come and get it.

Bubbles.

It amuses you.

It makes you smile.

It makes you laugh.

It makes you want to hold it.

When you try to,

and you get too close,

it pops.

----------------

The story of hermit.

Crustaceans always have a hard shell to protect the delicate meat within, legs to move swiftly, and pincers for self-defense.

Left alone to survive in the sandy world, Hermit never left its shell.

Hermit was constantly looking for a new shell, but never could it find one that was suitable.

There were always excuses about how the shells were not pretty enough, not durable enough, and not comfortable enough.

Demanding? To Hermit, it never thought of itself as demanding. A shell to settle down in had to be perfect. Or almost perfect, at least.

As other crabs with similar shells walked past Hermit and laughed at poor Hermit for always sticking to the same shell. Hermit began to think about what type of shell it wanted.

To fit in or not to fit in? Should Hermit be having its own special shell, or one that is the same as the rest of the group so that it could feel a sense of belonging.

The shell did not have to be the most beautiful one or the most sought after one.

Hermit could not care less about how attractive the shell was.

Perhaps, it used to think that the more beautiful the shell was, the more other crabs would be envious of Hermit.

The shell did not have to be a very hard and protective one.

Hermit already had a hard shell that it would hide under; sometimes afraid, sometimes just a little cowardly.

Hermit felt comfortable hiding in its shell, sometimes scared of venturing out and exploring more of the world out there.

Hermit decided it wanted to feel special. It wanted a shell that did not have any holes, and was comfortable enough for a hideaway at times and also comfortable enough for it to travel around and try out new things.

Hermit wanted to be special, but it dared not abandon its shell - a source of security where it has been too close for comfort.

Hermit was afraid to take a step out of its shell to change into a new one. Perhaps one that might or might not be better than the previous one. Or maybe it might get attacked in its vulnerable state, outside of its shell.

A risk to take? It was a 50-50 chance, after all.

Hermit settled back in its old shell. Not even trying to take a step out, it hid back in its old shell. Wary of its surroundings, Hermit prepared its pincers in case of a sudden attack, though uncertain of the possibilities of an attack.

Hermit never left its shell.

----

M.