Writing Randomness

Short Story - Finding The Way Home

There was once a penguin named Icicle. She lived with the whole pack of penguins in Antarctica, where it was fend-for-yourself unless there was an enemy on the land or sea, like a ice shark, or even worse… a human. Thanks to global warming by the idiotic humans, there was a huge disaster that happened in Antarctica, breaking off the ice and separating her from her family. She ended up somewhere far away, somewhere where no penguin has gone before…

It was a strange island, one not with snow and ice, but with a strange yellow particle substance that was not known to the penguin species. She wandered around the weird place for a while, feeling the warm salt water at her feet and the particles between her toes. What was this strange place? This was not home at all…

She kept going until she came across some creatures, ones she's never seen before. They were high up in the trees, with wings like hers, except more feathers and all the colors of the rainbow. They were chirping so funny, talking to each other in the silliest manner. She waddled her black-and-white self over to the tree.

"Hey?" She called, and the birds all looked down and locked their eyes on her. "Where am I? What is this place?"

"Whoa, haven't seen a bird like you before!" The bird exclaimed, flying down by her and perching on a branch closer to her. "I think you're lost."

"I am." She stated, flapping her long wings that couldn't allow her to fly. "Do you know where I am?"

"Wow, where do you live? Everyone knows where Hawaii is." Another bird said from a higher branch. "Where are you from?"

"Hawaii?" She questioned the funny birds, who began laughing. "Never heard of it."

"My God, you are far off, my flightless friend." The one on the lower branch stated, flying even closer and onto the ground.

"I'm from Antarctica, trying to get back to my parents." She stated, and the one on the higher branch let out a long whistle.

"All the way from Antarctica? What happened?" She asked, and Icicle shrugged as much as a penguin could.

"I don't know, global warming is causing it somehow." She stated, feeling frustrated. "The stupid humans can't take care of the Earth like they should."

"Amen to that." The bird on the ground agreed. "Come on, I'll show you to the nearest boat to try to get you home." He offered, starting to hop on the ground and Icicle followed behind. "Oh, and my name's Marco. I'm a Toucan."

"Icicle, I'm a penguin." She stated, and they exchanged a friendly smile before continuing.

A while later they arrived at a dock next to the ocean, with boats all over the place, hanging around and floating with almost no life aboard.

"Okay, you need to get on that boat over there." Marco stated, pointing with his beak to a small boat with a crane and nets. "They're arctic fishers and they travel down there. That should get you close to home."

"Thanks!" Icicle grinned, and they made their way aboard until she stood next to a crate, out of sight from the humans.

"Have a nice trip home, hope you make it there." Marco said before flying off, heading out of sight and going back to where the other toucans were.

"Thanks…" She muttered before the humans came aboard, and they began sailing down south.

The ocean was choppy, there was a storm that rocked the boat a lot, and the thunder and lightning didn't help either. But the storm past, the air temperature dropped considerably, the weather that Icicle loved and was used to. Hawaii was way too warm, anyway…

But just like that, the boat stopped. The humans began fishing, and Icicle made her way to the edge and jumped off, heading for the directing she thought was south. She swam through the icy water, catching some fish that the humans didn't catch, but kept on going. It was endless miles of water, with no other penguin in sight. She didn't know if she was even going the right direction. But as the water turned colder and colder, it was a good sign.

So as the whiteness started to appear as well as the swimming birds, she knew she was in the right place.  She swam past them and climbed up onto the ground, the freezing, white ground… and knew she was home.