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Chapter 3: Be Brave

It was like a little miracle. No, that was wrong. It really was a little miracle. The miracle of life. The miracle of birth. The moment when the seemingly empty, lifeless sand suddenly moved and a tiny creature penetrated through it into the light of day. The hatchling struggled with the loose sand, trying to scramble out of the small hole it had created around itself with its flat flippers.
Face saw that Murdock was completely absorbed in the happening; the pilot's mouth partly open, barely breathing, while he watch the little creature's struggle. He was sure that his friend would rather pick up the baby turtle and make its journey into the world easier by taking it to the ocean himself. At the same time, however, the man knew that it would be inappropriate help, that he shouldn't do that, so he was satisfied with the role of a mere spectator. Or rather a kind of cheerleader, because as the turtles scrambled out of the sand, Murdock rhythmically murmured the encouraging phrases over and over.
Whether the hatchlings heard him or not, they bravely flung themselves forward, heading unerringly toward the ocean. And as they plunged into the bluish waters, after a short but strenuous journey, a long, loud "aaaaaw" escaped Murdock's mouth and he gazed at the waves licking the beach for a moment, just in case any of the little turtles changed their minds. Then he turned his attention back to the sand in front of him and waited for another small miracle. And Face kept watching him quietly.

Not that little turtles weren't cute enough and of course, he didn't experience something like this every day, but God forgive him, the guy on the other side of the nest was far more interesting. And as Murdock stared at the sand waiting for another baby turtle, Face couldn't avert his gaze from him. He liked the sparks of anticipation and the sheer joy shining in those big brown eyes and watched, fascinated, as the pilot breathed through his slightly parted lips, too excited to realize that he had a nose designed for breathing. And when Face saw the light breeze playing with Murdock's tousled hair, where it was sticking out from under the unusual hat, he longed to touch it; replace the wind and ruffle that hair with his own hand; wrap some of the overgrown strands around his fingers; bury his face in it and smell its scent.

Face gulped, shaking his head to chase away all sinful thoughts. "Um, Murdock? I think that turtle was the last. Can we go now?"

"No, not yet, Face. I feel like we should stay a while longer."

Face glanced at his gold watch, thinking. Finally he nodded. "Okay. But only for ten minutes. I'd like to return to our island before the sun goes down."

"Ah, we have plenty of time, Faceman."

Of course. Murdock knew only two ways of perceiving time, and they almost never matched his own. When Face was in hurry, Murdock had plenty of time for everything. When Face thought there was no rush and things could wait, Murdock was like a spring, bouncing around and shouting that yesterday was already too late. But it didn't matter this time. Face could continue to enjoy the view offered by watching hatching turtles.

He automatically ran his hand through his hair, this time focusing his gaze on the pilot's fingers. Murdock sat cross-legged in the sand with his left hand on his lap. The other one was alongside his body, long fingers sifting fine sand. Face was sure Murdock wasn't aware of what his right hand was doing. It was an unconscious gesture indicating that even as the lanky Texan sat seemingly motionless and calm, there was constant restlessness inside him. Yes, Murdock was a permanent storm of emotions, feelings, and thoughts swirling around each other, intertwining and seeping to the surface in the form of unexpected crazy reactions or inconspicuous, unconscious gestures. It could have been confusing, occasionally even annoying, but Face found himself fascinated by it sometimes.

Murdock's body suddenly tensed, and his fingers, tirelessly digging in the sand, froze. Face recognized the clear sign and looked down. Nothing. Or did Murdock see something he didn't? It wouldn't be the first time.

It was obvious that the tidal wave of little turtles which they had seen when they had accidentally discovered the nest, thanks to the swarming gulls, had dried up.

Face recalled Murdock trying to disperse the screaming birds. The blond man was sure that if his friend could have, he would have yanked a small helpless body from the beak of one of the gulls. In the end, he was content to guard the hatchlings and their trek to the ocean.

Face had decided not to comment. Any remarks about the cycle of life and the food chain wouldn't have fallen on fertile ground. Murdock knew all of that anyway. He knew it far better than Face himself after all those hours spent watching documentary movies and reading encyclopedias. If you wanted any information about the animal kingdom, the quickest way to find out was to ask Murdock. It was unbelievable how much information his brain could store and then produce when needed.

So Face had sat down patiently and watched Murdock quietly. And there was definitely something to look at, at least in his opinion. But now he glanced down in front of him, looking for any sign of another freshly hatched turtle.

"And here she comes… the last girl from the clutch," Murdock whispered, his eyes fixed on the sand.

Face raised his eyebrow questioningly. "How do you know it's a gi-"

"Shhh!" Murdock shushed him without looking at him. So Face fell silent, staring even harder at the ground.

There! A small flipper emerged from the sand, followed by a little head. Face wrinkled his brow. This wasn't a turtle. The creature was white!

