Clutching my small bag protectively in front of me, I glanced around the airport. I knew that I was all alone and that there was no chance of being recognized by anyone, but I was still scared. Pulling my battered coat protectively around my shoulders I headed towards the exit, only stopping to gaze at the pay-phones as I wondered whether I should abandon my plan and call the orphanage.
Hardening my heart to the loneliness that threatened to engulf me, I headed out of the airport and into the crowded streets of New York. My hardened heart dropped like a stone into my feet as I laid my eyes on the city which I would calling my home.
Stepping further out into the open, I gazed timidly at the people flocking past me. The feeling of isolation was growing around me as I wandered out onto the pavement. A few people paused to look at me as I walked, but thankfully no-one stopped to question me.
I continued to walk until late that evening, continuing to hunt for some form of shelter which I could call my home. It was then that I realized that it had been 12 hours since my last meal, which had been the meagre airplane food. It was then that I also realized one fatal error in my planning. The only money I had with me was English pounds, and I only had �5 of that. As the darkness grew around me I sunk into the shadows of an alley way and huddled up on the ground, pulling my coat around me to protect myself from the cold winter winds.
I drifted in and out of troubled sleep that evening. At what must have been about midnight I saw two bulky figures, completely hidden in large trench coats, pause by the entrance to the alley. They started to have a muffled conversation which I struggled to hear. As I edged closer, my foot knocked an old tin can, making a small noise. Both the figures suddenly became silent and peered into the darkness where I was crouched.
�There�s someone there.�
�Probably just a rat or somin�. We�ll just go along to the next manhole.�
The larger of the two figures started to move away. But the smaller tugged at his companions coat.
�But Ra-aph, what if they�re injured and need help?�
The one who had been referred to as �Raph� turned to grab the other.
�Who cares? There�s probably nothin� there!�
�Raph� released his grip on his companion and swept away down the road, but the other continued to be unwilling to move on. It was rather touching to know that someone was concerned about me, but I knew that if I was found then I would be handed over to the authorities. And once with the authorities, I knew that my return to the UK and the orphanage would be imminent.
Fortunately the smaller figure decided to follow his �friend� and left.
I released the breath I had been holding and relaxed a little. As I lay back, resting my head against the cold, brick wall. I thought back over the conversation. Had the larger of the two men mentioned going to the next manhole?
I closed my eyes and shivered. A drop of water made me glance up.
�Don�t rain!� I pleaded with the sky. But the sky ignored me.
I glanced around, looking for anything which would provide me with shelter. A cardboard box was my only option.
�Reduced to this.� I thought, becoming overwhelmed with regret and self pity. �Reduced to sleeping in a cardboard box.�
I sobbed gently into my hands as I thought back to my life in the orphanage. I hadn�t been happy there, but at least I was warm and protected. With these warm, comfortable images filling my mind, I drifted into sleep.
For the next few weeks I survived by scavenging for remains of food or money. I lost a lot of weight and everyday became a struggle to find food.
But the major turning point in my life in the USA was one time when I found myself pursued by a gang of 10 boys of equal age to me. The argument had been over me crossing over their domain to reach an area where I often found some food scraps. To gain myself some running time, I had taken out two of the gang using Judo techniques. While the remainder gasped at what I had achieved, despite my sickly appearance; I pelted it along the pavement whilst trying to avoid the crowds of people.
I knew that the moment the initial shock had warn off, the gang would chase me, I turned to see how far they were behind me or if I had lost them. However, turning was the worst thing I could have done as one of the gang members caught sight of me turning and yelled in glee.
I gasped in panic and fled down the alley where I normally slept. As I ran, my foot caught on the rim of the manhole cover. As I fell to the ground, I remembered the conversation I had heard a couple of weeks previously. It was then that I decided to take refuge from the gang in the sewers.
I would not normally have thought like this, but the effects of loneliness, hunger and cold must have been affecting my brain. My fingers struggled to lift heavy cover and I threw my frail body into the darkness, clinging to the ladder and sliding the cover back as best I could.
My fingers, which were numbed from cold, couldn�t maintain their grip on the smooth, worn metal of the ladder as I started to descend. I lost my grip and plummeted into the darkness below. I landed on my feet, but stumbled, falling headfirst into the ladder, which was almost invisible in the pitch darkness. As my head met the metal, the world began to spin and darkened.
A swirling pattern of multi-coloured lights flashed before my eyes. I felt myself sway dizzily and I sat up suddenly, instinctively grabbing for something firm to grasp.
As I opened my eyes, I felt a feeling of nausea pass over me. Luckily the feeling passed quickly away. I could hear heavy breathing from around me and as I opened my eyes I almost passed out through fear. Only the conviction that I must be dreaming kept me fairly alert.
I looked slowly around. I counted four large beings that were definitely not human, and appeared to be reptilian. I also saw what appeared to be a large rat which was standing on its hind legs and looking at me with a kind expression.
