Once upon a time, in a coral reef full of colour and noise, there lived a little pufferfish named Percy.
Percy puffed when he was scared.
That was normal. All pufferfish do that.
But Percy also puffed when he was a little bit scared.
And when he thought he MIGHT be scared soon.
And when something looked like it COULD be scary if he thought about it long enough.
Puff.
Puff.
PUFF. 🐡
Percy was almost always round as a balloon.
“I can’t help it,” he said, spiky and round and bumping into things. “Everything feels scary.”
🌊 Round All Day Long
A tiny shrimp swam past.
Percy puffed.
A piece of seaweed waved.
Percy puffed.
A bubble floated up from the sand.
Pop.
Percy puffed SO BIG that he bumped into the coral, bounced off a rock, and rolled in a slow circle until he hit the seafloor.
Bonk.
“This,” said Percy from the seafloor, “is exhausting.”
🌊 A Calm Visitor
Chloe was snorkelling slowly above the reef.
Chloe saw Percy, round and bumping into things.
Chloe swam down and sat very still on the sand near Percy.
Not grabbing. Not poking.
Just still.
Very calm. Like a warm rock.
Percy looked at Chloe.
Chloe looked at Percy.
“You seem very puffed up,” said Chloe gently.
“I can’t stop,” said Percy.
“Can I show you something?” said Chloe.
💙 Breathe In, Breathe Out
Chloe took a very slow, deep breath in through the snorkel.
Shhhhhhh.
Then let it out slowly.
Whooooo.
“Try that,” said Chloe.
Percy took a tiny breath in.
Sh.
And let it slowly out.
Whoo.
He unpuffed just a little.
“Again,” said Chloe.
Breath in.
Shhhhhh.
Breath out.
Whoooooo.
More unpuffing.
Again.
And again.
Until Percy was small and smooth and round in the right way.
His normal, un-puffed, comfortable self.
He looked at his fins.
He flexed them.
“Oh,” said Percy. “I forgot what this felt like.”
Chloe smiled behind the snorkel mask.
“Breathing slowly tells your body everything is okay,” said Chloe. “Even when it forgot.”
Percy practised breathing slowly for the rest of the afternoon.
The shrimp swam past.
Percy breathed.
The seaweed waved.
Percy breathed.
A bubble went pop.
Percy breathed.
And stayed small. 🐡