"Oh!" Murdock breathed out in such amazement that Face's heart jumped at the sound. "Isn't she beautiful?"

"But it's… this isn't normal, is it?"

"No, it's not," Murdock shook his head. "She's an albino, and they're extremely rare." He bent down to take a closer look at the baby turtle before continuing. "It's practically impossible to see them, 'cause when they happen to be born, they have very little chance of reaching adulthood. The white color doesn't really help them survive, ya know? Rather the opposite. There's not only the risk of being caught and killed more easily, but they're also attacked by the members of their own species. Although turtles ain't probably at risk of that."

"Are you saying that animals can be racist?"

Murdock looked up, gazing thoughtfully at Face. "Sounds kinda weird, right?" he laughed a little, then shook his head lightly. "People might call it racism, but it's not the same thing for animals. It 's a way of self-defense. The different one attracts the attention of enemies. If you have a flock of black crows and there is a white crow among them, which bird will you notice?"

"The white one."

"Bingo," Murdock nodded. "The white one attracts attention. It threatens the others. Anyway, that doesn't change the fact that they're beautiful and have the right to live, too." He paused and bent close to the baby turtle again. Instead of heading for the ocean, she sat indecisively in the sand. "You're special, sweetheart, remember that. And as your Weird Sister, I'm giving you luck and courage to overcome everything that awaits you, so that you can return to this beach one day and pass on your uniqueness to your children."

Face couldn't help but smile hearing Murdock change his voice to sound like an old woman and imagining him as one of the Weird Sisters watching over a freshly hatched turtle. Why wasn't he surprised by that?

Murdock's joyful euphoria faded a little, however, and his face took on a grim expression. "But you should go, honey, you can't stay here on the beach."

The turtle moved after a while, but stopped again on a low sand dune, as if overwhelmed by the view of the vast space in front of her.

"Come on, little girl. I know it's hard for you not to have mom or dad here to help ya, but good ol' Murdock is here. I can protect you from all those hungry birds and crabs lurking around here and help you get into the water. But once you're there… I can't swim with you. You will have to go on your own and be very careful, 'cause there are sharks and carnivorous fis and sea monsters waiting to make their lunch of you. But you can do it, baby, I know you can. You just gotta set out."

Both men watched with bated breath as the turtle suddenly began to move. As if she had really heard Murdock's speech she hurried across the beach to the ocean, perhaps trying to make up for lost time. Murdock jumped to his feet and enthusiastically escorted her to the edge of the surf, where he stopped, watching the blue, restless surface with wide eyes.

Face got up and followed his friend more slowly.

"Did you know that only one in a thousand hatched turtles survive into adulthood?" Murdock asked quietly without turning his head.

"No, I didn't know that," Face shook his head.

"And she's so vulnerable… how brave such a little creature must be to go out of its sheltered nest into the light, across a beach full of enemies, into the ocean that may be its home, but at the same time there's danger lurking behind every wave."

There was something subconsciously familiar about the thought, and Face frowned. A vision of a dense thicket of green jungle, an open paddy field, and their enemies hiding in the shadows of the trees flashed through his mind. How brave did a person have to be to leave his hiding place and throw himself into a gunfight he could hardly survive?

Before he realized what he was doing, he put his arm around Murdock's shoulders and pressed himself lightly against his friend. The pilot didn't push him away, just continued to stare at the ocean, lost in his own thoughts.

Despite standing so close to Murdock and feeling the heat radiating from his body, and despite the tropical sun shining above them, Face got goose bumps.

How brave would he himself have to be to understand and accept the feelings that forced their way more and more from his heart to the surface? His dreams, wishes, desires… how much courage would he have to gather to try to get closer? Did he want to get any closer?

He looked sidelong at Murdock, seeing his brown eyes, bright and yet distant at that moment, fixed on some invisible point in the distance. A two-day stubble that needed a shave. Lips, parted again, that were dry and slightly chapped after a whole day spent in the sun... How brave would he have to be to be able to kiss them?

"She can do it." The firm, determined voice startled him so that he jumped slightly. But Murdock didn't seem to notice and kept staring at the ocean. "I know she can do it. She will be that one in a thousand. She must be, 'cause she's extraordinary." He finally turned to Face who could only nod. But that was enough for Murdock. The pilot grinned broadly at him, wrapping his arm around Face's back. "We can go now, Faceman. I'm getting hungry." Unaware of what was going on inside his friend's mind, Murdock headed across the beach to their little boat, Face, gripped by that long arm, stumbling beside him.
__________________________________________________________

The picture was drawing for the thirteenth prompt of Inktober52 2021 - BRAVE

You can read the previous chapter - Chapter 2: Sea Monsters Are Blue here: www.deviantart.com/drimmsydra/…

