Donatello the turtle walked down the street, the automatic doors of the grocery store sliding shut behind him. In one hand, he held a bag of Crunch Bits — spicy chips that made his tongue burn, but he savored every bite. Each chip crunched as he ate, the heat lingering on his tongue.
He planned to head home, but after a while, his feet started moving in a random direction. He scratched his head, a small frown forming on his face.
"W-where do I go?" he muttered to himself, his voice tinged with both confusion and worry.
He continued walking, barely paying attention to his surroundings. The streets slowly turned into a dirt path, and Donatello finally stopped, realizing how lost he was. He glanced at the Crunch Bits in his hand, hesitated, then decided to save them for later. He hadn't eaten much today anyway.
Sighing, Donatello sat down on the soft green grass, setting the bag of chips beside him. He glanced around and blinked — trees towered above him, their branches twisting like arms. He was in a forest. How did I miss this? he thought, shaking his head in disbelief.
Donatello sat quietly, the soft grass beneath him, as the sky darkened. The moon began its slow climb into the sky, glowing gently over the forest. He had zoned out for a moment, just watching. Realizing this, he stood up and glanced around.
In the distance, he spotted a small picnic carpet. Donatello wasn't impressed, but he wasn't disappointed either. With a shrug, he dragged it over and laid it next to his Crunch Bits.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Tapping the screen, he tried to call a taxi—but the screen blinked red. "No service."
"Shit… shit, shit, shit," he muttered.
He took a breath. No reason to panic.
Midnight passed. The forest was still.
Donatello clutched his bag of Crunch Bits and lay down on the carpet. Tiredness hit hard—and before he knew it, his eyes were closed.