The Boy & the Turtle
On a foggy autumn morning, in a village by the sea, a little boy was born, and his faint cries could be heard among the crashing tides and the jagged rocks of the coastline. As he grew, a heavy emptiness settled upon his heart, a void that no joy could ever fill. The world shimmered with life—crimson leaves, golden sunrises, the cobalt expanse of the sea—but a darkness persisted within him.
Drawn to the cliff's edge, he was a solitary figure, a silhouette against the vast ocean. The wind whipped his hair, mirroring a turmoil within. A deep breath, a hesitant step forward, and then another. The edge of the cliff loomed closer, its promise of oblivion tempting his fate. He stepped closer to the edge, the roar of the waves below echoing the storm inside him. For a moment, he is teetering on the precipice between despair and relief. Tears welled in his eyes.
He stepped off the edge, gravity taking hold, pulling him down into the waiting embrace of the waves.
Fear seized his body, and he sank like a stone. Deeper and deeper. Just as the darkness began to claim him, an ethereal light cradled him, tiny bubbles trailed upward, escaping his lungs. A massive turtle, her shell etched with scars of centuries beneath the sea, rose beneath him, lifting his body towards the surface. The boy gulped in a breath as they breached, wide-eyed with wonder.
He clung to the turtle’s shell, his heart pounding as they glided through shimmering, luminescent depths. The turtle’s wise eyes, filled with a cosmic understanding, guided him in silence. The young boy did not speak. He listened as the ocean softly whispered around him.
As they descended into the watery realm, he marveled at the vibrant colors and strange, beautiful creatures. The turtle gently carried him through a hidden cavern, where a beam of sunlight illuminated a secret pool. The boy, mesmerized, watched as the turtle dipped her head into the pool, emerging with a crown of branching coral. Slowly bowing her head, she offered the crown to the boy, who reluctantly accepted the honor she bestowed upon him. As soon as he touched it, a warmth spread up his arms and through his entire being, a sense of peace and understanding, and a great responsibility. There was now an unspoken bond between them, and together they drifted back under the sea.
When they reached the surface once again, the boy was washed ashore, shivering but filled with a newfound sense of determination and purpose. The turtle lingered for a moment, her gaze steady and wise, as if giving a final, silent farewell, before vanishing beneath the waves.
Left alone on the beach, the boy felt a familiar emptiness as he watched her leave. As he sat on the sand, the sun dipped low, its warmth brushing his skin like a subtle promise. He felt the emptiness within, no longer a void but a quiet space waiting to be filled. His eyes reflected the hope and wonder now stirring within. A smile slowly broke across his face, and salty tears of joy glistened as laughter bubbled up, carried away on the ocean wind.
This story is a work of fiction and explores themes of hope and healing through a symbolic journey. If you or someone you know is struggling with difficult emotions or suicidal thoughts, please seek professional help. Resources are available by calling or texting 988.
Thank you for this! I can see traces of my own journey out of depression through this story.
Nice but I expected, and wanted it to have 'Turtles all the way down' that tickles both my mathological aspects, and my inner child that loved 'Yertle the Turtle'.
God Bless., Steve