He peered into the gray, overcast sky as he slithered slowly out from beneath the rocky slab. Satisfied that it was safe, he scampered out from the safety of the crevice and down into the valley below. He knew time was short as he frantically scoured the foliage for any signs of the edible nuts and berries that would offer his family the sustenance needed to survive until the next opportunity to forage presented itself. Farther and farther he roamed from the safety of the cave.
There was nothing. Every tree had been picked clean of its fruit. Every bush had been thoroughly stripped of its precious berries by roaming wildlife or other two-legged scavengers, who, like himself, were desperate to gather food while there was still time. He had never strayed this far from the safety of the cave before. He glanced up at the opaque, cloudy sky more and more frequently as he entered distant, unfamiliar ground.
It was darker here. The undergrowth more tangled. Pushing through the dense branches, he ventured on and continued his search. There it was! A massive briar patch packed with as many calorie-rich berries as he had ever seen in one place! He quickly knelt and began filling his bag with the precious bounty. He quickened his pace, glancing occasionally at the sky, until the bag was stuffed.
Rising quickly, he sprinted back down the trail of broken plants and snapped branches that marked his path into the thick bramble. He was filled with exhilaration, secure in the knowledge that he had gathered enough food to sustain his family through the next season. As he ran on, the density of the vegetation lessened and the sky began to open up. He was flooded with relief as he broke out into the open and caught a glimpse of the distant rock formation that he so desperately needed to reach.
His relief turned rapidly into despair as he saw the clouds begin to part and the gray skies begin to brighten. He ran faster. But he could feel the breeze picking up as the clouds continued to dissipate. He thought of his family and ran faster still as beams of bright sunlight began breaking through the vanishing cloud canopy. But it was too late. He could feel his skin begin to smolder under the intense sunshine. He wasn't going to make it. He had strayed too far.
The season of light was here.
Light is not always a good thing, is it? Wonderfully evoked. We usually think of overcast as an unpleasant environment. Not in this story. The protagonist prays for overcast. Without it, he perishes.
A surprise ending and interesting take on the prompt.Great story.
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Manual selection by @cliffagreen.
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Wow. This is so soft but enterprising. Having strayed far into the woods in search of succulents and berries isn't in any way a bad idea but having found the treasure he sought, to secure his family till another season, and his heart fills with excitement.......
The beaming rays of light indicated trouble for him.
It made a great read. Love it!!!
Thanks for the kind words, appreciate it!
What a great take on the prompt, @one-eye. You've given the phrase "season of light" a very different spin. Well done.
Welcome to The Ink Well. Now that you're here, be sure to look around and get to know our community. You can find our community rules at the top of the page. We ask all writers who publish in The Ink Well to read and comment on at least two other member's stories. This helps keep our community strong.
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Thanks for the kind words. I'll be sure to comment on some of the other stories. Have already read many and was impressed with the variety and quality!