Member-only story
Flash Fiction | Short story
Instinct
Survival is key against life’s joker cards.
Azu huddles at the back of the narrow icy cave shivering from the cold.
Her eyes are filled with awe and tenderness as she cradles her precious baby son Talu in her arms.
The cold air is numbing her senses as it seeps through the cave’s opening. Carefully, Azu places her baby on a bed made of grass and pine needles.
It took her ages to collect the grass and pine needles in the freezing high-lying mountain area. It was difficult to collect materials for his bed as she carried him and looked out for possible lurking predators. She is so glad she found the cave to protect them from the elements.
Azu studies the oozing cut on Talu’s lower bare leg with dismay.
“It must have happened while searching for food in the forest two days ago,” she whispers in a curly whirl of breath-fog.
There were a lot of broken branches she had to claw through to find food for her and Talu.
Carefully she wipes the oozing, infected area.
“I am sorry for hurting you my sweetheart,” she whispers staring lovingly into Talu’s sleepy eyes. She starts to hum a lullaby while she gently strokes his cheeks. He slips…