Description

Chapter 3: Be Brave

It was like a little miracle. No, that was wrong. It really was a little miracle. The miracle of life. The miracle of birth. The moment when the seemingly empty, lifeless sand suddenly moved and a tiny creature penetrated through it into the light of day. The hatchling struggled with the loose sand, trying to scramble out of the small hole it had created around itself with its flat flippers.
Face saw that Murdock was completely absorbed in the happening; the pilot's mouth partly open, barely breathing, while he watch the little creature's struggle. He was sure that his friend would rather pick up the baby turtle and make its journey into the world easier by taking it to the ocean himself. At the same time, however, the man knew that it would be inappropriate help, that he shouldn't do that, so he was satisfied with the role of a mere spectator. Or rather a kind of cheerleader, because as the turtles scrambled out of the sand, Murdock rhythmically murmured the encouraging phrases over and over.
Whether the hatchlings heard him or not, they bravely flung themselves forward, heading unerringly toward the ocean. And as they plunged into the bluish waters, after a short but strenuous journey, a long, loud "aaaaaw" escaped Murdock's mouth and he gazed at the waves licking the beach for a moment, just in case any of the little turtles changed their minds. Then he turned his attention back to the sand in front of him and waited for another small miracle. And Face kept watching him quietly.

Not that little turtles weren't cute enough and of course, he didn't experience something like this every day, but God forgive him, the guy on the other side of the nest was far more interesting. And as Murdock stared at the sand waiting for another baby turtle, Face couldn't avert his gaze from him. He liked the sparks of anticipation and the sheer joy shining in those big brown eyes and watched, fascinated, as the pilot breathed through his slightly parted lips, too excited to realize that he had a nose designed for breathing. And when Face saw the light breeze playing with Murdock's tousled hair, where it was sticking out from under the unusual hat, he longed to touch it; replace the wind and ruffle that hair with his own hand; wrap some of the overgrown strands around his fingers; bury his face in it and smell its scent.

Face gulped, shaking his head to chase away all sinful thoughts. "Um, Murdock? I think that turtle was the last. Can we go now?"

"No, not yet, Face. I feel like we should stay a while longer."

Face glanced at his gold watch, thinking. Finally he nodded. "Okay. But only for ten minutes. I'd like to return to our island before the sun goes down."

"Ah, we have plenty of time, Faceman."

Of course. Murdock knew only two ways of perceiving time, and they almost never matched his own. When Face was in hurry, Murdock had plenty of time for everything. When Face thought there was no rush and things could wait, Murdock was like a spring, bouncing around and shouting that yesterday was already too late. But it didn't matter this time. Face could continue to enjoy the view offered by watching hatching turtles.

He automatically ran his hand through his hair, this time focusing his gaze on the pilot's fingers. Murdock sat cross-legged in the sand with his left hand on his lap. The other one was alongside his body, long fingers sifting fine sand. Face was sure Murdock wasn't aware of what his right hand was doing. It was an unconscious gesture indicating that even as the lanky Texan sat seemingly motionless and calm, there was constant restlessness inside him. Yes, Murdock was a permanent storm of emotions, feelings, and thoughts swirling around each other, intertwining and seeping to the surface in the form of unexpected crazy reactions or inconspicuous, unconscious gestures. It could have been confusing, occasionally even annoying, but Face found himself fascinated by it sometimes.

Murdock's body suddenly tensed, and his fingers, tirelessly digging in the sand, froze. Face recognized the clear sign and looked down. Nothing. Or did Murdock see something he didn't? It wouldn't be the first time.

It was obvious that the tidal wave of little turtles which they had seen when they had accidentally discovered the nest, thanks to the swarming gulls, had dried up.

Face recalled Murdock trying to disperse the screaming birds. The blond man was sure that if his friend could have, he would have yanked a small helpless body from the beak of one of the gulls. In the end, he was content to guard the hatchlings and their trek to the ocean.

Face had decided not to comment. Any remarks about the cycle of life and the food chain wouldn't have fallen on fertile ground. Murdock knew all of that anyway. He knew it far better than Face himself after all those hours spent watching documentary movies and reading encyclopedias. If you wanted any information about the animal kingdom, the quickest way to find out was to ask Murdock. It was unbelievable how much information his brain could store and then produce when needed.

So Face had sat down patiently and watched Murdock quietly. And there was definitely something to look at, at least in his opinion. But now he glanced down in front of him, looking for any sign of another freshly hatched turtle.

"And here she comes… the last girl from the clutch," Murdock whispered, his eyes fixed on the sand.

Face raised his eyebrow questioningly. "How do you know it's a gi-"

"Shhh!" Murdock shushed him without looking at him. So Face fell silent, staring even harder at the ground.

There! A small flipper emerged from the sand, followed by a little head. Face wrinkled his brow. This wasn't a turtle. The creature was white!

