Day 5: Light blasts into my small
world for the first time in my life, having recently hatched into this prison I
share with four others. We have spent
the first days of our lives being jostled hither and thither until we at last
arrive at what appears to be our final destination. Giant split wings grab our shelter and giant
eyes peer at us, exposed. Giant mouths
split open, showing monstrous teeth in what I can only assume is a preview of
our fate. However, our shelter is set
down on a solid surface and I notice fresh air trickling in for the first time
since I can remember. We are left alone,
and the horrors in store for us have been postponed (for now).
Day 10: We continue to feast upon
our floor, which is the only thing that keeps us from turning on each
other. I have a strange yearning for
something leafy and green, but must accept something flat and brown
instead. We have little choice but to
wallow in our own filth, as our accommodations are decidedly limited. I have, however, become especially adept at
spinning the silk that my body insists on issuing as I grow bigger and bigger. My compatriots join me in this one joy in our
lives, and we attempt to create a ladder to escape our prison. We do this with no actual hope of success, as
the roof of our cell requires more strength and dexterity to lift than all five of us
together possess. Passes the time,
though.
Day 12: It was getting hairy for
awhile there as each of us swelled to monstrous proportions, yet our cell
remained the same size – what would our captors do if we grew to the point
where we burst out of our prison? I dare
not dwell upon what might have been.
Something else happened which made that question moot: one by one, my
fellows felt compelled to climb to the roof of our cell, not to escape,
but to hang upside down and remain in that position forever. I would have thought that they had finally
succumbed to the madness, if I myself had not felt that same urge. Let me climb to the edge of the top, just to
get a better look at what they are doing up there….
Days 13-21: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…..
Day 22: Another prison, worse
than the last one! I feel confined,
bound by some hideous shell – I must break free! I wiggle and push, and I feel my bonds give
way. I burst through, gasping sweet air
as my wings unfold – hang on: my wings?
From what I can see of myself, I am no longer a tube-like creature with
pointy feet and a pointy face but a winged beauty, complete with a proboscis to
drink my fill, which now flops forward – whee!
I see my fellow captives have undergone a similar metamorphosis and we
all stare at each other as we gather our bearings and let the excess color
drain from our glorious appendages. It
is then that I notice that our cell has metamorphosed as well: it is now a
larger room, with semi-solid walls and a forest floor. I first think that the floor is food as with our
last cell, especially now that those leafy and flowery things I keep dreaming
about seem to be scattered all about the place.
Alas, when I attempt to drink from them with my long mouth, nothing
comes. Surely our captors would not have
kept us alive this long simply to starve us to death?
We are taken aback as the giants
appear before us, baring their teeth at us again and uttering strange
sounds. The smallest one presses one
part of its wing against the semi-solid wall: I go towards it in hopes that
food is at last being offered. That
seems to please the little giant and they all make those sounds again. One of the larger giants opens the top of our
new prison, but before any of us can react some wet flowery things are dropped
in to join us and the top is sealed again.
Best not approach the new arrivals just yet, but they do smell sweet and
edible.
Day 23: Our new prison is much
roomier than the last, but it is still confining, especially with five us in
here. If only we knew what our captors’
plans for us were, then this ordeal would be a bit more bearable. At some points while the other giants are
away, a large furry being comes by and raises its closed wing towards us. We beat our own wings mightily to shoo this
creature, but for some reason it appears only to be encouraged by this and
waves its closed wing some more at us.
It also emits a strange noise, different from the ones the giants
made. The noise is still untranslatable, but
its meaning is clear: "I will kill you".
Not if we kill you first, foul beast!
Day 24: I have long ago accepted
my lot in life and have grown to love my compatriots, when our world is
overturned yet again. The giants take
our new cell and bring it to a previously unknown area – the smells! The light!
The air! This is what we have
been destined for our entire lives! The
top is opened once more, and nothing is dropped in. My companions and I hesitate for an eternity
before the bravest of us (who is carrying my seed for our young) ventures forth beyond the
walls of our world. Her flight is
magnificent in its erratic path, and we follow one after the other. The giants seem strangely pleased at our
escape, since they make that noise again.
All their teeth are bared, but no one attempts to destroy us. What odd creatures they are.
I quickly lose sight of my comrades,
but no matter: I have approximately ¼ left of my life to go, and I intend to
enjoy every moment of my well-earned freedom.
I alight on a lovely flowery thing and drink deeply of its
sustenance. Suddenly, a noise at my side
reveals a large, winged, beaked creature who is looking at me as I had looked
at this flower a moment ago.
Bring it on, demon. I’ve faced it all.
