Favorite Childhood Object [Albatross]

[fluo]

Albatross was always partial to fruit, especially the tiny ones like berries as opposed to huge melons. The more work it required to eat, the sweeter the nectar and joy. Sometimes she was lucky to come across berries right at their peak, othertimes not so much. She did poison herself a few times before learning really quick which varieties were edible and which decidedly were not. Regardless of the seasons, she could always find some. When she was younger, she came across some still on the branch. It was behind thickest thorns and smarter kin had left it alone. Albatross tried to reach it and received scratches for her efforts. By the time she was able to reach it, it had shriveled up and it was winter. Still, she broke off the long branch it was on and picked away the smaller thorns until it was smooth. Holding it into her mouth, she was able to paint in the mud with it, other kin with her berrybrush or even direct smaller animals around with a mighty thwack. She loved that thing, until she came across a totoma and her berry brush was no more. Those hard plates were hardy. It snapped in two, the dried up berries, rolling away. But that was the cool thing about growing up. Soon other stuff caught your fancy and though the totoma did break her favorite toy, friendship was struck and lessons learned along the way. She hadn't thought of that berry brush in quite some time. Albatross figured it was time to visit her dear old friend, even in the dead of winter.