OK, since this story is about ME, I will tell it to you like it really and truly happened. I have to warn you, that this story is very, very sad and so, if you're the kind of person who cries a lot, well, this is not the story for you.

It all started this last Thanksgiving, when my dad came home from his job in Yuma, Arizona, with a big surprise for me. It was a turtle! You can imagine that I was pretty darn excited, considering that I am the biggest fan of turtles there is. But, I did feel sort of funny about this gift; the turtle was a wild turtle, from the Colorado River, and we didn't even really know what to feed him. But, I put all of that out of my head, I was glad that my dad had thought of me, and that was what really mattered. Besides, I had my own turtle!

For the first few weeks, well months, actually, the turtle hardly ever moved from his position his house, which was just a Rubbermaid tub. My mom said that he was just a stupid lump, the way he never moved, so I decided to call him "Lump". Also, because "Lump" is a song by my favorite band, The Presidents of the United States of America.

Lump's lack of movement was not very good. We kept thinking that he was DEAD! But soon he would move a bit, and we would know he was just sleeping. This went on for a while. "How long could a turtle hybernate for?" We all asked, but never got an answer to; until FINALLY he moved. By then, it was already nearing spring.

Well, as spring started to come around, my dad thought that it would be a good idea to put Lump outside in his own pond. I liked this idea very much because I wanted Lump to be happy, and I was sure that a pond would make his extactic! So, my dad went to Home Depot and bought a nice pond. We set him out there, but he just stayed in the mud. This made me very upset, but I was sure he was happy.

My mom thought otherwise. And when mosquito larvea started growing in the pond, my mom said that te turtle would have to go. I was devistated. I loved that turtle! Even though he never really played with me or moved much, I still loved him. I thought that he was the most interesting turtle in the world. But, it was dangerous to have mosquitos growing in our front yard, so my mom dug up the pond, and took the turtle to an animal shelter. She said that it was the right thing to do, but it was still sad to have to lose my first and only turtle. I he is OK. I'll never see him again, so I can only imagine where he is or what he is doing. But, I'll always remember you Lump! I loved you!