I love to bask! I love to climb up on my floating island and stretch out my legs and neck and feel the warm light warm my cool blood.

The water evaporating from my shell warms me as well. I could lay here all day!

Then the noisy, huge human comes and turns off my light! I’m left with the cool blue bulb and a fear that the human will grab me! I dive into the cold water, frantically clawing at the glass walls. One day I will be free!

The worst is the yellow tub! The human takes me out and soaks me in the smelliest water! I hiss at the human, trying to make it leave me alone! I pull my legs and tail and head into my shell. The human scrubs at my legs too! I pull them up tight and my front legs come out. The human tries to scrub the front ones and I pull them in, letting the back ones out. Front, back, front, back, until the human is satisfied and puts me back into the smelly water. The only good thing about that water is that it cleared up my fungus!

I sit and watch them. They’re not so bad. Humans.