You Reap What You Sow by Tamsyn Naylor

Here is the first of what we hope willbe many great stories, poems and other pieces from various genres, posted herefor your delectation!  Thanks Tammy foryour bravery in being the first of us to put themselves forward!  Readers beware – this is a creepy one.  Please let us know your thoughts by adding acomment or clicking 'like'.

You Reap What You Sow

By

Tamsyn Naylor

I miss my life……I miss looking out of the window, sittingby the fire, pottering about humming to myself as I went about my ordinarylife. But that is far from ordinary now…

            Itall started quite subtly, just a feeling something was different, not quiteright. I would look out of the window as I dressed and glimpse, in the formingdewy mist creeping along the field, a slight movement, a shape merging into ashadow. The light was dim and shifting. Could it be a deer? It didn’t move nimblyor gracefully, didn’t really appear to be there at all.
            Afew days later, as I climbed the track behind my house, the sun beat down ontomy shoulders, the ground smelt warm from the late summer rays penetratingthrough the trees. As I walked on, following the path of a hover fly flittingbetween dandelion flowers, I heard a rustle, deep in the hedge. I know therewas something there, the faint cloud of its breath lit up against the dampvegetation. But I was alone...
            Thisuncertain feeling continued in my mind on several occasions after that.
            Theyear was turning; the mornings were more crisp and clear. I was pulling seedheads out in the garden one day, when the pig lumbered into view. It wassnuffling through the fallen leaves, looking for worms. That’s strange, Ithought, my neighbour would normally have told me if she was getting morelivestock. It was not alone, there were four or five, all different sizes butall intent on their grubbing. Two more appeared in the following week, gentlecreatures. I didn’t see my neighbour, didn’t get the chance to ask her aboutthe additions.
            Ispent a precious hour in the garden – tidying up before winter. As I pushed thebarrow of deads through the gate to the compost corner, I was startled to seethe rough turned over, exposed ground. Holes had appeared. In my pause I didnot hear them coming. I jolted as the gate smashed against the back of my legs,powered by the combined force of several large pigs gambolling into the field.I fell onto the bare sticky earth, cracking my skull on the corner of my barrowas I went, and lay motionless and limp. I sank into a motionless sleep.
            Thepigs carried on scurrying and romping, pulling at my clothes. As they scuffedunder my arms and sides, the soil started to slip and move, swallowing me intothe damp, leafy loam.

Winter came and the last of theleaves fluttered from the trees. I consciously felt the first frost and knew Ineeded to fill my belly with something. Moving over to the hedge, I slumpeddown onto the ground with tiredness and waited, waited for a morsel to pass meand quench my hunger. After quite some time had passed and a watery sun hadsunk below the level of the hill, a creature approached. As it passed thehedge, I clearly saw it carried something in its mouth. I couldn’t make it out– was it meat, a limp lifeless body? No it was stiff and pearlescent, a furlessmorsel.

            Asthe dog stopped, it carefully dropped its prey and began to dig. I recognisedthe dog as my own, my faithful happy friend who loved me beyond all else. Themany times, whilst out shopping, I recollected her smiling loyal eyes and wasreminded to bring her home her favourite – a pigs ear. But when, I thought, hadyou ever seen her eat them? Take them yes and relish them, laying in the hall withthe treat placed between her paws, coveting them.
            AsI watched the horror of the realisation dawned on me. They were my treats; theywere my pigs, planted by my own dog. My breath was panicky, I could not shout.I fell to the ground, my snout steadying me where I lay and I watched in horroras my dog covered over the ear, planting the seed of my destiny and trottedback up the field and into the comfort of my old home...