The Barn

I woke up to a scorching bright yellow light. I was surrounded by a sea of dark brown sand. I stood up and realized that it wasn’t the sun that was burning my eyes, but a giant light bulb, under a thatched roof.

“Where was I?”

The smell was suffocating but familiar – a concoction of sawdust, chicken feed, dried cow droppings, hay, and wet grass.

“Do I know this place?”

Just then a strange black hill appeared and it seemed to be shooting straight for me. I noticed two deep caves, but as the hill reached closer, I noticed the two large pearls, those beautiful eyes. I have seen them somewhere, yes, my cow. There, he recognizes me, perhaps. And before I had a chance to explain myself, a pink tongue tries to lick me. And I ran for my life.

“Is this the barn?”

As I dragged myself through the floor of my barn, I realized a giant shadow pouring all over me. I turned around.

“Peggy? Is that you?”

“Oh, that’s you, indeed. What a large chewing gum wattle you have there. Peggy? Pegasus dear, do you recognize me?”

It was my rooster, Peggy. I was glad he found me.  Oh, how I have fed him fat with rice, corn, and chicken feed, sure he’ll help me out of this mess. I can ride on him like a pet horse and fly out of this place.

Peggy’s large eyes and chewing gum wattle jumped up and down, right and left, his neck twisting in all directions as he stood staring at me in all possible angles. And then the unexpected happened.

He gave me one sharp peck with his beak. He missed. I know how stupid he is. The floorboard creaked, the brown mess flew all over and was blinding me.

I had to run, and run I did, as fast as I could.  I aimed for the narrow slit in the wooden barn door. When I jumped I landed on the wet grass outside.

I have often stomped it, and it felt comfortable to lie on, but today, it seemed to want revenge. The blades slashed to the touch and cut me in several places. I carefully dodged the grass blades and walked on the soft grains of soil. Perhaps I’ll find my dog, and boy he’ll be thrilled! I can even be his pet, you see.

But there, outside in that lawn, I saw a green Praying Mantis. And he stood there, right in front of me, and waited patiently.
I remembered those green eyes and blue pupils. In fact, I crushed him just last night. I remember how I pushed my heavy leather boot on the poor thing and pressed until I heard a satisfying crack. It was then a squished green and white mess with dangling legs. It crumbled like a small little egg. I watched it die, just last night.

“How are you alive?” I shouted at him.

His praying hands suddenly lept up in the air like a sword, except all green like his eyes.

Swoosh!

The Mantis was splattered in red and he appeared to smile.

I woke up, there was a slight pain on the tip of my nose. When I slowly opened my eyelids, I saw before a brown being. It was Peggy and he gave me another peck on my nose.

I pushed the bird aside. He started flapping hard, pricking me with his twig-like claws, and disappeared to a corner. I was panting hard; the brown stuff with hay and wood dust was sticking all over my sweaty body.

“I should never sleep in the barn again”