Pip And His Turtles

Pip, a junior Time Keeper still mastering the ropes, watched the countdown on his $TIME watch tick to zero. Countdown. Digital display. He had one of the newer models. “One jump,” Pip muttered. “One shot to make a difference.”

The mission? Not world-shattering, but heartwarming: rescue a clutch of sea turtle hatchlings from a freak high tide in 2023. A small beach in Costa Rica glowed on the watch's interface.

Landing with a soft crunch on the moonlit sands, Pip quickly spotted the turtles—tiny, frantic shadows clawing toward safety. The tide was surging faster than they'd expected. Pip darted forward, herding the stragglers with cupped hands and gentle nudges.

“Easy, little ones,” Pip whispered. “We’re all just trying to make it, huh?”

One hatchling got caught in a swirl of foam. Pip reached just in time, cradling the tiny life in their palm. “You’re feisty,” he grinned. “You’ll do great.”

With the last turtle safely into the waves, Pip leaned back, boots sinking into the wet sand. He stayed a moment longer, watching the horizon as the hatchlings paddled into the great unknown.

“Not all missions have to save the world,” Pip said to himself as the watch vibrated. He tapped it, disappearing into the night just as the tide swept clean the marks he'd left behind.

Micro stories are a content feature offered by $TIME's dev Woj. Handwritten and accompanied by art, they serve to deepen the story world we're creating here. Enjoy!