PAGE 0NE- 1ST HALF- STAGE ONE
OUT OF THE WATER,
IMAGINE A BEAST BORN ON
LAND BUT MEANT TO LIVE
ITS LIFE IN THE OCEAN,
LIKE THOSE SEA TORTOISES;
IMAGINE A GREEN, GREEN,
GREEN PLANET, WITH
THICK FORESTS AND
JUNGLES SHARE THE
LAND WITH PRAIRIES
AND MOUNTAINS,
HEALTHY RIVERS
FEEDING CLEAN LAKES,
A BLOOMING PLANET,
NOT YET RIDDLED
WITH DESERTS AND
WIDE SANDY BEACHES;
A CIRCLE OF LIFE
THAT WOULD BE
DISRUPTED FOREVER
BY A CREATURE’S
DENIAL OF ITS
OWN INSTINCT;
THERE COULD HAVE BEEN
A TIME ON EARTH ALL AT
ONCE, ALL OVER EARTH,
A CREATURE BOUND BY
INSTINCT TO SPEND YEARS
IN THE OCEAN,
RARELY RETURNING TO
LAND IN ITS LIFESPAN,
MIGHT HAVE BROKEN
WITH ITS OWN GENETIC
HISTORY, AND DECIDED
TO STAY AWAY FROM
THE WATER, MAYBE
BECAUSE THE BEACH
WAS PROBABLY STREWN
WITH THE HALF-EATEN
REMAINS OF THE PREVIOUS
HATCHLINGS, WHO WERE
FED ON BY TERNS, GULLS,
AND CRABS.
AND SO A FEAR COULD HAVE RIPPLED
THROUGH ALL THE NEWBORNS ONE
DAY
ALL OVER EARTH, A FEAR
BASED ON
SURVIVAL.
IMAGINE THE LITTLE TORTOISE-TYPE
BABIES TURNED TOWARDS
SHADE
AND DARKNESS, AND FOUND A
WORLD
OF ENDLESS TASTY PLANTS
RIGHT
THERE AT THE EDGE OF THE
SEA;
IMAGINE THOUSANDS OF HUNGRY
NEWBORNS FINDING DELICIOUS
FOOD AT THE HIGH TIDE
MARK,
OFFERING COVERAGE AND
ENERGY
AS IT ESCAPED THE CARNAGE
ON
THE BEACH;
THEN MAYBE, AS MORE AND MORE
OF THESE CREATURES
HATCHED, THE FIRST
TO STAY WERE FORCED
EVER INLAND, STICKING
TO COASTAL LOWLANDS;
IT MIGHT HAVE BEGAN
GROWING TOO FAST FOR
ITS SHELL TO FORM AS
ONE PIECE;
IF ITS EYES WERE FOR LIVING
IN SALT WATER, IT MIGHT
HAVE GONE BLIND FOR
A FEW GENERATIONS;
AND IT MIGHT HAVE HAD THICK,
HEAVY MEMBRANES
IN ITS NOSES AND EARS,
SO ITS SENSES OF HEARING
AND SCENT COULD NOT
DETECT MUCH,
MOTIVATED
BY HUNGER, FUELLED
WITH TOO MUCH REALLY
GOOD FOOD, AND PROPELLED
BY ITS YOUNGER SISTERS
AND BROTHERS, IT SWARMED
TOWARDS THE INTERIOR
PRAIRIES, PUSHED INTO
RIVERS AND LAKES, INTO
PREDATOR PLACES, OVER
CLIFFS INTO CANYONS,
AND INTO THE EDGE OF
FORESTS AND JUNGLES
ALL AROUND THE PLANET,
IT SWARMED THE INLAND
LOWLANDS.
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