8th Grade Short Story

We've had a bit of a drought on this blog due to the complexities of Covid and limited in-person class time, but the next few posts will be short stories our 8th graders recently wrote. We'd love to hear your feedback in the comments!

The Day Pig and Bird Made a New Friend

by Kaiya H.

“My eyes, my poor eyes are still droopy, Pig! My mind is so tired. As the leader of this duo, I have to take responsibility and say that I am too dreadfully tired to carry you across the water. Self-loathingly, I say that I need to go back to bed. Pig, it’s so early! Why did you drag me out here? The sun has barely peeped out above the horizon. Even the sun is tired!”

“Bird, I believe you have forgotten yesterday when you told me we would be getting up at 6 A.M. for our morning patrol because you saw an elephant. I heard you say that and then reminded you that there are no elephants in the Bahamas, but you still wouldn’t believe me even when I told you from further speculation that the elephant you saw was indeed a big rock. Do you remember that?”

“No, I think you are just being cruel, forcing me to wake up at 6. You are probably making up crazy events to justify wanting to get up at 6 IN THE MORNING! And no, the elephant was not just a big rock, I saw it move its giant leg. As a paralyzed individual who can’t run or fly, seeing an elephant move is quite intimidating! I ought to make you feel ashamed of yourself for questioning my sanity.”

Just as Bird was finishing his rant, a near-by leaf floated by them in the water and gave Bird quite a good scare.

“Ah! Pig, I don’t want to scare you but I do believe we are being attacked by a merciless water snake! Oh, the horror! Look Pig, he’s creeping closer to intimidate us. No matter how strong the urge is to swim away, we must stand strong…”

“Have the hallucinations gotten to you again, Bird? That merciless water snake is but a harmless, green leaf. Let’s move on before you have another vision.”

Pig and Bird finished their patrol about half an hour later and realized their stomachs couldn’t hold out any longer. They wandered around for a short while and found themselves in the forest part of the island looking for some food.

“I could eat a whole squid,” declared Bird with loud, boisterous confidence!

“Did you forget that a squid is double your size? If a squid saw you trying to eat it, it wouldn’t run away. It would simply laugh and call you puny.”

“Excuse me, but this so-called ‘puny’ bird could destroy you with one single swoop of my large and terrifying wing,” said Bird.

“Bird, stop being ridiculous. I believe I found something that could be very delicious.”

“And nutritious?”

“Yes Bird, and nutritious.”

“Well, what is it?” said Bird.

As Bird proceeded to pick up the slightly foreign object, something inside of it, shook with great strength and scared them both.

“It is just what I feared, Pig! A ferocious spider, breaking out of its shell, waiting for its first kill! Or maybe a large Iguana looking for a bacon-appetizer. If that’s true, it would certainly have no trouble eating you and my fear would have no trouble letting it! Please not me! I’m still young and have years left to live! This old guy won’t last for more than a decade!”

“Don’t be silly. Let’s wait for it to hatch fully before you try to leave me for dead.”

Something very small slowly reached out of the remnants of the shell.

“Well, it doesn’t seem harmless. On second thought… maybe its sweet look is just a disguise for the real evil lurking inside of the creature” Bird declared with a sinister manner.

“But I think I saw one of those near the shore just last Tuesday. If it belongs in the water, why is it so far away from the sand? If it is so far away from the shore, The birds will have no trouble finding it.”

“What? Pig, I would never do such a thing! It is just a baby. Even though it does look slightly delicious…”

“Bird, I was talking about the predator birds of the island. The scary ones who might come from nowhere and swallow us with one gulp. Such as a Roseate Tern. And you my friend are not one of those.”

“Oh please Pig! I am terrifying, excruciatingly scary. Now that we are decidedly not going to feast on this ‘thing’ considering it is alive… What are we going to do with it?”

“I have decided that we will help the little creature get safely to shore, where it belongs.”

“What? The little thing will be fine! Why should I have to go out of my way? Pig, I bravely suggest that we simply let nature take its own course. Who are we to get in the way of nature? Are we such beings that we are above creation?”

“Okay Fine, would you have liked me to ‘let nature take its course’ when I saw you for the first time? Nothing but a helpless, half-paralyzed, baby Pine Warbler, who despite its name, could barely let out a squawk of its now considerably talkative mouth.”

“What’s your point, Pig?”

