I Stand Alone

I wrote a very short story based on prompt 216 from the website Creative Writing Prompts.

I Stand Alone

By Candace Shultz

I am alone except for the ants at my feet.

I once had a huge family with lots of brothers and sisters. I had lots of friends too. We used to dig into the dirt together. We bathed in the sunlight every day. We watched the birds and listened to them sing. We welcomed them as they nested in our arms. Squirrels chattered. Bugs crawled everywhere. Even the monkeys had fun swinging from our limbs. I remember all the noises, all the creatures, all my friends and family.

Then they came. They carried loud, sharp weapons that dug into our skin. We bled, but they did not stop. Our leaves shook as we wept, yet they did not stop. They did not hear our plea. And we fell one by one. The birds no longer returned to our arms. The squirrels ran away. The monkeys skittered to a more peaceful place, but the bugs stayed. They stayed for me.

The harsh sun beats down on my rough skin. No longer do my sisters and brothers entwine their arms with mine and rest in the shade. No longer do my friends bury their feet in the ground. No longer does my mom rest her hand against my cheek. All around me the ground is torn, an empty graveyard, a reminder of what I’ve lost.

I am alone except for the ants at my feet.