Reborn from the Earth

No amount of singing could soothe me now. The world was a discordant note, jangling and harsh. How far did I get?

The fog cleared. A moment was all it took.

no no no!!!!

If I could've grabbed myself by the collar and screamed into my own face I would have.

She's a baby, you idiot! YOUR baby! You can't leave her in the middle of a creepy wood just because of some story your grandmother told you! She'll starve, she'll be cold, she'll d-

Dreading what I might see, I tore back to the dead clearing. Hoping it would just be her. Where I left her. Because it was only ever a story....

They clutched at me with their branches and thorns, their pleading thrumming into every hollow, bleeding part of me.

Just a story, dammit! You're not real!

They tried to turn my feet away and lull me with their drug-like dancing and singing, with their reassuring muttering...

It didn't work, though. At last, a maternal fire had been lit in that empty space in my belly, and my arms burned to hold her. My chest ached and leaked, and there-

There was a girl! Eight maybe, or ten. Peeping, hands stopping my sobs with both hands, I watched her pull my baby from the tarry, mouldy soil, angry branches stabbing at them both. She ran, blood streaked and beautiful.

I froze there for a long moment, hovering. Guilt chewed at me, but he was working up an appetite and soon he'd be taking great lumps. Disbelief, he was at the feast, too. And the smallest, but I think in the end the hungriest, Relief.

Problem solved. Like you wanted. See, she didn't even have to die. She'll be OK. She has someone to take care of her. Brave and strong. Not like you.

I stepped back into the clearing, and begged them to take me. I lay down in the centre, felt myself sinking into the dirt, into the Sleep...

I'm dying...

...but they spat me back out. They drank something out of me, all the Might Haves and Would Haves.

I fled, the tip-tap of their branches behind me like self-satisfied chuckles.

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Word count: 366

(NB. This excludes the title, subtitle, and author's note.)

Submitted on Saturday 9th November

Quick Author's Note

A Year of Stories: I'm writing (and submitting, here) a story every day this year. This continues my 314 (!!!) daily micro-fiction story streak since 1st January.

ONLY FIFTY-THREE DAYS TO GO!

Please consider lending your support to the other creators on this madcap "a story every day" adventure. They're putting out excellent content every day!

Rachel Deeming

Gerard DiLeo

Thank you

Especially if you are one of the wonderful people who has been staunchly reading these daily scribbles since the start of the year. I see you, and I am extremely grateful for your ongoing support.

Thank you to those who leave feedback/comments.

I am still plodding away, catching up on reads. Where I'm already up to date with all someone's stories, I read someone else's in lieu!

If you enjoyed this one, the very best compliment you can give me is to share it, or read another!

Here's my latest dollar challenge. I think you might love it:

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Thank you again!