The forest had been such a peaceful place. Full of noise, of course, but our noise.
As I said, peaceful.
For a time they came to build. We sent scouts, were assured by them this was only a temporary disturbance. They weren’t clearing enough of the forest for this to be business or pleasure, they said. Seems funny now how they used the word pleasure when all I feel is pain.
A season after they left the buzzing began. We were blasé at first. “It will stop soon, just as before,” we said.
Then light and dark, day after day, week upon week it carried on filling my head with its fuzzy hurt, surrounding me in the trees and bombarding me. It’s like my thoughts won't ever stop, like my blood beats backwards, like a parasite is burrowing deep, is stuck at the centre of my mind twitching and wriggling and pecking at my core.
My anxieties heightened until I could only exist automatically. An automation that stops me from falling forever from my tree. Instinct always takes over. Believe me, I have tried.
That is why I look up.
Where the sun adds to my torment, the clouds invite me. I dream of spreading my wings and ascending into jade skies, a safer softer green than that which throws sound at me.
Up I will fly until the buzz fades, until silence reigns, until I can rest in jade clouds forever.
That green fills my mind as I rise.
Written for Faber Academy's QuickFic from the following picture prompt (there was actually a choice of three...).
Well done to the winner and and runners-up!
As I said, peaceful.
For a time they came to build. We sent scouts, were assured by them this was only a temporary disturbance. They weren’t clearing enough of the forest for this to be business or pleasure, they said. Seems funny now how they used the word pleasure when all I feel is pain.
A season after they left the buzzing began. We were blasé at first. “It will stop soon, just as before,” we said.
Then light and dark, day after day, week upon week it carried on filling my head with its fuzzy hurt, surrounding me in the trees and bombarding me. It’s like my thoughts won't ever stop, like my blood beats backwards, like a parasite is burrowing deep, is stuck at the centre of my mind twitching and wriggling and pecking at my core.
My anxieties heightened until I could only exist automatically. An automation that stops me from falling forever from my tree. Instinct always takes over. Believe me, I have tried.
That is why I look up.
Where the sun adds to my torment, the clouds invite me. I dream of spreading my wings and ascending into jade skies, a safer softer green than that which throws sound at me.
Up I will fly until the buzz fades, until silence reigns, until I can rest in jade clouds forever.
That green fills my mind as I rise.
Written for Faber Academy's QuickFic from the following picture prompt (there was actually a choice of three...).
Well done to the winner and and runners-up!
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