"DIRT" drabbles by Amphituber
DIRT 7
DIRT
As Dirt watched the ground come up to meet her, she did the only reasonable thing: scream.
Instead of shattering into a million pieces like children in cautionary tales are wont to do, the floor gave way, sending petals and little skulls clattering into the darkness. The bones flew into each other, creating a loud clacking noise. It sounded like laughter.
Down, down, down. Dirt stopped shrieking and looked for the bottom. Nothing but murky blackness below, and up was no different. In fact, Dirt was unsure which direction she was falling at this point, as both looked the same.
DIRT 6
DIRT
Moved by a sense of pity, Dirt began scattering the flowers she had found over the unfortunate creatures. They floated down like umbrellas, spinning smoothly and gently.
Dirt could think of no better way to pay her respects than this, so she turned to go.
She began strolling away from the opening when she heard something odd.
It sounded a little bit like a mix between a squawk and a growl, and it seemed to come from the hole.
Instead of running to get help she sprinted to the hole and looked right in.
And that's when she fell in.
DIRT 5
DIRT
The hole was large, surrounded by a ring of tiny dandelions and looking very out of place in the otherwise untarnished grove.
Dirt walked over to the hole's edge and peered in. The bottom looked to be roughly six feet down and filled with tiny white skeletons.
Most little girls would have found this horrifying.
Dirt carefully leaned over the lip of the hole to get a closer look.
She tried to identify each one by name. A rabbit... a fieldmouse... a fox. It was like some twisted Disney princess had summoned them there and left them all to die.
DIRT 4
DIRT
Dirt's brother Gladys accidentally fell into a small stream. While Dirt's family rushed to save Gladys from his wanton stupidity, Dirt quietly snuck away, into a nearby grove.
It was a beautiful little grove, with solemn oak trees forming a ring around vibrant flowers and freshly cut grass.
Dirt joyfully ran into the clearing, glad to be free of responsible parenting for a while. She sat and began picking the white flowers from a little cluster of tulips. After a short time, Dirt stood up with her newfound treasures, intent on returning to her parents.
Then, she noticed the hole.
DIRT 3
DIRT
Dirt was happily rolling about in a green meadow.
Dirt's family was sitting on a picnic blanket laid across the top of a nearby hill and enjoying the good weather.
Dirt, as is all too common, was completely supervised. Dirt's mother kept a close eye on Dirt as she ate.
Dirt didn't like that at all.
How was she supposed to enjoy herself when her mom watched like a hawk, ready to swoop down and thwart any dangerous (and therefore fun) activities?
Dirt resolved to duck away from watchful eyes the moment an opportunity appeared.
A minute later, one did.
DIRT 2
DIRT
Dirt is an unfortunate name for anyone, let alone a little girl. Dirt hadn't had any say in the matter, and if she had, her name would have been something more becoming, like Juniper.
Her parents had named her for the freckles scattered across her face. Dirt's female relatives often tried to wipe them off with a washcloth and a dab of soap.
Another oddity was her brown eyes. Her entire family had brightly colored eyes, except for her.
Despite all this, Dirt lived a rather normal life for many years, until a sunny morning two weeks after her birthday.
DIRT 1
DIRT
A warning to all children: If you see a large hole sitting in the middle of a field, don't go near it. If you do, you are likely to fall in. If you fall in, you might land in a strange place.
Strange places mean adventure. And adventure can be very unhealthy for young children.
This is not a cautionary tale, though. In fact, it is much the opposite. It is about a young girl who did fall down a dark hole into a strange place, and the adventures she had.
And all because her name happened to be Dirt.
