Thursday, September 08, 2005
(story) Watching
Finally, I'm putting up a story. Originally, I set this blog up to be anonymous but open to the public. I didn't want people who know me to see what I write. I've come across some rather harsh comments before, and I guess I was afraid it would happen again. But writing is about taking a plunge, taking risks, exposing yourself... be courageous. I've already shown some of my writings to complete strangers, so why not my friends? (I seriously doubt that any of my friends actually visit my blog, though.) So here I am, taking a leap of faith. Read, enjoy(or cringe!) and leave a (kind) comment. I'm open for criticism.
"No, darling," she said, as she put a screen cover over the bowl. "You'll scare him."
I scowled, but I knew I had to listen to Laura. She was, after all, the mistress of the house. Nothing really happened with the frog, not until Laura decided that the ugly little thing should have a companion. Oh! What a mistake it was! Laura always assumed that she knew what's best for everybody, when really, she didn't have a clue. Another ugly little thing was put into the bowl. This one was much smaller than the one we already had. Laura was a little concerned about the difference in size when she bought the new frog, but John dismissed her worries.
"Oh, I don't know, John. This new one seems so small. She might get bullied." She peered at the two frogs inside the small bowl.
John chuckled. "Laura, it's a girl frog, that's why she's smaller. Besides, I think he fancies her."
Oh, he fancied her, all right. Just in a different way than John thought. At first, the boy frog seemed to be happy about having a new friend. His beady eyes practically popped out from his eye sockets. Stupid little thing! Doesn't he know that a new frog meant sharing his food? Oh well, he'll find out soon enough. I'm never wrong about these things. I know how his puny little brain works. I've been watching him.
Life in the glass bowl went on peacefully, and at first, the boy frog enjoyed the company. That was until he realized that although food came into his bowl, he was eating less than before. The girl frog practically gobbled up anything she could lay her tongue on. Flies, crickets, spiders - all went down her small little tummy before the boy frog could even sweep a glance at the insects. For such a tiny thing, she sure had a huge appetite! I was watching the boy frog, waiting for him to strike. I watched as his bulbous eyes turned dark, and his wide mouth opened. The girl frog was swallowed whole, croaking helplessly as she struggled to escape. It was useless, really. Hunger, greed and insanity had taken control over the boy frog's mind. I watched him as he finished his meal, fascinated. No one could blame the boy frog - he was hungry. It's called survival.
"John! John! The new frog - she's gone!" wailed Laura when she discovered the girl frog was missing. I could only smile secretly behind her back.
You'd think the boy frog would be satisfied after having his first full meal in weeks, but no - even having a full stomach didn't satisfy him. For the next few days, he moped and moped, grieving over his deed. How silly! All he did was devour the only companion he ever had, that's all. At least, now he would have all the food to himself. One day, while Laura was cleaning the frog's bowl, she accidentally dropped it on the ground. The frog, still miserable over the loss of the girl frog, was transferred to a smaller bowl. Laura, hasty to clean up the broken glass on the floor, forgot to cover the bowl with the screen cover. The boy frog was so depressed that he never thought of escaping. I watched the little sulking creature. Perhaps I could help lessen his misery, I thought. Yes, I shall be a Good Samaritan, and help make his sorrows disappear. I crept over to the frog's bowl, and pounced on it, the claws in my paws extending.
"I'm going to help you, little frog," I told him as I reached into the bowl. "I'm going to lessen your pain."
I grabbed the frog, all wet and slimy, with my paws in one swift motion, and popped him into my mouth. He slid down my throat easily. Must be all that swimming in the water, I thought. Hmm. He doesn't taste too bad, actually. Hey, don't you stare at me! I helped make his sorrows disappear, didn't I? Anyway, I was hungry. Haven't you heard of survival?
Okay, so this story might seem a lil' weird. My workshop tutor told us a story of how she used to have 2 frogs - one small, one big - and how the bigger one ate the smaller one. Later, the frog was eaten by her cat. With this scenario in mind, we were supposed to either: a) write the story from someone else's point of view(eg. big froggie), or b) translate the frogs into humans and write it in a certain story frame. We were given 20 minutes. I couldn't think of a new story to write (the second option) so I decided to write from the cat's point of view. I edited the story quite a bit since the first draft was written in a hurry. Not a fantastic story, I admit, but it was more about writing styles.
