The stillness of the afternoon sits, heavy as a sand bag, on his head and outstretched limbs.
He’s lain under the bridge for hours. His back is still damp from the morning dew, trapped by his mass, while the grass around him has turned brittle in the heat.
This is his favourite place, the best time. Crickets rasp at his ear then flick over him, ants worry his hair. Better than town, the children’s sniggers, the adult’s guarded looks.
Troll, they call him and worse. Beast, Foetus … Abortion. He didn’t know that last one, so he asked Gem at the store who laughed spittle in his face. Gem’s words buzz like flies. Unwanted … Terminated.
A fleshy burn rises inside him, filling his chest and throat. The day fuzzes with tears.
Footsteps on the bridge make him jump. The touch is light, a skip-skip-hop.
Troll licks his lips.
***
Written for What Pegman Saw, the prompt that uses Google Street View as its starting point. This week, we visit Saskatchewan, Canada.
Word Shamble 
Love this, Lynn. Excellent pacing and stellar language.
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Thanks Josh. I’ve been working on both, so good to see you thought it worked
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That is such a good take, well done.
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Thanks Crispina
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🙂
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Oh! Wonderfully written. I admit to being surprised that he really was a troll…
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Well, I think I thought of him as an upset going man who sees himself as a monster. But it’s open to interpretation. Thanks so much Dale
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I like yours better!
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🙂
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Beautiful writing. I feel sorry for Troll. His pain is real.
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Thank you so much. I’m really glad that came through.
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Great story, I can see him enjoying his meal… Like all good fairytales, it has that element of paralleling real life and the way we as society treat those that are different from us – and it never ends well.
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Thanks Iain. You picked up on exactly the point I was trying to make. It’s a good thing to bear in mind, that the marginalised and oppressed often hit back.
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You took me completely to a POV I never gave much thought to. Crackling writing!
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Thank you so much Karen. I enjoyed writing this – a lovely prompt pic
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Interesting idea! I never thought of a troll going into town and being looked down upon as a misshapen human, but then I also never thought of a human child with birth defects being the basis for a troll myth. I’m not sure which is true here, but the ambiguity works and helps give it that fairy tale feel. Loved the visceral details about communing with nature, and the slow reveal.
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Thank you, Joy. I know it’s a vile suggestion, that people would demonise a person with birth defects but then people can be vile. Really glad you felt it worked. And I live that you felt the fairy tale vibe. Thanks so much
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Dear Lynn,
I can always count on a healthy serving of magic on your site. It sounds perhaps he’s the product of a botched abortion. It made me think of Elephant Man. Wonderfully written.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you, Rochelle. People certainly can behave badly to those who look different from them, who are different in any way. The sad evidence of that surrounds us every day. Thanks so much for reading
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Lovely ambiguity in this story, Lynn. I hate to think of the outcome of the coming encounter, though.
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Thanks so much Penny. Yes, this can only end badly. Thanks for reading
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