Barnacle Access

To the casual observer, Barnaby was just a tiny, grey, volcanic-shaped hump of calcium. But inside that fortress, Barnaby was an adventurer—or at least, he had been. Like all barnacles, he’d spent his youth as a "cyprid," a microscopic wanderer swimming through the vast, terrifying ocean. He had survived being hunted by shrimp and avoided the mouths of whales, all to find the perfect home.

But tonight was different. The water felt heavy, smelling of old wood and rusted iron. A shadow loomed, blocking out the moonlight. A massive hull of a cargo ship was drifting too close to the reef. barnacle

Barnaby felt the massive pressure change. Most creatures fled, but Barnaby just tightened his grip. He was part of the rock now. The ship scraped the outer edge of the reef with a groan that vibrated through Barnaby’s very glue. A few of his cousins on the outer ledge were crushed, but Barnaby held fast. To the casual observer, Barnaby was just a

The tide was retreating, leaving behind a glistening, salt-crusted world. In the middle of it all, perched on a jagged piece of granite, was Barnaby. He had survived being hunted by shrimp and