Revision: Create a fictional person who is like you in some significant ways.
Tony watched as a small turtle continued its trek towards the thick reeds around the pond. He was leaning on the bus stop sign. “Look, you just ruined my day for me. As much as I still love you, I’d rather not talk to you. Not for a while.” A groaning bus drove by, and Tony took the interruption to breathe. “Bye.”
It was getting dark, and the crisp evening chill only sharpened his newfound loneliness. Tony’s four-legged companion did not seem to notice any difference – and it was right, there really was no reason to let a disembodied voice touch his daily life. But it did, and Tony felt its unshakable tendrils once again. “How can you prepare for these things?” Tony asked. The turtle kept crawling. “I’ve been here before. I know how this works. I need to move on. It’s over. I can’t afford the distraction.”
Tony looked at his watch. Half past three. The bus would be here soon. He couldn’t hide his face for much longer. “Smile!” he told himself. “Smile! You’ll feel better.” So Tony smiled at the turtle and personified it as his sagely grandparent. “You’re probably older than him, aren’t you?” He said. “I bet you’ve been through your share. How’d you do it, you impervious git?”
The turtle stuck to its line, pulling itself along at the same leisurely pace. Even the whine of the approaching bus didn’t bother it. Tony laughed. He had to! It was funny! The turtle was speaking in metaphor! In this life, tonight was just another bus stop. So Tony muttered a thank you, smiled at the driver, and rode off, finally leaving the turtle in peace.
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