Excerpt: Back

The turtle was inching to the side of the road, his toenails slipping in the freshly fallen dust. Trucks and cars went by at fast speeds, and this big turtle was slow, so he waited for the best time.

This turtle was peculiar, because he had been through so much, like in Steinbeck’s book, “The Grapes of Wrath” he had been hit on the highway, and had to start over. After years of the Jodes moving around, the turtle had made his journey, and was ready to cross back over.

He looked over to the left, then the right, and then he got ready to cross. This was the thing he was dwelling on the most. He took one step out onto the highway, and then another, and slowly the turtle moved out onto the highway. Inch by inch, he strolled onto the highway, until he was halfway through the first lane. He heard a horn sounding, looked up, and then was squished by a truck.

Take that Steinbeck!