31 May, 2018

Just a Nibble

Look, I've been writing. So much. I want to share, but I only feel okay doing so in little niblet excerpts, because I'm obsessively protective of my ideas. Here's a bite of what I wrote today, a tiny piece of an enormous whole.

Lybica went to the opening again, and urged Beta to enter. She whined and shied away from the opening. Then Lybica turned to me, motioned for me, with her giant, tufty paw, to go to Beta. I let my feet carry me to my friend.
I offered her consolation. “Beta, this won’t hurt. I just have to lead you in.” I petted her and hugged her body to mine, but still she refused to trust me.
She shook and whined, fighting me with all her power. “I don’t want to die, Enid. I’m not ready.” And she closed her eyes to the world as her feelings rattled through her body.
“Will you die?”
“Oh yes, Enid. I will. I will still be here, of course, just like you and Lybica, but part of me will be gone and I will be forever chained to you, to this tree. I love you, my friend, and would do anything for you, but this sacrifice shakes me to my core, leaves me scared. Please hold me and carry me.”
I crouched beside the enormous she wolf, gathered her hulking, sobbing mass into my arms, and began to stumble over my own tired legs as I carried her toward the opening. The light shone out into the darkness, throwing wild shadows all around us, and I was Charon, shuttling this beast to her next destination. But I was a beast, too, no higher, no lower, a friend gently urging the shutter aside to join the world one step over.

Cheers.

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