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Road Kill
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Road Kill |
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DreamEvil Member Elite
since 1999-06-22
Posts 2396 |
The skunk promptly sat down to ponder the oddity before him. "It looks like a river", he thought. "But much too straight." He began to wonder if it was safe enough to cross the Black River since food was so scarce on this side. Adjusting his rump, he began his deliberation in earnest. Meanwhile, on the hill behind him, two friends were watching the skunk with avid interest. Hopping from foot to foot, the raccoon looked at his porcupine friend and said, "I'll lay odds he doesn't have the courage to cross the Black River." Ponderous and slow of thought, the porcupine took some time to think before answering, "He will cross it for there is more food across the Black River. He will try anyway." Slowly turning his head, the porcupine continued, "I think the predators living on the Black River will crush him." "You are a pessimist", the raccoon said. "Many of my relatives have made it across and back without encountering the roaring death. I don't think the skunk has the courage to cross it." With a slow smile the porcupine replied, "So, I bet he will try to cross and he will be squished. You say that he won't try to cross it, but if he does then he will make it there and back safely. What shall we bet on?" Immediately the raccoon chattered and said, "Why, the loser must cross the river as well and come back again. Is it too much to bet on for you?" Scratching his ear with a hind foot, the porcupine said, "Deal!" Meanwhile the skunk had finished his deliberations and having neither seen nor heard the roaring death, he decided it was safe to cross the hard surface of the Black River. With his eyes dilated wide he shuffled slowly across, head turning to and fro. When he had reached the halfway point, his innate cockiness came back and he sat down, grinning with his accomplishment. "Well, so far you are right, he is crossing it. I am right too though since he is not squished", the raccoon said while dancing on his hind feet. Infinitely patient, the porcupine said, "We'll see. Look over there." He tossed his head to the left where a break in the trees let them see a bit further down the road. The raccoon immediately stopped his capering and fell to all fours. From the hilltop they could see quite a distance down the Black River. Barreling along towards the hapless skunk was a roaring death that was infamous to the forest now. Long and squat and filled with noisy two-legs, this sky-colored thing had cloud colored lines. In two-leg speech it had a small script on its rump, "Washington or Bust". That was the buzz in the forest anyway. "Netpoets", whispered the raccoon. "Hey, prickly friend of mine, this was all a joke. Right? No need to stick to the bet. Right? Right!?" he said in tones growing ever frantic. Making a great show of stretching, the porcupine moved to a more comfortable position. "A deal is a deal and a bet is a bet", he said with a slow smile spreading across his face. Crestfallen, the raccoon turned to watch Nature's drama play itself out. To the skunk, who was awake early, as it was barely dusk, the Black River began to vibrate and hum. This startled him to all fours. Turning to face the direction of the vibrations, twin suns sent spikes of paralyzing pain and confusion lancing into his brain. As the roaring death bore down on him, the skunk readied his revenge for this senseless murder to come. As the tire of the beast caught him, he sprayed the bulk of his musk into the belly of the beast. A burst of pain and then oblivion met the adventurous skunk. Almost as one, the NetPoets gathered in the VW minibus went silent as the smell of skunk hit the air. Dropping the windows only increased the stench, as did the air conditioning. Again, almost as one, they turned to the driver and laid the blame for the stench firmly on him. It followed them in a clinging cloud all the way to DC. On the hilltop, the two friends watched the innocent skunk fall beneath the terrifying predator's onslaught. The porcupine had the grace to wait until the beast was gone before turning to the raccoon and saying, "You're up. Time to cross the river." "Ummm…can't we work out a deal here old buddy, old pal? the raccoon asked in a jovial voice. As the porcupine was about to reply, having given serious thought to this, a doe sprinted from across the Black River towards the hilltop. Both friends looked over their shoulder and saw no sign of another beast. From the other direction came a blasting sound that rent the silence of nature and snapped all three heads in its direction. Twin suns once again froze them all in place, brighter than the last beast's they were. Bet forgotten as the semi struck the doe, the friends realized that by betting on the ignorance or demise of a fellow four-leg, they became as uncaring as the two-legs that had their beasts ride down the innocent and the hungry. Long accustomed to profound revelations, the porcupine philosophically said, "It is the way of life that the strong kill the weak, but to kill with no need to eat the meat, indeed to let it lay to rot, that goes against our Mother Earth and Nature." Letting this profundity settle, the raccoon said, "And they call US animals." ©1999 DreamEvil ------------------ Now and forever, my heart hears ~one voice~. DreamEvil© |
