#49 - Now You See It

Today’s words: Sign, Knock Kneed, Ray, Burier

Word count: 350

Completion time: 1 hour

Summary: Some prejudice you just can’t avoid no matter what

As soon as some people are born, a grave is dug.

Naturally, the baby is oblivious to this, and sometimes the parents won’t know either, but still the burier keeps on digging; they dig in the snow, the rain, even in the height of summer when a small ray of sun is enough to peel skin away from uncovered limbs. It’s an arduous task but they don’t stop until it looks the grave’s big enough to erase a body altogether.

Knock kneed and panting like a dog in heat, the task is done. Wait. But, how long? As long as it takes. It could only be a year or two, but hopefully it’s more.

As the child grows up, they might start to feel a little empty inside, depending on who they associate with or how strong they are. They’ll put a hand to their chest just to check, but everything appears to be in working order. Shrugging it off, they continue with their lives until the pressure weighs down.

It starts with dirty looks.

Nasty words.

Maybe a few shoves.

And it escalates

Impossible to escape

Are you gay or are you straight?

Never mind that, what about your race?

You look a disgrace, don’t look me in the face

An eyesore to the core. Go on, get away from this place!

Then they see it. They see their own grave. Sprint as they might, they can’t run; their fate’s been decided from day one. What can they do to change it? Nothing. This is not something that can be changed like a bloody plaster.

So they try to fight, they run, but because they’re too focused on getting away, they fall into that oppressive hole with such swiftness that you’d consider supernatural interference if you had seen them go.

The sign planted in the dirt differs with each person: gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, asexual, queer, pansexual, disabled, too fat, too thin, person of colour...there’s a whole set that the burier likes to keep, and it’s growing a little more every day.

Now you see it,

Now you don’t.