"Is that..."

I nod.

"Are you sure?"

Another nod.

"But, it doesn't have a shell."

"So?"

"Ness, usually shellfish have shells."

I glance down at the tiny crab cradled in the crease of my palm. 

"I'm sure, Ezra. Trust me."

He shrugs.

"I'm just looking out for you, Ness."

"Well, thanks, but no thanks."

He shakes his head,  turning his face to the sky.

"Don't."

He glances over at me.

"What?"

"Don't face the sun. It's damaging, you know, UV is bad for us."

Chuckling, he turns to face me. 

"UV isn't half as damaging as plastic."

He gestures towards the empty bottle I had abandoned in my haste to pick up the crab.

I mutter a quick apology, leaning to pick it up, before shoving it deep inside my bag.

"There."

Ezra angles his head towards the tiny creature I hold cupped in my palms.

"What are you going to call it?"

"Her, Ezra. I'm going to call her Shelly."

He purses his lips, rocking back on his heels.

"Seems a bit cruel."

I stare at him in confusion.

"Calling a shell-less crab 'Shelly'. Rather like calling a naked mole-rat 'Fluffy', I reckon."

I glare at him, frowning as he bursts into peals of laughter.

"Geez, Ness, learn to take a joke."

I let out a huff of air.

"I'm going to take her to the vet."

"Why?"

"She doesn't have a shell, Ezra, why do you think?"

He looks at me, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"It's because of humans."

"How?"

"All the plastic we throw away. It makes the oceans acidic."

"That has nothing to do with a shell-less shellfish."

"Sure it does. Crab shells have to grow at some point."

I peer at Shelly as she makes her way to the base of my thumb.

"Well, I guess?"

"She was one of the unfortunate few. Her shell probably disintegrated before it could even harden."

I gasp.

"Ezra, that's horrible."

He hums, gazing at Shelly.

"Lucky thing, with no shell, a bird would have snatched her up in seconds."

Cupping my hand slightly, I look at her. Small, orange and shell-less. She wouldn't grow anymore, I knew that much.

"Well, we can't leave her, then."

Ezra gives me a sad smile.

"No, Ezra, I won't."

"You have to, Ness."

"But she'll die."

"Maybe she won't."

"Ezra, you said it yourself,  a bird will snatch her up in seconds."

He sighs.

"We can't take her away from her home, Ness."

"But she'll be safer with us."

"Will she?"

"Yes, of course she will."

"Plastic did this to her, Ness, and we live in a world of plastic."

I sniff, feeling my eyes burn.

Who knew one little shell-less shellfish could mean so much?

"Okay."

I unfurl my fingers, watching the small, orange, shell-less crab as it twitches ever so slightly.

"Goodbye, little Shelly."

Ezra tucks me under his arm and we stand, watching, as she meanders away, towards the sea.

"By the way," He whispers, "'Shelly' was a boy."