rotten fish and moldy bread -
Inside the cage he watches her move to and fro, pacing and cowering in the corners. Moving and jumping at every sound. He is sad at it, wondering why she won't let herself out of it. In the one corner is a dish marked pain and hurt, filled with rotten fish and and moldy bread. In another corner is a bowl marked freedom. With fresh fruit and spring water sitting in ice.
Around her neck is a key, the key to this cage. She looks up at the man, and says, "are you the one that can free me from my cage?" His face puzzles in preplexed interest, for she has the key.
From inside her cage, she picks up sticks and rocks and hurls them through the cage at the man, screaming, "don't hurt me!!!!" He stands there wondering, because he hasn't moved or spoken yet. The rocks and sticks hit him and fall to the ground, the man flinches as some of the rocks hit tender spots, however, for most of the blows he doesn't notice them.
He pulls out fresh fruit from his bag, and holds it out. Still holding a rock in her hand, she sees the fruit, and realizes it is good (not seeing the container marked freedom in the corner near the door of her cage). Inching toward the cage frame, she levies the rock, prepared to throw it and retreat back into the darkness.
He extends his open palm with slices of fresh fruit. Quickly she grabs them through the bars and retreats back into her cage, throwing a rock at the man to make sure he won't follow; forgetting that she is in the cage.
He tries the door of the cage. It isn't locked. He swings it open and sits cross legged in front of the opening. Holding out more fruit.
This goes on for weeks and weeks. Her throwing rocks and occasionally flinching because he is hit in a tender spot, squeeking out a "ouch!!!" which in turn, she again throws another rock and says "You're hurting me!!!" because he verbalized his flinch.
Finally, after almost a month. She climbs out of the cage, grabs the bowl of fruit and kicks him in the stomach, running back into her cage. He erupts in pain, as she slams the door behind her.
Sadness creeps over his face... at the cage w/ its unlocked door, and the key around her neck; as he watches her happily eat the rotten fish and moldy bread.
....turning around, he walks away wondering if he'll meet someone else wandering among the cages...
Permalink | posted by James Mendham @ 11:44 a.m. |
 
0 Comments:
<< Home
|
