The Fall

This short story comes from a writing exercise I did. I've left out much of the editing process because this story embodies the basic complications arising in more complicated situations from my more literary works; it will help you get acquainted with my darker themes.

The Fall

by L. A. Sandwina

I fell into a well. The well is twelve feet deep. I want to get out, but I can't. I think Teddy was lying. He told me the well leads to the Batcave. Teddy is my big brother. He is four years older than me and almost thirteen! He will get mommy. My ankle hurts from falling down. It made a noise like a stick breaking when I landed. It feels bad and my toes are cold. I want a fire. Teddy tells me the Indians make fire with rocks. There are rocks down here, maybe I can make fire. Indians must be tough. They only have bows and arrows and the cowboys have guns. I guess I could be brave like them if cowboys tried to shoot mommy. Where is Teddy?

I am the shortest kid in my class and everyone calls me Tiny Tommy. Teddy is big. He is two years older than me and so smart. I wonder how he got so tall. Maybe he can tell me how I can get tall. If I was tall enough I could reach the top of the well and pull myself out. I wonder if anyone is tall enough. What does enough mean? I think it is a magic word that makes it so if there is a certain amount of something you could do something else. Like if I had enough chickens I could do a backflip, or if I was orange enough I could fly. I don't know what flying has to do with being orange, but if I could be that orange I would. I would like to fly. Birds fly, except for things like ostriches and penguins. I guess if I were a bird I would have to be one of those because I can't get out of the well, and if I were some other bird I would be out by now.

I wonder if Teddy forgot about me. That would be bad. Stupid Batcave. Bats fly, are they birds? They don't seem like birds, they don't have any feathers. Maybe they're just bald. That's gross. Bald birds. I saw my uncle kill a chicken once by grabbing the head of it and twisting the body like a basketball attached to a rope. The entire head came off. The other kids chased it when he set it down on the grass. I tried to be brave and not cry but it wasn't my fault. I hadn't gotten any of the candy from the pinata and dad hadn't brought my favorite teddy bear and mom wasn't around to hold me. Uncle Ed started laughing and I tried to tell him it is mean to laugh at people when they hurt but I couldn't because I started hiccuping. I hate Uncle Ed. I bet he would laugh at me for my ankle hurting if he were here. He wouldn't even lower me a rope and help me out. He'd just sit there laughing.

My toes are cold, I wonder if they're blue. Maybe I should try screaming again. Come on Teddy, get help. I hope he didn't forget about me and go inside. Mom probably made dinner by now. I bet she's making peanut butter and jelly with the crusts cut off and potato chips and some lemonade. I'm hungry. What if they don't come and find me and I starve? Then I would be like the skeletons in closets mommy says daddy has and that's why he's not here.

I've been down here for three or four hours, probably. That's almost the whole day! Trisha was supposed to come over and we were going to play adult house. Now I won't get to play with her and we won't ever get to kiss and get married and get a puppy because I'll be dead. Maybe I should write a note to her. I could put it in a bottle and when it rains the bottle with float up to the top of the well and she'll know that I like her. I don't have a pencil, or paper, or a bottle. Maybe I can write it with one of the rocks down here on the wall like in that story mom told me the other night about that Count of Cristo. But he escaped. Maybe I could escape. No, wait, my ankle made that cracking noise, I can't escape.

Well I guess I should try to write on the wall. I hope Teddy comes back with mom soon, its getting dark and I don't like the dark. Was that a light? Is someone coming!? Please! Help! I'm trapped down here! Teddy? Where's mommy? Well go get her! Why not? What do you mean? I never said that, please get mommy. What ya do that for? Stop it! Teddy! Take those boards off there! It's dark! Teddy please, Teddy...