As the fog surrounding my brain continued to clear, I became aware that one of the four reptiles was talking. As I listened to the voice, I felt some form of recognition.
�and that�s Leo and Don, and over there is Raph...�
I turned suddenly at the mention of �Raph� and I remembered where I had heard the voice before. My thought�s lead me back to the dark alley way with the two figures. The one talking was the smaller of these.
�...then I�m Michaelangelo, though people generally call me Mikey...� continued �Mikey�.
I debated my possible courses of action. I still didn�t know the intentions of these strange creatures. In fact I didn�t even know what they were! As far as my sluggish brain reasoned, I had 3 possible options. Fight, run or surrender. Mikey appeared to be friendly enough, but that could be an act for all I knew.
Deciding to run (but inwardly knowing that I had no chance of escape), I jumped to my feet and raced for the exit.
Mikey grabbed hold of my T-shirt with one hand and my wrist with the other in an attempt to stop me. His grip was strong and I started to tumble to the ground as my legs weakened. But this was when my Judo skills kicked in again and, placing my free arm around the back of what appeared to be Mikey�s �carapace�, I used the momentum of my fall to throw Mikey to the ground.
�What the..!� Michaelangelo exclaimed as he found himself in the middle of having an O-Goshi (major hip throw) performed on him. Less than a second later he found himself flat on his shell and I bolted for a sewer tunnel.
Of course the other three reptiles had all reacted by now and one wearing a red mask caught hold of me as I raced past and lifted me clear off the ground.
I squealed in terror and struggled wildly, but I couldn�t escape so easily this time. My captors expression was one of sneering mockery.
�Put her down, Raph.� commanded the one Mikey had introduced as Leo, while the other turtle helped Michaelangelo up. The rat just stood silently watching the scene.
Raph gently put me down, but maintained a firm grip on my shoulder lest I should run again. Meanwhile, Leo turned to face me.
�Look. We�re not going to hurt you.� he explained. �We want to help.�
I gazed into the turtle�s face and I could tell that he was telling the truth. I looked around at the others in the room. The rat was also looking calmly at me, while Michaelangelo was giving me dirty looks (which was understandable!). I glanced up at Raph, who had a bored expression on his face, while the remaining turtle appeared to be completely indifferent to the whole situation.
�Wha, what are you?� I stammered. The rat moved for the first time.
�Please be seated. This story is long...� he started, gesturing at the sofa which I had sprung off, just a few minutes previously. Raph gave me a helpful shove in the right direction.
As I sat, the rat (which appeared to be elderly) took a deep breath, and began...
I walked shyly behind Michaelangelo, who had appeared to forgive me from earlier and was jabbering non- stop while he lead me to the room that had been cleared by him and Don while Splinter (which was the rat�s peculiar name) was talking.
�An� you can sleep here. Me an� Raph sleep in the carriage to the right, s�if ya need anything, just scream!�
I said nothing, but looked around the cozy room that had been cleared from all the turtle�s junk just for me. It came a shock when I realized that this was the first time I had ever had my own room. As I gazed around, I heard Mikey leave quietly.
I moved towards the pile of blankets that could be called a bed. Sitting down, I recapped Splinter�s invitation to live here until they could help me regain my feet in the world above. Apparently I had been being watched for quite a while after Michaelangelo noticed me hiding for the first time. Leonardo had then heard the commotion of me falling down the ladder and he had carried me back to the lair, where Mikey instantly identified me.
It had been pieced together that I had no apparent home or family, and Mike had been looking for an excuse to help me for a while now. However when I had asked him why, he just shrugged.
I tugged the blankets over my shoulders as I let my brain submit to fatigue and my eyes began to close.
The next morning when I awoke, I had a split second where I was unsure of where I was before the events of the previous day reformed themselves in my memory. A timely tap at the door disturbed my thoughts.
�Who is it?� I called.
�Donatello.� was the reply. �I�ve got some clean clothes you c�n use.�
�Come in.� I invited, debating whether my memory served me correct and a giant turtle would walk through the door. My memory was proved flawless.
Donatello placed the clothes on a chair to the left of the room. He then paused, as if unsure of how polite it would be just to walk out.
�Do you know what the time is?� I asked, wondering how Donatello would react to this.
�Uh...� Donatello�s looked down at his wrist and I realized how strange it was that a mutant turtle should wear a watch.
�Half-nine.� he replied, �Breakfast is being made by Mike at the moment. You�re welcome to join us when you�ve changed.� I smiled in reply, and Donatello left.
While I changed into the clothes that had been brought, I wondered what mutant turtles ate, and whether I would like it.
Once I had finished dressing, I stood back and looked at my reflection in a mirror with a crack running
down the centre. The clothes were a big on me, and had obviously been intended for someone over half a
foot taller than I was! (Mind you, I am fairly short) I decided not to worry about the height problem, and I
headed out of the room, unsure of what I would find waiting for me...