A Shell Unlike Any Other

The boy suddenly woke up on the shores of a beach. Bitter cold and the familiar stench of coastal decay overtook him. The deafening cawing of seagulls and distant sirens clouded his mind. "I have to get back..", he grunted while trying to get to his feet..

Only to discover he had eight pointy feet, which he promptly tripped over. He raised his hands to see two claws. His new crab body wasn’t all bad: he could look in all directions, at least.

But on the other hand, it meant that he wasn't on the top of the food chain anymore. His exoskeleton clattered in a shiver as a heron stabbed another crab next to him and swooped away. Gagging at the splattered remains on his face, he started scuttling away. He had to hide. But w

was a very watchful heron, hence the nickname “W.” Even if you thought he couldn’t see you, he almost certainly could. And this was why the crab needed a very clever hiding place. It needed to be somewhat camouflage, but being out of reach would be even better. Perhaps both, if

only there were more seaweed in this part of the ocean. Instead the crab made do with what he found — Reese’s wrapper, a used condom and a Coke can discarded by the planet’s most disgusting inhabitants. For once, something good would come of human disregard for the environment.

The crab fashioned the trash into something resembling a shell. A shell different than any other. The crab was safe for a time before it was gone. As the ocean sank away and the last of the moving things moved, there sat the shell, different than any other.