February 1st
My World

Prompt: A Garden

The weird flexible barrier once again prevented me from escaping my little world. I could see through it, reach through it, pull things back through it to me but I just couldn’t pass through it to the open expanse beyond. Turning away from the source of frustration I pushed through the leaves and branches that were my playground, not unlike the one The Big Ones played on up in their tower. Mother was capable of getting up there with them but so far I hadn’t been allowed. That was fine though I had plenty to do here! 

A Jumper landed on one of the leaves in front of me and then launched away, but that was all it took, the chase was on. I moved after it as it went from leaf to branch to ground, losing sight of it only for a second before the rustling leaves gave away its position and I launched towards it. Every time it would avoid my attack. One time it’s branch, thicker than the others, didn’t give way and I had to catch my breath before resuming the game. Deeper through the plants we went, not sure which way I was going but not planning to lose this time. Not till the last second I saw it jump through the barrier that always ended my games. Just out of reach it sat as I reached for it, teasing me, taunting like how Mom played with The Big Ones. Unlike them though this Jumper didn’t eventually let me catch it. 

Flopping down I pressed my face to the barrier so I could look between the lines that were all that showed me where I had to stop and called at the bug, one arm still through the barrier. I smelled her about the same time I heard my mom walking up to see what I was pouting about and felt her touch my head. It was a subtle thing and with only a bit of reservation I followed her back.

Stepping out of my jungle I saw The Tower I couldn't yet climb, the colorful plants the flying things always hung around. I learned the other day the little fliers hurt if you caught them and The Big ones didn’t like it when their colorful plants were played in. So I was wary to head that way any time soon, but mom led me the other way and as I realized where we were going I bounded ahead over the small step to the tall stuff we were allowed to play in. 

As I rolled in the good smelling green things I was too distracted to realize I’d gone from the chaser to the prey. A short war cry was all that warned me of the incoming before I was tackled. We rolled through our grass, kicking up fun play scents as mom laid down and watched yawning. She pulled one of the pieces close and rubbed her face against it as we tussled, one moment I was pinned, kicking my brother off me the next I had him by the back of the neck. His cry of defiance was cut short as the loud happy noises from one of The Big Ones had us turn our heads, leaving me open as my ear was caught in a light bite. 

Not a minute later we proceeded to defy the ground as the large paws of The Big Ones picked us up, ending our scrap. The one carrying me through our little world held me on my back, a long piece of the smelling grass held above me as I reached for it trying to steal it back. They were big but we could often get things from their paws with enough time. My eyes darted between the grass I wanted and the ground as we walked. Sometimes I saw my brother and the big one who carried him playing a similar game with one of those pieces of fur that fell from the ones that flew overhead. Mom had caught one once that hadn’t seen her hiding under the branches of our jungle. Their fur wasn’t as soft as ours but was a lot more fun to play with and often just fell to the ground. 

As we walked I took in little bits of the world. From this high I could see over the evil barrier that kept me from exploring further, the plants of our jungle also stopped at about the same level. I could see other big towers beyond the barrier and big caves like the one we shared with our Big Ones. In our world though there was so much I still barely knew. We walked past the colored plants again, the ones that the evil little flying things that hurt played. The long flying sticks were playing over the grass avoiding us as we walked close. The water place sat near the seats, one of the weird high flyers mom always tried to catch playing in the water while the tallest of the Big Ones, that one that had no fur on its head, watched it while holding the play screen the Little Big Ones sometimes let us share. 

A sound kinda like a stick breaking caused the high flyer to take off and I almost thought if I jumped I could catch it before the grass distracted me again. The big one that’d been watching it though seemed to feel like I had when I didn’t catch The Jumper. It was just watching the flyer circle above till it went up in The Tower and out of sight I didn’t care anymore. I turned my head back to the ground, bored of the grass and wanting to run around again. I stretched out towards the ground where Mom was now following us. She trusted the Big Ones, they kept the cave safe, but still didn’t like letting us completely out of her sight with them. Eventually she reached up, pawing at the knee of the one carrying me and I was set down. It took a second to get my feet under me and I fell to the side. 

Getting up I watched just for a second mom getting a pet behind the ear before walking towards the water spot. She pawed at the water and I realized I was thirsty quickly running across the hard stuff that was different from the grass to get a sip. More water came out of the bottom of the water tower and I jumped back as it splashed me, again hearing the happy noise of the Big Ones. I squinted and shook the water off my nose before sitting and licking my paw before rubbing my face. It was important to stay clean mom was teaching us, although my brother was always covered in dirt like he thought that made him clean. 

Finally I heard the long furred Big One call out, and looked to mom who was getting up and heading to the door. I was right! Food time! Right? I bounded across the Garden, away from the bird fountain, and carefully around the flowers with their bees. Past the big oak tree with its small tree house up top, and through the dragonflies that I almost might have been able to catch. I saw out of the corner of my eye the cat grass, and where the wire fence wasn’t blocked by bushes and eventually came to the stairs of the deck that overlooked the garden that was our world. It took two jumps to get up the first step but by the third I saw the clear barrier open that kept our cave, our home, safe at night. The food was already laid out for me like the Prince I was. The Garden was just another part of my domain!

2025 February Flash Fiction Challenge: Day 1 - Writer's Digest