"Oh!" Murdock breathed out in such amazement that Face's heart jumped at the sound. "Isn't she beautiful?"

"But it's… this isn't normal, is it?"

"No, it's not," Murdock shook his head. "She's an albino, and they're extremely rare." He bent down to take a closer look at the baby turtle before continuing. "It's practically impossible to see them, 'cause when they happen to be born, they have very little chance of reaching adulthood. The white color doesn't really help them survive, ya know? Rather the opposite. There's not only the risk of being caught and killed more easily, but they're also attacked by the members of their own species. Although turtles ain't probably at risk of that."

"Are you saying that animals can be racist?"

Murdock looked up, gazing thoughtfully at Face. "Sounds kinda weird, right?" he laughed a little, then shook his head lightly. "People might call it racism, but it's not the same thing for animals. It 's a way of self-defense. The different one attracts the attention of enemies. If you have a flock of black crows and there is a white crow among them, which bird will you notice?"

"The white one."

"Bingo," Murdock nodded. "The white one attracts attention. It threatens the others. Anyway, that doesn't change the fact that they're beautiful and have the right to live, too." He paused and bent close to the baby turtle again. Instead of heading for the ocean, she sat indecisively in the sand. "You're special, sweetheart, remember that. And as your Weird Sister, I'm giving you luck and courage to overcome everything that awaits you, so that you can return to this beach one day and pass on your uniqueness to your children."

Face couldn't help but smile hearing Murdock change his voice to sound like an old woman and imagining him as one of the Weird Sisters watching over a freshly hatched turtle. Why wasn't he surprised by that?

Murdock's joyful euphoria faded a little, however, and his face took on a grim expression. "But you should go, honey, you can't stay here on the beach."

The turtle moved after a while, but stopped again on a low sand dune, as if overwhelmed by the view of the vast space in front of her.

"Come on, little girl. I know it's hard for you not to have mom or dad here to help ya, but good ol' Murdock is here. I can protect you from all those hungry birds and crabs lurking around here and help you get into the water. But once you're there… I can't swim with you. You will have to go on your own and be very careful, 'cause there are sharks and carnivorous fis and sea monsters waiting to make their lunch of you. But you can do it, baby, I know you can. You just gotta set out."

Both men watched with bated breath as the turtle suddenly began to move. As if she had really heard Murdock's speech she hurried across the beach to the ocean, perhaps trying to make up for lost time. Murdock jumped to his feet and enthusiastically escorted her to the edge of the surf, where he stopped, watching the blue, restless surface with wide eyes.

Face got up and followed his friend more slowly.

"Did you know that only one in a thousand hatched turtles survive into adulthood?" Murdock asked quietly without turning his head.

"No, I didn't know that," Face shook his head.

"And she's so vulnerable… how brave such a little creature must be to go out of its sheltered nest into the light, across a beach full of enemies, into the ocean that may be its home, but at the same time there's danger lurking behind every wave."

There was something subconsciously familiar about the thought, and Face frowned. A vision of a dense thicket of green jungle, an open paddy field, and their enemies hiding in the shadows of the trees flashed through his mind. How brave did a person have to be to leave his hiding place and throw himself into a gunfight he could hardly survive?

Before he realized what he was doing, he put his arm around Murdock's shoulders and pressed himself lightly against his friend. The pilot didn't push him away, just continued to stare at the ocean, lost in his own thoughts.

Despite standing so close to Murdock and feeling the heat radiating from his body, and despite the tropical sun shining above them, Face got goose bumps.

How brave would he himself have to be to understand and accept the feelings that forced their way more and more from his heart to the surface? His dreams, wishes, desires… how much courage would he have to gather to try to get closer? Did he want to get any closer?

He looked sidelong at Murdock, seeing his brown eyes, bright and yet distant at that moment, fixed on some invisible point in the distance. A two-day stubble that needed a shave. Lips, parted again, that were dry and slightly chapped after a whole day spent in the sun... How brave would he have to be to be able to kiss them?

"She can do it." The firm, determined voice startled him so that he jumped slightly. But Murdock didn't seem to notice and kept staring at the ocean. "I know she can do it. She will be that one in a thousand. She must be, 'cause she's extraordinary." He finally turned to Face who could only nod. But that was enough for Murdock. The pilot grinned broadly at him, wrapping his arm around Face's back. "We can go now, Faceman. I'm getting hungry." Unaware of what was going on inside his friend's mind, Murdock headed across the beach to their little boat, Face, gripped by that long arm, stumbling beside him.
__________________________________________________________

The picture was drawing for the thirteenth prompt of Inktober52 2021 - BRAVE

You can read the previous chapter - Chapter 2: Sea Monsters Are Blue here: www.deviantart.com/drimmsydra/…