Flamingo

[guppiecat]

She’d been living in the woods for weeks. It took a while, but she was able to adapt her skills from the streets to her new environs. Stealing a gentleman’s wristcomp wasn’t all that different from snaring a grouse. Street rats and squirrels both gathered caches of food that could be pillaged if you watched and waited. Keeping an eye out for coppers, even when sleeping, required the same ever-present awareness you needed to avoid the invaders.

Until today.

Today, in fleeing one triad, she ran into another that she had not sensed. Though she successfully got away, she found herself in a part of the forest she’d never seen before. She could hear both triads off in the distance, looking for her. Taking a few deep breaths, she forced herself to calm down and she climbed a tree to ascertain her whereabouts. Though she saw nothing familiar, there was a glint of sun coming nearby from the green. She marked her way to the water, hoping that she could lose her scent.

Before she could climb down, though, there was a tremendous flash far off in the distance that could only mean one thing. The dome had given way. London had fallen. As she watched, fighter pods converged where she knew the city must be. Letting a sigh, she climbed down and, resignedly, made for the lake. She knew it wouldn’t last forever, but living half starved in the wild was better than the half-life she could expect were she captured.

The noise of the triads pursuing her faded into the distance as she neared the lakes edge. Exhausted, she waded to her waist and stopped, staring down at her reflection. She thought of her friends (and enemies) in the city and the fate that was almost certainly befalling them. She thought of the life she wanted, but now could never have. As she watched, a tear fell, ripping the still waters.

Then she heard a voice. “It is time.”

As the water began to bubble, the voice spoke. “Long, long, ago, this day was foretold. Seize your weapon. The future rests on you.”

As she stared in astonishment, a perfect flamingo rose from the depths, shaking itself three times. As if in a daze, she reached out, and grasped its leg, preventing it from flying free.

It was England’s darkest hour.

And Alice was armed.

Comments

[carbonel]

Bravo.

[lydy.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear. Every time I forget how brilliantly, marvelously pyrotechnic your imagination is, you give me one of these perfect gems that bends light back into itself to illuminate something utterly beautiful and strange.

Thank you.

[dafydd.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's wonderful!

May I spread the link-of-your-choice around? I believe this story should be shared.

[guppiecat]

Sure. Share with anyone you like.

I don't really have a link preference other than the LJ link works well for LJ people and the FB link works well for FB people. The source link: http://stories.starmind.org/flamingo/ is really just there for search engine optimization stuff.

[maiac.livejournal.com]

This especially delights me because I've just finished re-reading Alice in Wonderland.

The photo is amazing.

[mage-girl.livejournal.com]

All of this is perfect... the story is amazing and the photo is... just wow.

:)

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

Oh. My.

Well done all around. Go, Alice!

I glanced upon a minor typo during the leg-grasping. Its, not it's.

[birdfigment.livejournal.com]

That is just marvelous. Bravo!

One tiny tense thing: "Today, in fleeing one triad, she ran into another that she has not sensed." <-- I think that should be "had not sensed."