[Note: This is the third part to Amongst the Beach Detritus.]

“Stop!”

I felt the pressure let up. I was given a reprieve. The man in the uniform rotated the weight of his foot off of my body onto his heel. Then, he stepped away. I was free. And I did not waste any time. I rushed off to a hiding place amongst the beach detritus. I would bide my time there to see if I could get my claw on the precious again.

***

I was not really paying attention when I heard the voice again. It was the one who held the precious. Sophie. And she was with her knight in shining armor. Joey. I waited amongst the detritus to see if they had the precious. I sulked when I saw that it was not on her finger. Somehow the finger was there, but the previous was not.

Then, I noticed. Sophie had the precious in her other hand. Not on a finger, but between her fingers. Like she was holding it out. Like she was offering it to somebody. Like she was offering it to me!

I shuffled out of my hiding place. I rushed over to Sophie and the precious. She smiled and leaned down. Joey muttered something. If crabs could smile, I would have been smiling the biggest smile any crab had ever smiled. I held out my claw. “Gimme. Gimme the precious.”

Joey smiled. “He actually wants it.”

“Of course he does. He thinks it’s precious.”

It is precious. It is the precious. And she is wrapping it around my arm above my claw. “Oh joy!”

Sophie stands and smiles. I put my claw in front of my body and bend my front four legs.

“Look. He’s trying to kneel. Like he’s some sort of knight. He thinks you’re his queen, Sophie.”

“No. I think he’s just thankful.”

I am thankful. I am thankful that they have relinquished the precious to me. To me! I shuffle off toward my spot in the detritus. But before I get there, I feel myself being lifted. “No! Help me!”

But there is no help. I see Sophie and Joey looking up at me. Their mouths are open and their eyes are wide, but they cannot help. They are getting smaller as I rise.

I look up to see the bird. He has me in his talons. He seems to be smiling. He wants the precious. “You’ll never get the precious, you ugly bird.”

“Precious? Precious? You’re the precious. I just want to…”. He looks down at my claw and seems to notice the precious for the first time. “…I just want to take the precious off your hands. It is so shiny and bright.” He looks forward again and scans the beach. “Plus, you’ll make a nice meal.”

I see where he is headed. The rocks. He’s going to crack my shell on the rocks. He’ll take my precious.

I grab his other talon with my free claw. He squawks. He lets go of my claw that has the precious. But I don’t let go of him. The fall will crush me. And he’ll get the precious.

“Let go, you dumb crab. Let go.”

But I cannot let go. Not yet. Not until… He turns. He turns toward the water. He is squawking again, but he is flying above the water. I look down. Blue everywhere. I let go. “Goodbye ugly bird.”

***

It takes a while, but I find my way back. Crawling along the bottom of the sea and then up onto the beach. The precious is still on my arm above my claw. I am safe in my beach haven. Safe. And still amongst the beach detritus.