(no subject)

NO CHAINS

 

Nothing scares me. I've heard the moans, the noises since I was abandoned by my supposed mother. Through my narrowed eyes I watched her gather leaves of all colors, sizes, pull them into what should have been a nest for me. As she bent to kiss my little fingers, I tasted her breath, seemed to rise to her touch. Then the wind came and she disappeared in a trail made from my unfinished bed. They followed her until the sky threw away the stars and went dark.

 

A large bird with huge eyes and spotted wings flew low, cocked its head, turned it almost a full circle, and forgot about me. A new, very soft noise was coming from my hungry body. I realized how thirsty I was, needed water, better still, milk. No mother, no milk. As my insides made more noise, an even louder sound turned my ears towards the trees. Their boughs were creaking, bending. Dazzling white specks dropped onto the trees, softly, uncomfortably wet. They tortured me. My mouth seemed to call for my mother but no noise left my lips. I curled myself into a ball and waited for what? For freezing? For dying?

 

The ground moved. It shook. Something was coming close to me and I was very scared. The 'something' had sharp nails on four strong legs. I knew I was going to be the animal's next meal, closed my eyes and awaited whatever was going to happen. Wet, black fuzz touched me gently. As wet as it was, it warmed me, held away the cold wind. Were the clouds bumping together, roaring wildly? My tongue touched the black thing and I lapped at it, had a drink of water. Little bubbles  burned as they floated down my throat. I tried to roll over, let the bubbles escape but they wouldn't go.

 

Far away where the sky touched the trees, the earth. Rain was falling, making a small lake or perhaps the beginning of a river, an ocean. I was lifted by the black warm, wet thing, held between its huge jaws that remained wide open as I clung to the grizzly teeth. Was it forever I was carried or just a dream? The sky was barely turning reddish as the sun rose and I was laid on the edge of the lake. The fuzzy black thing put me down in the water. It turned and walked away leaving me to take care of myself or drown. I chose to live, spread my four skinny, long legs and paddled myself across the water. What was there? A rock, some stones. I hopped, jumped got on top of the biggest rock and burped, burped loud and often.

 

'Mother, where are you?' I cried. Anger rose inside of me and I coughed, croaked a new sound. Fear and anger poured out of me. I hiccoughed, could not stop. When finally I did, I was  mad enough to spit frogs and old enough catch a few and have the first good meal I had in a long time.