"How did I end up here?” It thought as dirt was being shoveled on and on. “I was so happy. I lived in the sun, the trees and wildlife were friends. I was friends with everyone”. Dirt continued to be layered on. Shovels began patting the earth while hushed whispers contaminated the air.
“Geez boss. Why we have to bury It alive like dat? Not like It did nothin wrong” said the Executioner. Cicadas filled the air with humming tunes, the day was sticky and hot. “Normally we don’t. But I have orders that this one is to be kept alive. The Lords want to make an example” replied the Supervisor. "Yeeea, but how-come?".
The Supervisor shrugged.
"Please don't do this!! At least kill me!" wailed the Prisoner.
“Thats okay little fella. Don’t know why you being treated as such. Be over soon, promise!” said the Executioner. “Don't speak with It!! You know the rules. They’re food, nothing else. Jobs done, we’re done” said the Supervisor. They packed up their gear and drove off.
“I can feel bugs crawling on my skin. The worms are digging in. I can barely breathe. I can’t even move my fingers. Wait a minute . . . I can’t move anything at all! I’m PARALYZED!!! They paralyzed me!!!” It thought in fear. “Help!! Help! Help!!” It shouted to the passerby. But no one stopped, no one even looked. “Help! Help. Help”, It kept saying.
Then a child ran over, “Dad look! He’s in the ground. Shouldn’t we help him?”. The father walked over and grabbed his daughter's hand, “we can’t do anything for him. This is what happens when you try to befriend nature and the like. Those creatures aren’t our friends, they’re our keepers. They don’t like when we meddle with their business” said the Father. “But dad, one day we could be friends them right?” said the Daughter. “Maybe one day lovely. But you know the rules, they feed us, we feed them. That’s just how it is. Why don’t we go see a movie today?!” said the Father. They both walked away.
“No! Please don’t go!! I don’t want to die alone!! Please. I’m sorry. I should have listened!! I just wanted to change things. I miss my friends . . .” He whispered suffocated by the compacted dirt.
Cicadas seemed to hum louder after He was gone. A little red fox lied down next to His head and the large tree which loomed above wrapped its roots around Him.
EPILOGUE
“His” name was George Stephen. He was 25 years old. The world George lived in is one of terrifying ordeals between Man and the evolved plantlike creatures known as “The Keepers".
Humanity once superior is now superseded by natural evolution and has become a pawn in the never ending cycle of the food chain.