Nature
The Owl In The Barn
She sits outside in the cold, pondering what to do. Her mother and fellow chicks have left her. Alone. With no knowledge of how to survive. The obnoxious winter sun shines down on her delicate feathers. She keeps her eyes closed, as the bright sun is far too powerful for her delicate corneas to handle. A chill rests in the air above the snow. The sun shines on it, giving the usually dull, dark forest an unfathomable, insufferable glow.
By Michael Cree4 years ago in Earth
A Temporary Mouse
I saw something on the brink of yesterday. Although it hid from me. I saw what I could only take to be the end of my search. Something perfect, yet it was as fragile as the thin branches of a tall tree. It was something I yearned for, but hated with all of my will power. It ran from me, but I chased it, I dove from high above. My ears twitched at the slightest movement made by the little creature. As I dove I thought to myself. Is this really my livelihood? To chase, and never be chased. What’s the point of hunting if there is no excitement of being hunted. I would love to hide, deep beneath the snow and run through tunnels to feel the thrill of escape. I sometimes wish I wasn’t born to lurk in the trees. I wish I was given the excitement of being hunted, just for once. But perhaps I truly did have the sufferer’s life. I was the one responsible for killing. Maybe, it’s the strong ones who really feel the most pain. I can’t say much on this topic, I’m not a very learned owl.
By Jacob Boyd4 years ago in Earth
Fire in the night
You wouldn’t think that a town in a state halfway down the east coast would be so cold tonight. But here it was, it was freezing, the damp parts of the earth iced over. The breath of anything moving and hustling in the clear air created misty puffs of condensation. “What did that boy call it? Smoke, that’s right the Rennard boy called it smoke, but it wasn’t. I know what smoke is, smoke comes with fire, and fire brings the burning.” High in the tree the old barn owl contemplated the night, slowly rotating her head. “Burning,” sense memory of smoke and heat filled the owl’s mind. She had lived in this area since she was a chick, seen many people come and go, but she had only seen one house fire.
By Ben Underwood4 years ago in Earth
The Lost Hope
The Lost Hope A short story by Sunny Iacono The year is 2179, and humans' neglect and disregard for nature has come to the point where there is no hope for humanity or any life on earth for that matter. The skies used to be a vibrant blue but have now turned into a rusty brown, filled with intoxicating gasses and sharp pieces of silica dust that will slice your lungs until they fill up with blood. The once rich, and bright green grass has turned to dirt, and the very last bits of it left on this planet will have shriveled up and died by the time you have finished reading this sentence. And the blue oceans that were responsible for life itself, that humans could go to and play cheerfully for hours at a time, cooling themselves from the heat is now gone, and you will be lucky if you find a single grimy puddle. The humans have extra water stored in tanks, and live underground in bunkers like moles, hiding from the sunlight until they die. They took farm animals to breed and harvest, and others to use for an ecosystem while leaving the rest of us out here to die, from their mess.
By Sunny Iacono4 years ago in Earth
The Collector
[Inspired by a true story.] Stephen couldn’t decide which pain was worse; the pounding in his head from the blood that was rushing there, or the knowledge that all this could’ve so easily been avoided if he hadn’t decided to take off his coat, or if he'd remembered to tighten his harness again afterwards, or if he hadn’t tried to turn halfway around to tuck his cold gear into his climbing bag.
By Mariah Proctor4 years ago in Earth
Singing To The Barn Owl
Singing To The Barn Owl; A New Beginning I inherited a country estate, which consisted of a house, a barn, and five and a half acres where two horses had been kept. I’d been longing for a place in the countryside where I didn’t have to listen to traffic noises and barking dogs. Well, now I could get dogs if I wanted them, and I figured I could tolerate their barks since they were family. The house seemed in reasonable shape. It needed a good cleaning, but so did my house in the city. Walking toward the barn, I noticed one of the windows was open. I hoped the exposure to the elements hadn’t damaged what was inside. I saw no signs of deterioration when I entered. I saw no mold or fungi, although I didn’t know if I’d recognize those elements if they were present. The barn had two horse stalls, plus a common area where I imagined hay had been kept. I saw small dung pellets scattered on the floor. I guessed they were from one or more owls. I looked up at the rafters. I didn’t see any owls or other birds. Perhaps the owl or owls only came in at night, after they’d hunted during the day for mice or whatever else was on their diet.
By Dan Gollub4 years ago in Earth
