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haleyscometsToday was gross. Instead of journaling today I thought I'd share a short fiction piece I wrote a couple months ago.
--
the thick sweet scent of honey hovered in the air. we all turned around, looking.
then one of the men spotted it.
look! he pointed.
a skinny brown thing was limping into view from behind a bush. it had the shape of a structure collapsing in on itself, like a melting wax figure or a wad of crumpled paper. the thing shook gently as it moved, trembling in the breeze like a cluster of dying leaves.
we stood frozen, entranced by its strangeness.
then, all of a sudden the thing seemed to sense our presence.
its form stiffened, shivering, then dropped unceremoniously to the ground with a thump, as if stricken dead.
the men glanced at each other anxiously. after a beat of stillness, one of them dared to take a tentative step forward.
the creature flinched, reflexively curling inward, the slight motion accompanied by a sharp cracking noise that rang through the breathless silence like a gunshot. the men jumped.
all was still once more. gradually the men became aware of a gentle hum wafting into our ears on the warm breeze. a dim memory of cicadas in our childhood backyard in the summertime came to mind. but soon the hum grew stronger, and louder, and more forceful, until the air around our heads seemed to pulsate with energy. i made to slap my palms over my ears, but found that my arms would not move.
a torrent of yellow, stingered insects poured into the the clearing like an avalanche of golden daggers. the men screamed as the tender pale flesh of their faces and hands was ruthlessly pierced stabbed penetrated speared through with cruel vindictive points. some still had enough wits about them to flee, shrieking like newborn babes, the others died immediately from shock, overwhelmed by their terror and unimaginable pain.
when the clearing was emptied of living men, the bees settled. nestling into the flesh of the claimed to rest or extricating themselves to return to their queens. the brown thing began to shake again, vigorously but tightly, like an athlete warming their joints.
the warm cloying scent of honey again filled the air, and the remaining insects floated languidly to its source. they covered the brown skin like a veil, softly landing on furred feet to nuzzle the creature with their black faces.
a quiet sigh.
--
the thick sweet scent of honey hovered in the air. we all turned around, looking.
then one of the men spotted it.
look! he pointed.
a skinny brown thing was limping into view from behind a bush. it had the shape of a structure collapsing in on itself, like a melting wax figure or a wad of crumpled paper. the thing shook gently as it moved, trembling in the breeze like a cluster of dying leaves.
we stood frozen, entranced by its strangeness.
then, all of a sudden the thing seemed to sense our presence.
its form stiffened, shivering, then dropped unceremoniously to the ground with a thump, as if stricken dead.
the men glanced at each other anxiously. after a beat of stillness, one of them dared to take a tentative step forward.
the creature flinched, reflexively curling inward, the slight motion accompanied by a sharp cracking noise that rang through the breathless silence like a gunshot. the men jumped.
all was still once more. gradually the men became aware of a gentle hum wafting into our ears on the warm breeze. a dim memory of cicadas in our childhood backyard in the summertime came to mind. but soon the hum grew stronger, and louder, and more forceful, until the air around our heads seemed to pulsate with energy. i made to slap my palms over my ears, but found that my arms would not move.
a torrent of yellow, stingered insects poured into the the clearing like an avalanche of golden daggers. the men screamed as the tender pale flesh of their faces and hands was ruthlessly pierced stabbed penetrated speared through with cruel vindictive points. some still had enough wits about them to flee, shrieking like newborn babes, the others died immediately from shock, overwhelmed by their terror and unimaginable pain.
when the clearing was emptied of living men, the bees settled. nestling into the flesh of the claimed to rest or extricating themselves to return to their queens. the brown thing began to shake again, vigorously but tightly, like an athlete warming their joints.
the warm cloying scent of honey again filled the air, and the remaining insects floated languidly to its source. they covered the brown skin like a veil, softly landing on furred feet to nuzzle the creature with their black faces.
a quiet sigh.
