Skip to main content

Ostrich short story



She holds her elegant neck high above the masses which she saunters through. Like a diva at a show she flaunts her plumes, casts a wary eye about for rivals, and turns up her nose at her drab brown and cream comrades. 

Behold, an animal of distinction and refinement. Here is the ostrich, queen of the winged kingdom. Around her, antelope bow their heads in shame, cringing at their inferiority. Where she steps the grass seems to wither in embarrassment. Even the sun seems reluctant to disgrace her chestnut and ivory feathers.

Stop. Look around. Sour musk lines the brisk breeze. She lowers the foot which was held aloft a moment ago, her previously serene expression now one of incandescent disapproval. The antelope prick up their ears. A glimpse of golden pelt in the grass and an explosion of hooves signifies the beginning of the chase.

She runs like a demon, head pointed forward and wings outstretched. Long legs kick up turf, spraying it into the streak of gold fur behind her. Sweat drips down her now very exposed-looking neck. As three more lions appear in front of her, she slows. Something murderous glints in her eyes. 

The four young lions circle her confidently. Silence reigns the savanna. The breeze slows down to watch as the largest, most confident brute sees his opportunity. He pounces, talons ready to rip into her, teeth bared in preparation for the warm wet taste of the split jugular vein.

The ostrich barely seems to move. Her powerful foot flicks out and catches the pouncing cat's jaw, dislocating it. Reeling away, he is intercepted as a brother of his leaps, somehow colliding with the hard sole of the ostrich's foot. He falls, blood staining gold fur crimson. The other two flee, rippling golden streaks in the dry grass.

Away she struts, head held in the air again. Snowy feathers splayed, elegant neck swaying slightly, a regally offended look is again plastered on her face. The brown- clad bovines lower their heads in submission. 

The queen preens her feathers, feathers even the sun dare not shine on. Then she saunters on.

~Hannah ~

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Innocent One

All the drugs were stowed under Avivit’s bed. “Why do we have to hide them here?” the young girl whined. “Why can't we hide them under Jimmy’s bed?” She dove under her pillows.      “Shut up,” her much older brother hissed. “All we ever hear from you is what you don't want.” His rancid breath carried a heavy smell of liquor.      “If you care so much go complain to your mother,” her father told her. “You know not to disturb us when we’re on a job.”      Avivit pulled her blanket around her and got out of bed, leaving the small, dimly lit room. She found her mother at the kitchen table, sitting beneath the bare light bulb, counting cash next to a half-empty bottle. Avivit noticed this. Her mother must be sad.      “What's wrong, Mommy?” she asked.      Her mother turned her tired eyes towards Avivit. “Oh Av,” she said, “what are we going to do? Even we can't postpone the landlord f...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to grow a pinboard

A pinboard is like a loving thing, so treat it with care. Find it a good place, not too dark but not in direct sunlight, as its foliage may fade. Make sure you keep a good store of pins nearby in case you need to feed it quickly. With the pins, keep scraps of paper, sticky notes or blank notecards. Feed it regularly, so it doesn't get a tatty coat. Regularly prune as well, since old pieces of paper no longer serving any purpose can get in the way and make it look shabby. Ensure you are feeding it a well balanced diet of different colors, sizes and shapes of paper, and occasionally add supplements such as leaves, postcards and bits of string. This way you will see your pinboard bloom all seasons. A pinboard can become a lifelong friend if treated correctly. Make sure you feed it enough, but not too much. An important point to note is the content of the notes you are giving it. Single words are acceptable as long as they are clear, so you know exactly what you were thinking whe...
Post a Comment
Read more

Plot: Wing It or Plan Every Step?

In the first idea that I had for the novel I am currently writing - which, admittedly, was when I was twelve - the only things I knew about my MC's personality were that she was a girl and she was 'feisty'. And evidently, I thought that was enough to go on. Surprise, surprise: It wasn't. Now, she is only the most main of my three main characters, rather than the only one. Her name is Taika and I love her. While she is most definitely 'feisty', she has so much more to her than that now. It's interesting to contrast this to when she first burst into my brain and refused to leave me alone. She was unrealistic, extremely two-dimensional and quickly gave up her spunk to become bland and forgettable. Needless to say, I didn't know her particularly well before I began writing with her. I guess I either thought she was fine how she was or that her well thought through character arc would just sort of come as I wrote. Given the fact that I am curre...
Post a Comment
Read more