Blue

 Today, here is a short story from Anthology Nature 2023 together with a photo of flowers dressed in blue.

 

“Blue Harvest”, by David Woodward (Canada)

 

I dreamt you came to me. Did I come to you? “Why haven’t you looked for me?” you said, sadly.

You looked so small, fragile. It broke my heart. I looked away. You were so blue, and beautiful. “I am not hard to find. It’s so easy. Just google me.” And you drifted away like smoke as you meandered through a dark forest before ascending into the canopy. Your blue fumes disappeared inside the deep greens above and I was left spinning somewhere in-between the earth and sky. When I awoke the sun was up and birds were chirping, and nothing felt right. I was lost.

I finally caught up to the day somewhere around mid-afternoon. Did it catch up to me? “Why do you do this to me?” it asked, confused. It looked so strong dressed all in bright sunshine, tinges of yellow splintering off greens and blues, any colour it could find. “Am I not enough for you? Why do you seek the other side? Am I not good to you?” Slowly it drifted away from me and fell off some unseen horizon. Darkness took its place, and I was alone once again. Morpheus came to me. Did I come to Morpheus? We settled in together, prepared to master the night, to overcome the dawn. I slipped easily into unconsciousness as I am apt to do, the highway from consciousness to unconsciousness clear of traffic. I slipped back easily into you.

I dreamt we came together again. “You still haven’t looked for me?” you said, annoyed. You looked bigger, bluer. I am here now, I wanted to say. Why must I look on the other side? I felt like telling you. Isn’t this, good enough? Your blue being turned pale. You looked away. The trees sagged, and brown, wilted leaves fell heavily to the earth. Soon you were buried. Swiftly, I swept the desiccated leaves away, in search of you. I dug layer after layer, but I could find no solid object that would take me to you. A humous scent emanated from where you stood. It was followed by a blue vapour that rose and encircled my heavy head. I grew faint. I fell. And the world spun above me. And the earth stood still beneath me. I could feel something probe me from below. Something was growing over me, into me. The dead foliage covered my face and decomposed rapidly into soil. I was blind. I could feel the hard, snake-like being wrapping tightly around my decomposing body. “You have found me,” it said.

 

And I awoke in you.

the end

 

Enjoy.