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Tara Simms Senior Member
since 1999-08-12
Posts 1244Honea Path, SC USA |
I loved it! Great writing, Dream! |
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caroline Senior Member
since 1999-08-16
Posts 1218http://members.xoom.com/belladona123/index.htm |
As always, the consummate storyteller  Good one, Dream ------------------ "Tread softly, for I have spread my dreams under your feet"~~William Butler Yeats |
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hoot_owl_rn Member Patricius
since 1999-07-05
Posts 10750Glen Hope, PA USA |
Well done my friend |
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EnglishRose Junior Member
since 1999-10-08
Posts 13 |
that was good, and how true,, ------------------ "A Rose by any other name..." |
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Poet deVine
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-26
Posts 22612Hurricane Alley |
Wonderful, wonderful story!!!! I loved it! Great message here, DE! Loved it.....  |
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WhtDove Member Rara Avis
since 1999-07-22
Posts 9245Illinois |
Excellent job my friend! Excellent story! I loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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suicidal dreams Member
since 1999-09-28
Posts 343Toledo Ohio USA |
Wow so true as Ive stated in many poems we Humans are to blame for natures demise and you have portrayed that well here ------------------ life is short kill quick |
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Skyfyre Senior Member
since 1999-08-15
Posts 1906Sitting in Michael's Lap |
This makes me want to go play in traffic -- an excellent read, my friend. Porcupines speaking profundities, indeed. --Kess ------------------ You cannot choose the way of your death, but the path you choose will determine its own end. |
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Lucie Senior Member
since 1999-06-20
Posts 1077Houston |
Cute Dream.. I liked this story.. |
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Systematic Decay Senior Member
since 1999-09-15
Posts 1301That place with padded walls and funny people in white......... |
Scott, this story reminded me much of "Animal Farm" only in this the animals realized what they were doing before they completely changed. Great work here. ------------------ Thinking is just what a great many people think they are doing when they are merely rearranging their predjudices. |
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Michael
Moderator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-08-13
Posts 7666California |
Indeed, Dream. There is nothing more primal than humanity, itself. Wonderful rendition here. Michael |
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Beki Senior Member
since 1999-09-15
Posts 1569Newport Beach, CA, USA |
What can I say that has not already been said? You are an excellent storyteller my friend! Perhaps it is your true gift, as haiku seems to be mine Something to think about! Thanks for sharing |
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JennyLee Senior Member
since 1999-09-01
Posts 1461Northwestern, NJ. |
Excellent Scott, Written like a Master Storyteller. Jenny ------------------ Love is an attempt at penetrating another being,But it can only succeed if the surrender is mutual. |
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Deep Blue Me Member
since 1999-11-04
Posts 396By a big lake |
Very imaginative and enjoyable, S! Makes me wanna swerve. DB ------------------ And the men who hold high places Must be the ones who start To mold a new reality Closer to the heart. ===RUSH=== |
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Christopher
Moderator
Member Rara Avis
since 1999-08-02
Posts 8296Purgatorial Incarceration |
ROFLMAO!!! Great one brother...animals indeed. |
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Tammy Member
since 1999-09-09
Posts 90 |
D.E. Great story, though I have to admit I am one of those that would hit a tree before hitting an animal of any kind. Thank you for such a thought provoking story from the other side. T. |
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