Group+A

This page is for Group A only:
 * 1) **Brown**
 * 2) **Browning**
 * 3) **Burman**
 * 4) **Crist**
 * 5) **Hudson**

=Don't Go Near that Wacked-Out Turtle!=


 * I was walking down a dirt road the other day and saw something standing dead still in the middle of it. It hissed a nasty noise (I promise I saw spit!) and jumped straight up. It scared the living daylights out of me, so I ...**

...ran after it to see what it was and to make sure it was not injured. I ran nearly half a mile down the dirt road until it came to a dead end. I noticed the object ran off into a opening into the woods. I cautiously followed it and watched it scurry into a small hole dug into the side of a hill. As I approached the animal I noticed it was a small turtle. I thought to myself, "Don't go near that turtle." However, I wanted to make sure he was not hurt. CCrist

As I took a step toward the small turtle, I heard the nasty hissing noise again. For the first time, I thought of my own safety. A turtled that hissed and jumped straight up was not normal. When you combine that with the fact that it managed to out run me for half of a mile, I knew needed to rethink my plan. I took a step back and studied the turtle more closely. Suddenly it did the most amazing thing. JHudson

I blinked twice just to make sure I wasn't dreaming. As I was standing there looking at this turtle, it spoke to me. She said in a very high-pitched and panicky voice, "Hi, my name is Greta and my babies are about to hatch! Please help me." Suddenly, I realized why she had been standing in the middle of that dirt road and she needed help with her little turtle babies. I realized how crazy I must have looked standing there next to a talking turtle, and looked around to make sure there wasn't anyone around. When I turned around I was startled by something in the distance looking straight at us. EBurman

When my eyes finally focused, I realized why Greta was panicking. About fifty feet from us perched in a tall pine tree was a very large eagle. I could tell from his piercing eyes that he was thinking of dinner, and Greta's babies were on the menu. I quickly started rounding up baby turtles and looking for a safe hiding place. I spotted a small cave nearby, and I quickly started carrying baby turtles to the cave. In the meantime, Greta and I kept a close watch on the eagle. We had almost managed to round up all the babies when the most terrible thing happen. JHudson

The eagle spotted the last remaining baby turtle and bolted straight toward it. I sprinted toward the last baby turtle in hopes to beat the eagle to it. It was going to be a "photo finish". I lunged my body at the baby turtle and scooped it up just before the ealge managed to get it. The eagle, however, wasn't going to give up that easy. It circled around and let out the most gut wrenching scream as it flew straight toward me and the baby turtle. So, I did the only thing I could do. CCrist

I spotted the opening to the cave and I ran. I had the last baby turtle in my hand and I was running for the safety of the cave. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the mother turtle jumping, spitting, and hissing frantically at the entrance to the cave. It appeared as if she was having a seizure right in the middle of an eagle attack. Nevertheless, we all made it into the cave safely as the eagle flew away. When my heartbeat slowed into its regular rhythm, I asked Greta why she was acting so crazy. DBrown

Greta just looked at me like I was the one who was acting crazy. Apparently the eagle was her friend, and he was actually trying to protect us! "Protect us from what?" I gasped, thinking there wasn't anything much worse than that eagle attack. I peeked out of the cave trying to figure out what Greta was talking about. There is nothing outside of the cave, and as I strain to look further in the distance, a bolt of lightening touched down right in front of my face. I jumped back and looked at Greta with a weary face and thought, "What on earth have I gotten myself into? I should have just left that turtle sitting in the road!" EBurman

Within seconds a horrible storm had us trapped. The flashes of lightning had the hair on the back of my neck standing up. There was no time to count "one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi" between the sight of lightning and the crash of thunder. They seemed to have appeared at exactly the same time. I knew that the worst of the storm was just overhead. I tried to comfort myself by cowering behind a large rock inside the cave. The baby turtles never left the protection of their shells. Greta, on the other hand, was doing the strangest thing. DBrown

As I peeked over the top of the rock, I saw Greta counting her steps toward me. Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, and she stops at my feet. She presses on the side of the rock I've been hiding behind. To my surprise, the stone begins to turn revealing a pathway beyond the back of the cave. She gathers her babies and whispers "Shhhh..." She begins walking down the long, winding path and I follow close behind. The tunnel is dark and cramped. Within minutes, I see faint light in the distance. ABrowning

I turned to Greta, who had such a strange look on her little turtle face. I glanced back at her baby turtles and wondered why she was walking away from them. Then I heard her counting backwards from thirty. "Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight..." she mumbled. By this time I started pinching myself hoping I would wake up from this crazy dream. Then something pinched me -- and it sure wasn't myself! EBurman

It was a rabbit! Or, should I say, a //hare.// This hare was dressed in clothes and running shoes. I couldn't believe my eyes! I turned back around to the front and realized that I was surrounded by rabbits all dressed the same! Surely this was a dream! The hare began to speak, "Sir, what are you doing here? How did you find us? No human is supposed to know about our secret tortoise and hare society!" "WHAT?" I exclaimed. He answered, "Yes, we are a secret club organized to.." At that moment, rabbit guards rushed in an carried the talking hare away. Then I noticed that they were coming after me! ABrowning