behind a shrubbery of sorts and waited for the voices to pass, but whoever it was decided to take their time. As I waited as quietly and patiently as I could, I failed to notice where exactly I had taken cover, directly next to the water! I started panicking. I knew if I left my cover I would be caught and I was more afraid of the thought of facing whatever was out there than staying put. I locked onto a small stem to be certain I was not going anywhere.

As the time slowly passed I surprisingly grew a little more comfortable with the thought of being so close to water, I was even able to look at it long enough to notice that there were things moving in it. I looked closer to see what they were. Low and behold they were fish! At least I was pretty sure they were, I had never been close enough to ever see for myself, but I have heard enough stories about them to have an educated guess. They were so brightly colored in contrast to the dead guck resting below them. I was mesmerized by what life they had; darting here and there, exploring what was around them as if they had never seen it before. One dashed behind a flower that had fallen from a plant above into the water but it was snagged on a rock and only half of it had gracefully found a home in the water. It danced with the fish as another glided behind it. I was beginning to feel drawn to the joy they seemed to be experiencing. I left my post in order to get a better view. My curiosity was overcoming my fear and I inched away from the edge of safety. I sat there, on a smooth, deep green colored leaf and stared in awe at what I had been missing out on my entire life. “I wouldn’t get too close if I were you,” came deep, wise voice on my left. Without noticing, I was only inches away from where the water meets the edge. Startled, I scampered backwards onto safe ground and looked to see who was talking to me. It was a snail. Its curlicue shell was once a pearly white but had now become a dull off-white from years of wear and tear, its body awkwardly coming out and slowly turning towards me and hoarsely said, “You can never be too careful around Boris,” then turned and parted ways leaving a gooey trail on the rock behind him. “What an odd fellow. Who is Boris?” I circled back to return to this new and exciting view only to stare into black, beady eyes warning me to stay away. I was so frightened I ran full speed back onto the smooth, rock-like surface not caring if the voices saw me in my frantic state and then back through the hole with which I entered.

I finally calmed down enough to realize I must have been in there for hours as the rain had passed and the warmth was beginning to reappear beneath me. I continued on my way reminiscing of the time I almost overcome my fear of the water and I was pleased.