“My point is that this animal has no one! If we won’t help this creature, who will?”

“Okay, I see your point. I will single-handedly save this little green thing with my brave heart and strong exterior.”

“Well, I’m glad you agree Bird. Now pick it up with your good wing and let it ride on your back.”

“Why I thought you would be more considerate of me! Honestly how could I be so clueless. First, you completely disrupt my day by forcing me to take pity on this ‘thing’ and now you make me sacrifice myself further while you sit back and relax? Why are you so cruel? Oh yes and another thing, may I remind you that we have not eaten in hours?”

“The only thing you, Bird, are right about is that we haven’t eaten in a long while and neither has the small creature. Bird, would you like to take a short break and eat?”

“Oh Pig, I’m so glad you said that! I thought you’d never ask. What does the thing eat?

“Well, I’m not sure. Here little guy, have some of this!”

“Pig, what are you doing?”

“Why I’m feeding the creature. They can’t go long without food..”

“No no no, that is a North Bahamic leaf.”

“Yes Bird, you are very correct.”

“That particular leaf is infested with poison. It can’t eat that! See here Pig, since you have almost poisoned the animal because of your lack of knowledge and utter stupidity, I've gathered some seaweed that the thing might enjoy more than your death appetizer.”

As soon as the hard-shelled baby saw the green, leafy snack, he dodged off of Bird's back towards his meal. Once he reached it, he swallowed the leaf with one “chomp.”

“Haha! My pure genius has foreseen what the creature likes and I must say I believe it would like to sleep now. I mean, look at the way it is slowly blinking and losing balance. It uh, must Uhhhhh, be...tired.”

“Possibly Bird or that could be you losing balance and barely being able to get the words out of your mouth. I must say, I… it… might be time for bed. Here, put the animal by those palm branches over there, it’ll be comfy for it to sleep on, and we will have no trouble finding it in the morning.”

“You know Pig.”

Pig opened his eyes with a frown and replied, “Yawn, Yes Bird?”

“I was thinking, we have been with the creature for about a half a day now and I think it may be time to give the thing a name.”

“Really? Well, I think that is a great idea! I’m glad you have grown fond of it.”

“Huh! I can barely tolerate the creature! How dare you tell me what I’m feeling! I am utterly offended! I was just thinking if we are going to be around the animal, we should give it the decency of a name. So it doesn’t get confusing for me. You Know? Do you like the name Turtle?”

“Why yes, I must admit the name is rather charming! Goodnight then, Turtle.”

The three of them spent the night in the forest. Unfortunately, one bird did not have such a good night.

“Wake up Bird! We have to get a move on! I slept quite well last night, I think the leaves were very comfortable.”

“Well, I’m so glad this hard floor has well accommodated your back! Mine on the other hand is cramping with such agony! Ah, the pain!” Bird said while rolling around, trying to get the cramping out. “Since your back is completely fine, why don’t you go and get Turtle and bring him here so we can get going? If I’m even able to travel because of my aching state.”

Pig got up from his comfy resting place on the ground, still sleepy and slowly creeped to the palm leaves where they left Turtle.”

“Bird, I don’t mean to worry you but the ‘safe’ place we left Turtle last night, well it’s still there!”

“That’s great but instead of jabbering on about the place where Turtle is, what about bringing Turtle here? How does that sound? Quite good, I think.”

“Good idea, but even though the place where we left Turtle is here, Turtle is not so it would be difficult to bring him over if I don’t know uh exactly where he is.”

“What?” Frantically searching, Bird said “You are responsible for him! How could you let this happen? Just as he was starting not to bug me! Well, don’t just stand there looking like a sad old rodent! We have to search for him! Oh, where could he be?”

“Hey, I think I see water!”

Still in a frightened state Bird said, “He could have already been attacked by any predator and left for dead! ...Or, He could be sitting on a rock eating more seaweed.”

“Oh, thank goodness you found him! Turtle you could have been eaten! I better pick him up and let him in the water.”

“Oh pig, are you sure you want to put him in the water? What if he stayed with us?“

“Bird I’m very sorry but we need to put him where he belongs, with his family. I’m sure we will go and visit him a lot!”

Pig and Bird agreed on what was best for Turtle. They gently put their sweet friend in the water and watched him swim away peacefully. Pig and Bird did feel some remorse but they had great hope of seeing him again soon.