Drowning

The night's darker than the last, colder. My wings work overtime against the wind to carry me to the nearest light.

A sense of foreboding presses into me with each gust of air, making me feel an overwhelming need to find a safe place to take cover. I wish I knew what this meant. Sadly, I'm inexperienced. A hatchling without guidance. All I can rely on for survival are my baser instincts.

With a destination in sight, I flap my wings harder, driven by an urgency that scares me. I get a few feet when something new fills the air, making my wings feel heavy with moisture. A word clicks in my head: precipitation. I don't know where that thought came from. All I know is that it sounds bad.

The sound of rumbling takes me by surprise, as does the water falling from the sky. It batters against me, pushing me lower to the ground- a place I know will be the death of me.

Dread fills me. My days are already numbered, and if I fall, I fear I won't get to see them through.

What angered the sky to make it act this way?

Focusing on my goal, I beat my wings faster. The light is brighter now, and my heart skips with relief, knowing that safety is within reach.

Almost there!

The next drop that lands on me sends me plummeting, and my premature celebration sinks alongside me. I hit the ground with a splat, and find myself ensnared in cold water.

Panicking, I splash and struggle against the captivity of the liquid. My efforts are futile, and I resort to praying, hoping the world will be merciful and spare me.

Footsteps approach, and for a second, I think my prayers might be answered.

With a spurt of energy, I begin thrashing to make a noise so that you'll hear me.

It works. You stop and look down at me, noticing my predicament. Yet your pause goes on for longer than I can tolerate, and I start to wonder what might be the cause. Surely, you can see I'm in need of your help?

I lift my head as much as my form allows to meet your eyes.

Help me.

It shouldn't be necessary to request such a thing. Wouldn't someone with a kind heart attempt to save someone in distress if they noticed them drowning?

Even though I'm weak, I give a couple of twitches to express my duress. Only your reaction isn't the one I was expecting.

You recoil and glare at me with eyes full of cruelty and revulsion, a look of contempt that I've done nothing to earn.

Ew, a bug. Your gaze seems to say.

I flinch with hurt. I'm sorry that my kind disgusts you, but I cannot help what I am.

You stare down at me for a long moment with much difficulty, and I can tell you're indecisive about something.

I wish I could give you the time you need to not feel so uncomfortable with me, but I don't have any. I'm dying with each second that passes.

Finally, you seem to come to a conclusion. You sigh and shake your head, indicating that I am not worth saving.

I know I'm only an insect, but please, just give me a chance. I try to scream with another spasm, fluttering my wings in a vain attempt to gain your sympathy.

It's energy wasted.

You spare me a last look as you step over me, you're brow quirked to silently say, you only have yourself to blame for your situation. As if I hadn't tried to prevent this.

With that, my fight leaves me, drained away with my energy and taking my hope with it.

It was not my intention to end up in this position. I did not go looking for trouble. I did not create this problem for attention. But when I call for help, I'm shamed and accused of playing the victim.

I lower my head at the sound of your receding footsteps, losing faith in humanity. My wings droop with defeat. You have forsaken me, a small, harmless creature that has done nothing to deserve this fate, simply for just existing. When I begged for your compassion, you responded with malice.

Who's the true villain here?

That despondent thought lingers as I begin to fade. I let the chill numb me so I don't have to feel this rejection with my final breath.

As I descend into oblivion, my last thought is that I hope no one else ever finds themselves dependent on you as a lifeline...

for you'd let them drown.

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Story inspired by song: Take A Moment To Breathe by normal the kid