The Worst Mama in the World - Part #2

Someone, mysteriously enough, did cover them with sand.

Exhausted from their emotional upheaval, the eggs fell into a restless and uneasy sleep, with thoughts of their mama filling their heads. The next few days, as they grew flippers and shells, tails and beaks, they kept thinking about what had happened and they wondered: If someone had saved them by covering them with sand, could it be possible someone had saved their mama too?

And so, the weeks passed. The eggs slowly forgot the terrible incident as they began to grow. When the time came to hatch, and the eggs cracked, they were thrilled, having quite forgotten what their mother had said to them weeks ago.

“Finally!” Egg #45 said, stretching. “I'm OUT! Oh, it is a beautiful day! The sand! The beach! The sky! Oh, what should I do with myself? Oh, I know, I know. I’ve to choose a name for me first. What should I call me?”

“Phew!” Egg #87 said, cracking out of its shell next to Egg #45. “That shell! That oval white prison! I'm claustrophobic so I couldn't wait to get out... couldn't happen soon enough if you ask me... oh, hi. You’re Egg #45 – aren’t you?"

"Yes."

"Boy or girl?”

“Boy, of course!” Egg #45 said.

“Nope, I don't think so. No way."

“What?”

“Nope, nope, nope. I was looking at your belly and it’s not curved. It’s flat. You're a girl.”

“Oh, for crying out loud!” Egg #45 said. “I’m a boy, okay? Boys turtles have flat bellies. Girl turtles have curves.”

“No, silly. It's the other way around. Girl turtles have flat bellies and boy turtles have curves. You're a girl. I'm a girl too. Don't you remember what Mama said? If the weather is cool, we’ll be boys and if the weather is warm, we’ll be girls. It has been so warm the past few weeks. See how similar we are? Same tails. Same claws. Same belly. I think we're all girls... you and I... and the rest of us."

"You mean..." Egg #45 said. "We all will return to this beach to lay our eggs? Be hunted by humans during our egg laying? No!"

“We have a visitor!” Egg #11 screamed suddenly. “RUN!”

“Which WAY?” Egg #87 shouted back.

“Mama said we would KNOW when the time comes!" Egg #45 yelled.

“It’s time! It's time! If this isn’t the right time, I don’t know what is!" Egg #11 said.

So... all the turtles, who had become females because the weather was so warm, because the beach was so hot, because the climate was changing - ran to the water.

THE END.