Stepping Stones

Stepping Stones
Oil on Moleskine Paper
10″ x 7″

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The friends set out to their favorite spot — a clearing in the woods where they could eat and drink and make each other laugh until they cried. To get there, though, they had to cross a pond using a series of stepping stones. As they hopped from one stone to the next, they joked about how formal they all looked on the day, feeling like movie stars adventuring on a great quest for the next Hollywood blockbuster.

But as they got halfway across the pond, they noticed something strange. The stepping stones seemed to be moving! One of the stones wobbled precariously as their friend Jake stepped on it, causing him to flail his arms wildly and nearly fall into the water.

Another stone let out a loud gasping squeak as their friend Sarah landed on it, causing the whole group to burst out laughing. And just when they thought they were almost across, one of the stones suddenly sank beneath Jake, soaking him from head to toe.

Finally, they all made it to the other side, drenched and giggling. As they looked back at the pond, they realized that the squeaky stepping stones was actually a turtle, sunning himself on the surface of the water.

“Oops,” said Jake sheepishly. The turtle just blinked lazily, equally as content to be a part of the day.