Skylar curled up under a tree in John’s backyard. With eyes closed they felt the wind across their skin, gently moving their hair. Birds sung their songs, notes filling the air, harmonizing their melodies. Skylar sighed, running their tongue along their lips. They whistled too, clear, longing notes, overlapping the hopeful, spirited tones with sorrow and morose ones.
With their beak they could have more closely mimicked the birds, but as it was their song made the birds pause.
All the memories; rumors, mobs, fighting, starving, and fearing, all crashing together to form the perfect high pitched shrill. When it faded, Skylar opened their eyes to silence, as even the breeze had disappeared. Green light filtered through the leaves leaving dappled shadows across Skylar’s skin.
Droplets of water sprang forth from their eyes, glinting in the light as they rolled down their cheeks before catching on blades of grass. “It isn’t fair!” Skylar swung their fist up above their head, skin digging into the tree bark upon contact.
They must have put a bit more strength in it than they intended, with the tree shaking and the leaves rustling. As Skylar looked up into the branches, a small oval started falling through the air. In a blink it hit an exposed part of the root breaking open. The clear viscous liquid was quickly contaminated by the leaking of the gooey yellow yolk. Skylar glimpsed a bit of feathers, and they quickly turned away.
They swallowed hard to keep their meal down.
“I’m sorry.” They mumbled. Quickly they stood and hurried away. Shaking their head to clear the memories, of shouting and fighting, Skylar returned to their research.
The planets continued to orbit, and each day lost, was the continuation of hopelessness.
Word count: 291
Comments