Watching
I have been watching him, that odd little bulbous thing. He was fat and slimy, although he wasn't always like this. He used to be small and round, with a poor excuse of a tail. Back then, his bowl was always filled to the brim with water. I never thought of touching him then - I was so afraid of the water. One day, he grew arms and legs, and Laura poured out most of the water from the bowl, leaving only a shallow pool. I saw my chance to grab the frog, but Laura stopped me.
"No, darling," she said, as she put a screen cover over the bowl. "You'll scare him."
I scowled, but I knew I had to listen to Laura. She was, after all, the mistress of the house. Nothing really happened with the frog, not until Laura decided that the ugly little thing should have a companion. Oh! What a mistake it was! Laura always assumed that she knew what's best for everybody, when really, she didn't have a clue. Another ugly little thing was put into the bowl. This one was much smaller than the one we already had. Laura was a little concerned about the difference in size when she bought the new frog, but John dismissed her worries.
"Oh, I don't know, John. This new one seems so small. She might get bullied." She peered at the two frogs inside the small bowl.
John chuckled. "Laura, it's a girl frog, that's why she's smaller. Besides, I think he fancies her."
Oh, he fancied her, all right. Just in a different way than John thought. At first, the boy frog seemed to be happy about having a new friend. His beady eyes practically popped out from his eye sockets. Stupid little thing! Doesn't he know that a new frog meant sharing his food? Oh well, he'll find out soon enough. I'm never wrong about these things. I know how his puny little brain works. I've been watching him.
Life in the glass bowl went on peacefully, and at first, the boy frog enjoyed the company. That was until he realized that although food came into his bowl, he was eating less than before. The girl frog practically gobbled up anything she could lay her tongue on. Flies, crickets, spiders - all went down her small little tummy before the boy frog could even sweep a glance at the insects. For such a tiny thing, she sure had a huge appetite! I was watching the boy frog, waiting for him to strike. I watched as his bulbous eyes turned dark, and his wide mouth opened. The girl frog was swallowed whole, croaking helplessly as she struggled to escape. It was useless, really. Hunger, greed and insanity had taken control over the boy frog's mind. I watched him as he finished his meal, fascinated. No one could blame the boy frog - he was hungry. It's called survival.
"John! John! The new frog - she's gone!" wailed Laura when she discovered the girl frog was missing. I could only smile secretly behind her back.
You'd think the boy frog would be satisfied after having his first full meal in weeks, but no - even having a full stomach didn't satisfy him. For the next few days, he moped and moped, grieving over his deed. How silly! All he did was devour the only companion he ever had, that's all. At least, now he would have all the food to himself. One day, while Laura was cleaning the frog's bowl, she accidentally dropped it on the ground. The frog, still miserable over the loss of the girl frog, was transferred to a smaller bowl. Laura, hasty to clean up the broken glass on the floor, forgot to cover the bowl with the screen cover. The boy frog was so depressed that he never thought of escaping. I watched the little sulking creature. Perhaps I could help lessen his misery, I thought. Yes, I shall be a Good Samaritan, and help make his sorrows disappear. I crept over to the frog's bowl, and pounced on it, the claws in my paws extending.
"I'm going to help you, little frog," I told him as I reached into the bowl. "I'm going to lessen your pain."
I grabbed the frog, all wet and slimy, with my paws in one swift motion, and popped him into my mouth. He slid down my throat easily. Must be all that swimming in the water, I thought. Hmm. He doesn't taste too bad, actually. Hey, don't you stare at me! I helped make his sorrows disappear, didn't I? Anyway, I was hungry. Haven't you heard of survival?
Okay, so this story might seem a lil' weird. My workshop tutor told us a story of how she used to have 2 frogs - one small, one big - and how the bigger one ate the smaller one. Later, the frog was eaten by her cat. With this scenario in mind, we were supposed to either: a) write the story from someone else's point of view(eg. big froggie), or b) translate the frogs into humans and write it in a certain story frame. We were given 20 minutes. I couldn't think of a new story to write (the second option) so I decided to write from the cat's point of view. I edited the story quite a bit since the first draft was written in a hurry. Not a fantastic story, I admit, but it was more about writing styles.
i know that i have loved you ... at 1:17 AM
fate crumbled all around 0 comments
fate crumbled all around 0 comments